NSGC 2024 Call for Volunteers

NSGC provides many opportunities for you to make a difference in the genetic counseling profession by serving as a volunteer on a committee, advisory group or workgroup. NSGC is pleased to announce that our consolidated Call for Volunteers process for various committees, advisory groups and workgroups is now open. 

Our hope is that this recruitment process makes it easier for members to stay abreast of volunteer opportunities and become involved in NSGC. Unless otherwise specified, the volunteer term will begin in January 2024 and end in December 2024. Some groups will begin onboarding efforts in December 2023 to prepare new committee members for their term. 

To learn more about the opportunities available to you, please review all of the descriptions below. If you are experiencing technical difficulties accessing the application, please email nsgc@nsgc.org. 

 

Abstract Workgroup

Becoming a workgroup member is a great way to get involved in NSGC, and we encourage our colleagues with experience in research to apply. Applicants must be a Full, New Genetic Counselor, or Associate member of NSGC and have frequent access to e-mail.

The best-qualified applicants will have some experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Design and implementation of research
• Editorship of journals or other publications
• Reviewing articles submitted to peer-reviewed journals 

Applicants selected to join the Abstract Workgroup will serve a 3-year term. Key responsibilities include:

• Completing practice reviews and a webinar training in April 2023
• Reviewing approximately 20-30 abstracts within a 2 week time frame in June 2023
• Assisting with moderating concurrent paper sessions and/or poster sessions at the 2023 Annual Conference, if attending.

Access and Service Delivery (ASD) Committee

The Access and Service Delivery (ASD) Committee is responsible for monitoring and addressing issues related to increasing access to genetic counselors. Specific areas of focus include service delivery, business case development, payer strategy, billing coverage and reimbursement, and state licensure. The ASD Committee is seeking professional volunteers with effective written and oral communication, critical thinking, and team-building skills to join us in 2023. The Committee is organized into working groups which are determined based upon the charges for the year, but generally are divided into payer, billing, and licensure groups. ASD members serve three year terms and are expected to join monthly calls with their working group as well as a bimonthly call with the full Committee. We have a lot going on and we’d love to get you involved!

Interested applicants should submit their CVs and a one-page statement of interest (only Word or pdf accepted) as part of the Call for Volunteers application form. Applicants are welcome to contact the ASD Committee’s Staff Liaison, Jennifer Trotter with any questions.

Advocacy Coordinating Committee (ACC)

The Advocacy Coordinating Committee (ACC) collaborates with staff in coordinating outreach, communication, and education for the membership focused on building cosponsors for The Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act (H.R. 2144/S. 1450). To learn more about NSGC’s federal effort, visit the Federal Advocacy webpage.

Committee member responsibilities include:

• Attend and actively participate in monthly meetings
• Review weekly committee email updates  
• Collaborate with staff on outreach to the membership and Access to Genetic Counselor Services Coalition focused on building cosponsors for the federal bill
• Recruit participants for NSGC’s Virtual Hill events
• Provide regular updates on outreach activity in the tracking database
• Communicate the value of participating as an advocate for the federal bill through member education

Please note that member responsibilities may evolve depending on the status of the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act. After the bill is passed, NSGC leadership will determine the committee's future direction.   

Applicants are encouraged to have the following skills and competencies:

• Passion for passing the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Strategic thinking
• Organization
• Collaboration

Prior advocacy experience is not required. Committee workload fluctuates depending on the time of year and whether Congress is in session, but members should expect to spend ~4-6 hours per month on Committee responsibilities.

Interested applicants should submit their CVs and a one-page statement of interest (Word or pdf only). Applicants are welcome to submit questions to Jennifer Trotter, ACC’s Staff Liaison.

Ad Hoc Projects or Other Volunteer Opportunities

Throughout the year, NSGC identifies various opportunities to engage volunteers in short-term projects such as document review, subject matter commentary or resource development.  Additionally, we may have the opportunity to engage members to serve as liaisons to specific projects or organizations, or to engage members in other ways.  Members who are willing to be contacted as opportunities arise should their submit their CVs and a one-page statement (Word or pdf) outlining their areas of interest as part of the Call for Volunteer application form.

