Membership Application and Renewal Processes/Instructions:
- Read the descriptions of membership categories and determine which best matches your clinical and research efforts.
- Submit the Membership Application Form and upload your CV.
- All applications are reviewed and voted on by the CACHET Executive Committee (EC).
- Ongoing membership will be reviewed every three years based on criteria described below.
- Members may request that they change categories if he or she receives environmental health science (EHS)-related funding, increases EHS-related research or otherwise meets the criteria specified under “Members/Investigators” on the next page. Similarly, a Member may move Member categories if his/her research has become less EHS-focused or otherwise does not meet the designated criteria.
- All changes in membership including suspension of membership privileges require review and a vote by the EC.
Categories of CACHET membership:
- Full Members
- Associate Members
- Affiliate Members
CACHET Full Member:
Any member of the standing faculty at either UChicago or UIC is eligible to become a CACHET member. To be appointed, the faculty member (any academic rank), must document that they
- have a major EHS research theme or program that fits into the mission of CACHET
- are willing to conduct collaborative research in EHS, and
- are a PI on peer-reviewed external funding or an active Co-Investigator on EHS-related external research grants.
Documentation will include authorship of publications in the EHS field, a clear, well-developed research theme in EHS-related activities, and external funding details (agency, grant #, Title, dates). Scientific excellence is required. All membership requests are sponsored by the appropriate Focus Group Leader. Alternately, a Full Member may nominate a qualified individual.
Applications will be reviewed by the Directors, Focus Group Leaders and presented to the EC for vote. Appointments are for three-years and are renewable based on the following criteria:
- a continued publication record in the EHS field
- alignment with the CACHET mission
- publications or grants with other CACHET members
- active participation in CACHET activities
- use of Facility Cores and/or Community Engagement Core , and
- citation of the CACHET Core grant on EHS-related publications
CACHET Associate Member:
This category is available to any member of the standing faculty at UChicago or UIC who pursues EHS-related research or wishes to enter this field but does not have current peer-reviewed external funding and/or a record of publications in the EHS field. This category may include senior or more junior faculty with developed model systems/resources, population cohorts and translational opportunities that align with Focus Group interests and document plans to conduct EHS research. Faculty who directly participate in EHS-related research and collaborate with CACHET full members but do not have independent research funding as a PI may be Associate Members. This is the membership category for junior faculty active in collaborative EHS research but who have not yet obtained independent external funding.
Nominations are made through the Focus Group Leaders and applications must contain (a) an updated CV; (b) Research Statement pertaining to their work and EHS—specific interest and (c) a letter of sponsorship from the Focus Group Leader or other Full member.
Applications will be reviewed as above (for Full Members) and appointments are re-reviewed after three years.
CACHET Affiliate Member: This category of membership will be made available to EHS-committed researchers who are invested in the activities of CACHET or wish to pursue a career in the EHS field but who do not have current faculty status.
This will include senior level trainees (senior post-doctoral fellows, young non-faculty investigators with K awards), Instructors and Research Associates (MS/MA or PhD degree) active in CACHET Facility Cores or other aspects of the Center.
Nominations for an Affiliate membership will be made through the Focus Group leaders as described above or through the Facility Core Leaders. The applications will be reviewed as above for the other categories.
Documents will include (a) a CV or resume, (b) a Statement of Interest and (c) a letter of support from a CACHET member. Appointments are for up to three-years and are renewable based on documented evidence of continued work within the EHS field or CACHET activities.
Membership Benefits
CACHET members will have benefits made available to all members. These include:
- membership in a Focus Group that provides for exchange of ideas, shared resources, and new collaboration opportunities that lead to shared publications and grants;
- introduction to new colleagues at a cross-town University with shared interests;
- access to pilot project funding opportunities to test new hypothesis and develop preliminary data for grant submissions;
- access to unique Facility Cores that provide free and/or discounted services only to CACHET members conducting EHS-related research;
- opportunities for translational research engagement through the IHSFC;
- interactions with community partners regarding local environmental concerns through the CEC;
- educational programs in EHS (seminars, workshops, annual retreat);
- multiple training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows;
- career development opportunities and training for EHS Young Investigators.
Membership Responsibilities
Membership in CACHET is considered a privilege. In return, continued membership has the following responsibilities for all participants:
- alignment of professional activities with the CACHET mission
- collaborations and interactions with other CACHET members
- active participation in CACHET activities: seminars, retreats, workshops, focus group meetings, community activities with the CEC
- use of Facility Cores and/or Community Engagement Core,
- citation of the CACHET Core grant on EHS-related publications