Audrey Heimler Special Project Award (AHSPA) Committee

The Audrey Heimler Special Project Award (AHSPA) provides an annual award of $10,000 to one or more genetic counselors for a project that focuses on the future of the genetic counseling profession and/or the provision of genetic services. Past projects have included resources for genetic counselors to use with patients, research to help advance the profession and innovative continuing education resources for genetic counselors in current practice. The AHSPA Committee reviews project proposals and selects the winner(s) of the award.

General Committee Expectations:

• Three (3) year term with the expectation that one committee member will become chair during their third year with optional co-chair
• Participation in three (3) award cycles and three volunteer applicant reviews (to choose members for the following year)

Specific Committee Expectations: 

• All members to participate in 3 to 5 teleconference calls (~30 to 60 minutes) 
• All members review AHSPA proposals and assign scores and provide comments
• All members review and score volunteer application 

Timeline:

• Spring (March-April): Planning call

  • Introduce new members, discuss changes to application or review procedures, assign tasks

• SUMMER (June - July):

  • Post-deadline preparation for proposal review call

  • Review and scoring of proposals

  • Teleconference to discuss scoring and award consensus

  • Possible second communication for award consensus if needed

• FALL:  Critical review and rating of ASHPA membership applications

  • Call to discuss new members

Awards Committee

The NSGC Awards Committee is responsible for oversight and selection of the NSGC Leadership Awards and of NSGC’s various organizational scholarships, recognizing those who have demonstrated a commitment to the genetic counseling profession and NSGC.

Committee Member Responsibilities:

• Oversee the nomination process, review applications, and select winners for NSGC Leadership Awards (Natalie Weissberger Paul National Achievement Award, Outstanding Volunteer Award, Strategic Leader Award, New Leader Award, Leader in Diversity and Inclusion, Leader in Cultural Advocacy Award, and NSGCares Community Engagement Award), Student Research Scholarship, Sponsored Annual Conference Scholarship, and Student Membership Scholarship.
• Conduct outreach and both formal and informal communications to encourage nominations for Leadership Awards from diverse groups within the membership.
• Conduct assessment of awards application and selection processes
• Awards Committee members are not eligible to be nominated for or receive awards granted by the committee

Volunteer Expectations:

• One year term
• Availability year round but majority of committee work is done in late-Spring, Summer, and Fall
• Available for quarterly/monthly committee calls 
• Full, New Genetic Counselor, Emeritus or Associate member of NSGC
• Previous experience with evaluating and interviewing applications, supervision, etc. are valuable skills, but are not required 
• Prompt communicator with frequent access to emails
• Excellent organization skills
• Critical thinking skills to help redesign application questions, streamline processes, and review the various applications

CEU Reviewer Subcommittee

NSGC CEU Reviewer Subcommittee is busier than ever and we need you! The CEU Reviewer Subcommittee provides a service which impacts the entire genetic counseling field, by approving continuing education activities for all certified genetic counselors. 

Committee Structure 

• As a subcommittee of the NSGC Education Committee, each CEU review team consists of a blend of new and experienced CEU reviewers.
• Members of this subcommittee work on 2-3 person teams to discuss, review, and approve Category 1 and Category 2 CEU applications. 
• We are aiming to have 30 teams in 2023 to keep up with the demand of CEU applications being submitted. 

Volunteer Responsibilities

• Alternate assignments with your team to evaluate one Category 1 CEU application or a group of Category 2 CEU applications using the criteria outlined in the CEU Standards and Guidelines.
• Teams typically receive 1-2 assignments per month, with a review time of 2-4 weeks per assignment.
• Training materials and staff support are provided!

Qualifications

• Prompt communicator
• Excellent organization skills
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Critical thinking
• Ability to operate "in the grey" and interpret the intent of a rule or guideline.

Education Committee

The Education Committee is responsible for oversight and development of NSGC educational products and services to ensure NSGC’s education programs grow and support both the core skills and specialized needs of our members. If you are interested in serving in the Vice Chair position of the Education Committee, please ensure that you indicate this in the leadership section of the application.

Ethics Advisory Group

NSGC’s Ethics Advisory Group (EAG) is calling for applications for 2 new members to serve from January 2024 through December 2026. The EAG’s purpose is to serve as an education resource to the membership and Board on matters involving ethical concerns. Applications from GCs working in any specialty are welcome. Formal experience or training in ethics may be helpful but is not required. To apply, submit your CV and a cover letter outlining why you are interested in joining the EAG, your relevant experience, an example of your work within a team to resolve an ethical conflict related to genetic counseling, and how you believe the NSGC Code of Ethics can facilitate the resolution of ethical conflicts in the field.

Jane Engelberg Memorial Fellowship (JEMF) Advisory Group

The JEMF advisory Group has openings for up to three (3) new advisory group members to serve a 5-year term to begin in January 2024. The JEMF Advisory Group is responsible for a variety of funding and outreach activities to promote scholarly investigation of any aspect of our profession with the goal of improving the practice of genetic counseling. Activities include reviewing full member grant proposals and student awards annually. The JEMF Advisory Group awards a $90,000 award to a full member genetic counselor(s), a student manuscript award ($250), and several $500 awards for genetic counseling student research projects. 

The JEMF Advisory Group strives to expand our membership to reflect diversity within our genetic counseling community. To serve on the JEMF Advisory Group, appointees must be full members of NSGC, board-certified, and have research experience and/or experience with grant submission and review. Appointees must be available to attend an annual summer meeting, which may be held in-person or virtually. An Advisory Group member is not eligible to apply for or serve in any role for any JEMF full member award or grant submitted during their tenure or in the year following the ending of their term. Services of JEMF Advisory Group members are provided on a voluntary basis with no financial remuneration. JEMF Advisory Group members will be reimbursed for expenses to attend the JEMF Advisory Group meetings. 

Journal of Genetic Counseling (JOGC) Reviewer

Reviewers evaluate article submissions based on the requirements of JOGC and the quality, completeness and accuracy of the research presented. They provide feedback on manuscripts, suggest improvements and make recommendations to the editor about whether to accept, reject or request changes to the submitted article. The ultimate decision always rests with the editor but reviewers play a significant role in determining the outcome.  As a reviewer, you will be the first to see a paper and see research before it is widely known, gain reviewing skills that can also be applied in other work that you do, and contribute to our journal and sharing of knowledge in our field.

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) Committee

The mission of the NSGC, J.E.D.I. Committee is to facilitate conversation and communication surrounding Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) with and around NSGC, and implement specific goals related to J.E.D.I. by:

• Supporting the NSGC Board of Directors in informing and communicating J.E.D.I. initiatives, including giving support to internal groups (such as committees within NSGC), and collaboration with external communities (such as other genetic and genomic organizations).
• Facilitating the implementation of the NSGC’s J.E.D.I. action plan put forth by NSGC’s Action Planning Taskforce.
• Serving NSGC’s membership by helping triage incoming requests and questions related to J.E.D.I.

Knowledge Assessment Committee

The Knowledge Assessment Committee is a newly formed Education Subcommittee with the responsibility of aiding NSGC groups to prepare high quality CEU quizzes that accurately and fairly assess knowledge gained from an NSGC-sponsored education activity. These activities may include webinars, JoGC CEU articles, and on-demand offerings from the NSGC AC. Committee members may be asked to mentor individuals who are writing their own quiz items, review quiz items for quality assurance, and/or write quiz items for an activity. Training on proper quiz item writing is provided to all committee volunteers, which entails viewing a short webinar. Committee Members will be expected to view approximately 5 hours of recorded content from the AC and write corresponding quiz items in the early part of the year. Additional work will be sporadic but estimated to be 2-3 times a year for mentoring, reviewing, or writing 6-8 quiz items.

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee is responsible for recruitment, retention, mentorship, leadership development, and inclusion efforts for the NSGC membership.

We do this by:

• Facilitating mentorship and leadership development via NSGConnect and other platforms
• Designing strategies for recruiting diverse and underrepresented individuals to our profession
• Advocating for member benefits that retain an inclusive, engaged membership cohort
• Recruiting and selecting diverse membership voices for the Nominating Committee

Past example committee work has included:

• Planning, implementing, and evaluating the Community Conversation Series
• Creating J.E.D.I.-focused resources for Managers/Supervisors
• Management of the mentorship platform NSGConnect
• Establishing local and national community partnerships
• Promoting the profession through various recruitment events with a focus on historically excluded students
• Planning and implementing the Annual Conference First Time Attendees event                                 

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee consists of eight members: four current Board members [the Immediate Past President (chair), the President, two (2) Directors-at-Large], and four (4) non-Board members, Members-At-Large, appointed by the Membership Committee. The Nominating Committee is charged with the responsibility to put forth a slate of candidates for open positions on the Board of Directors that will best lead NSGC and that, to the degree possible from the pool of eligible nominees, reflects the high value NSGC places on diversity of all kinds, including diversity in skills, specialty, experience, culture, race, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability status.

Candidates for the Nominating Committee should demonstrate dedication to the growth of NSGC and the genetic counseling profession. It is recommended that candidates display leadership abilities, are active members of NSGC, and have been employed as a genetic counselor for at least two (2) years. Candidates who represent a variety of work settings and/or other aspects of diversity within NSGC are strongly recommended to apply.

The Nominating Committee’s primary responsibilities are as follows:

1. Participate in NSGC-provided implicit bias training to prepare for committee work
2. Actively participate in committee meetings
3. Thoroughly review all application materials and candidate applications
4. Interview a subset of candidates using a structured interview guide
5. Evaluate candidates utilizing structured scoring rubrics
6. Recommend a slate of officers and directors to serve as NSGC Board members beginning on January 1 of the following year

Time commitment is estimated to be 30 – 40 hours over January to May.

NSGConnect Mentor/Mentee Program 

NSGConnect is NSGC’s online mentorship program. It aims to connect members with each other on both a professional and social level, providing guidance and support, professional
development and networking, and it is open to all NSGC members. Mentors and mentees can match across a variety of interests and specialties.More specifically, a mentor is someone who offers their professional or personal experience to share with others seeking that information. Each mentor/mentee relationship is unique and tailored to the match’s needs. The time commitment for this program is flexible and up to the matched pair. Some matches are a one-time connection while others last for several weeks, months, or longer.

On-Demand Subcommittee

The On-Demand Subcommittee produces online courses that support genetic counselors’ continuing education. These courses are compiled and released throughout the year. Members of the On-Demand Subcommittee assess the educational needs for practicing genetic counselors, identify topics relevant to the practice of genetic counseling, review NSGC’s library of educational materials, and create online training courses. This is an exciting opportunity for individuals who are passionate about education and professional development.

Perspectives Editor 

The Perspectives Executive Editor is responsible for collaborating with the NSGC Managing Editor staff partner to assist in identifying key topics of interest and themes for Perspectives articles. They are responsible for identifying, soliciting, and articles on topics that are pertinent and relevant to NSGC. The Executive Editor and all members of the Perspectives team have a responsibility to ensure that all authors are treated with fairness, courtesy, objectivity, honesty, and transparency. The Executive Editor will also be responsible for working directly with the NSGC Managing Editor to manage the overall content calendar and ensure that articles are being published in a timely manner, as well as engaging the broader Perspectives group of volunteers to solicit and support article publication. The Executive Editor is also responsible for completing a quarterly report for the NSGC Board of Directors to review and remain apprised of progress and needs.

Qualifications

• Must be an NSGC member in good standing
• Must uphold the NSGC mission and vision
• Committed to ensuring a high-quality and evolving member publication
• Must maintain a working e-mail address in the membership database
• Must be detail-oriented, flexible, and able to meet deadlines
• Prior editorial experience/background a plus
• Must have previous editing/writing experience that may include a variety of topics, including lived experience
• Must have good communication and organizational skills

Perspectives Committee 

Members of the NSGC Perspectives Committee are responsible for identifying authors, soliciting articles and/or writing articles on a quarterly basis. Members can be “general” and responsible for identifying articles and authors within the genetic counseling space on any topic, or members may have a standing column (formerly known as column leads) that they are responsible for providing content on, such as book reviews, student corner, etc.

Qualifications

•  Must be an NSGC member in good standing
• Must uphold the NSGC mission and vision
• Committed to ensuring a high-quality and evolving member resource
• Must maintain a working e-mail address in the membership database
• Must be detail-oriented and able to meet deadlines
• Prior editorial experience/background a plus
• Must have good communication and organizational skills

Perspectives Committee Member Responsibilities

• Assist in identifying key topics of interest and themes including those that are appropriate to identified interests and needs of the profession
• Identify authors, solicit articles, and write articles as assigned by the NSGC Executive Editor
• Contribute one article per quarter to Perspectives
• Share author guidelines with all authors and provide support and adherence to the publication process
• As assigned, engage Committee Chairs, SIG leaders, and others throughout NSGC to obtain articles
• Review article  and ensure author affiliations, degrees, bios are sent with article
• Attend quarterly committee calls to brainstorm new topics and ideas

Practices Guidelines Committee (PGC)

The NSGC Practice Guidelines Committee (PGC) seeks new members to join our talented and hardworking team of volunteers. PGC members serve three-year terms, actively facilitate the development of NSGC’s evidence-based practice guidelines and practice resources, and manage collaborative guideline development with other professional societies.

The PGC sets policy for guideline development to meet current standards, reviews potential practice guideline topics and practice resource topics, constructs all author groups, and makes recommendations to the NSGC Board regarding practice guideline and practice resource policies and publications. PGC members attend monthly conference calls and serve as liaison to practice guideline and practice resource author groups.

As liaisons, PGC members review author COI, help set and maintain project timelines, review document outlines and drafts, attend monthly author-group calls, and communicate project needs and progress to PGC leadership. PGC members may also be involved with PGC Subcommittees (e.g. COI Subcommittee and Endorsement Subcommittee).

Experience in clinical research, systematic evidence review, grading evidence and recommendations, outcomes research, and professional guideline development are particularly valuable skills for prospective committee members, but not required. For more information about the PGC, visit the PGC webpage.

Interested applicants should submit their CVs and a one-page statement of interest (only Word or pdf accepted) as part of the Call for Volunteers application form. Applicants are welcome to contact PGC Staff Liaison, Jennifer Trotter with any questions.

Professional Status Survey (PSS) Committee

The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) administers a Professional Status Survey (PSS) annually to all genetic counselors. If you are seeking to make an impact on the profession, please consider joining the Professional Status Survey Committee. Since the survey was first administered in 1980, results from the NSGC PSS have served many purposes, including establishing benchmarks for salaries and benefits for genetic counselors, identifying workforce issues, and gauging job and professional satisfaction in the genetic counseling community. Data from the PSS originate from genetic counselors working in a variety of settings, including hospitals, academic centers, diagnostic laboratories, the private sector, public health, and others. The published reports from the PSS provide a detailed profile of the current genetic counseling workforce, primarily in the U.S. and Canada, and identify new and emerging trends in this growing profession. The analyses also provide information useful to individual genetic counselors and those who interact with them, including current and prospective employers, medical associations, policy makers, prospective genetic counselors, as well as individuals obtaining genetic counseling services. The information collected by the PSS also helps inform NSGC strategic priorities in J.E.D.I. (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) by tracking and monitoring changes over time related to the genetic counseling profession.

PSS Committee members are involved in various tasks pertaining to the development of the PSS throughout the cycle, including reviewing,  developing and testing the survey, and editing the PSS reports prior to publication. Committee members do not perform statistical analyses. Volunteers will be expected to execute tasks in alignment with the PSS schedule. Typical busy times include March-April and July-October. In addition to monthly committee calls, the typical time commitment for a committee member is roughly 20-30 hours per year. The committee term is 2 years.

Program Committee

The Annual Conference Program Committee (ACPC) works year-round to plan and develop the educational content for NSGC’s Annual Conference (AC). The committee term is 3 years, and committee members are involved in a number of tasks including:

• Review of the prior conference attendees’ general feedback
• Discussion on the scoring of prior session submissions as guidance for future planning
• Determination of the final slate of sessions at the conference
• Communication with session submitters to ensure development of sessions that match the ACPC’s conference vision
• Development of the late-breaking sessions and other educational content as needed
• Collaborating with various NSGC education committees to understand the best format for content
• Feedback on ACPC processes for future improvements

Candidates for the ACPC should have passion and enthusiasm for bringing strong educational content to the NSGC membership while centering inclusivity in the decision- making process. They should demonstrate leadership qualities, the ability to provide robust feedback and volunteer their input without having to be invited to do so. They should have a solid working knowledge of the particular areas of the GC profession in which they specialize, and an awareness of leaders in their field, as they will be an advocate for that content at the AC.

Busy times include Feb-March (in-person meeting for 2-3 days) and leading up to the AC. Time commitment (excluding the in-person meeting) is about 40-50 hours per year. AC registration fees are covered for ACPC members. Interested applicants should submit their CVs and a one-page statement of interest as part of the Call for Volunteers application form. Applicants are welcome to contact 2022 ACPC Chairs, Melanie Hardy and Carla McGruder.

Position Statement Committee (formerly Public Policy Committee)

The Position Statement Committee is seeking individuals with strong writing and critical thinking skills, with an interest in current policies related to the practice of genetic counseling, to join our talented and hardworking team.  Members serve three year terms and help develop and revise NSGC position statements, in accordance with NSGC policies. Members may also assist in creating public comments, as led by NSGC’s strategic plan, for specific issues related to proposed policy, federal rules, and regulations and in educating NSGC membership about policy-related issues in genetic counseling. Committee members are expected to join monthly hour-long virtual meetings and actively participate in at least two internal Committee working groups per year.

Interested applicants should submit their CVs and a one-page statement of interest (Word or pdf) as part of the Call for Volunteer application form. Applicants are welcome to submit questions to Jennifer Trotter, the Position Statement Committee Staff Liaison.

Research, Quality and Outcomes (RQO) Committee

The NSGC Research, Quality, and Outcomes (RQO) Committee is seeking new members to join our talented group. Committee charges include developing and designing NSGC’s research infrastructure, identifying and promoting tools to measure quality and outcomes in genetic counseling, and maintaining NSGC’s Genetic Counselor Literature Repository and other educational content.

The RQO Committee holds a one-hour monthly standing call and monthly subcommittee calls. Members are generally expected to participate in 2-3 subgroups. Experience in research, measure development, and patient-reported outcomes are valuable skills, but not necessary for Committee membership. The RQO Committee ultimately seeks candidates who are eager to learn about, and improve, NSGC’s ability to measure genetic counseling outcomes, demonstrate the value of genetic counseling services, and advance genetic counseling research. Learn more about the RQO Committee. RQO Committee membership is a 3-year term.

Interested applicants should submit their CVs and a one-page statement of interest (only Word or pdf will be accepted) as part of the NSGC Call for Volunteers application process. Applicants are welcome to submit questions to Jennifer Trotter, RQO Committee Staff Liaison.

Webinar Subcommittee

The member webinar series is a free member benefit, with timely year-round education on issues impacting our profession. From telemedicine to genetic engineering, the webinar subcommittee aims to curate and create content that keeps our membership apprised of how the latest trends in healthcare may affect them. The subcommittee also partners with SIG leadership and organizations across NSGC to bring attention to content that spans many fields relevant to genetic counselors. Subcommittee members typically meet one to two times a month – once, as a committee, to plan content and discuss pertinent organizational topics, and once with the invited speakers to discuss the content of the episode and episode logistics.