With the General Assembly of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) in Vienna (April 27-May 2) approaching fast, it’s time to assemble the new team to represent Early Career Scientists (ECS) of the Hydrological Sciences Division!
We’re looking for a new ECS representative, as well as team members, to coordinate social media, our newsletter, online campfires, our podcast series, and to join our fantastic blog team.
Interested? Keep reading to find out more!
What do ECS reps do?
The EGU’s scientific activities are organised by 22 scientific divisions. The Hydrological Sciences (HS) Division is among the largest. From organising online events like webinars and campfires to running a thriving blog and social media, HS is active all year. At the annual General Assembly (GA) in Vienna, we have over a hundred sessions and over 2700 abstracts each year.
The HS Division Meeting at EGU24.
So what does the Early Career Scientist (ECS) team do? Under the leadership of the main ECS representative and the incoming co-representative, the ECS team takes on tasks such as:
- Organising online events throughout the year
- Organising short courses at the GA
- Contributing and coordinating blog posts, including the HydroData chronicles series
- Coordinating with the Young Hydrologic Society (YHS), the British Hydrologic Society (BHS), and other sister organisations
- Maintaining the Division’s social media presence
- Writing and sending out our monthly Division newsletter
- Running the upcoming HydroTalks podcast
What are the responsibilities of an ECS rep? What skills do I need to bring to the table?
The main responsibility of ECS reps is to be the voice of early career scientists in your Division. In HS, ECS reps also take a very active role in communication, helping ECS build skills and gain exposure, and showcasing the activities of the Division to a broader audience.
The ECS reps’ tasks also include:
- Attending online meetings of ECS representatives from all Divisions once every six weeks
- Joining and contributing to working groups (such as EDI, Communication, Work/Life balance) at Union level
- Attending three hybrid coordination meetings throughout the year – typically the weekend before the GA, in autumn, and early spring
- Coordinating and leading the efforts of the ECS team, including holding monthly team meetings
- Coordinate with the Division president, including a monthly meeting
The hydrology ECS networking event at EGU24, co-organised with YHS.
To tackle these tasks, we are looking for someone who is passionate about hydrology and great at communication, who feels aligned with EGU’s mission and who likes working with people. Ideally, you already have some experience coordinating teams of your peers. If you already volunteer at EGU – as a convener, blog contributor, or editor – that’s a plus!
The term for an ECS rep in HS is two years. In the first year, you will be the co-rep, learning the ropes. In the second year, you will be the main rep and have an opportunity to pass your knowledge on to your successor.
What can you contribute as an ECS team member?
Not sure you want to take on the leadership role in the ECS team? Join as a member and get to know the community first!
In the ECS team, we are looking for people with a variety of skills to help keep up our regular activities. This includes (but is not limited to):
- Writing and editing blog posts
- Organising online events
- Video and audio editing
- Managing social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram)
- Photo editing / Graphic design
If you have these skills already or want to polish them up, join us! Being part of the ECS team is a fantastic opportunity to get to know the hydrological community better and meet your colleagues at an international level.
How to apply?
To apply for the role of HS ECS representative, please send a CV and a one-page motivation letter that outlines your experience, skills, and vision for the team, to ecs-hs@egu.eu. Deadline: February 28th!
If you want to join the team, send us an email to the same address and let us know what activities you would be interested in helping with.
How does the team selection work?
The main ECS rep of the HS division is an elected role. A shortlist of 2-3 candidates will be prepared in consultation with the YHS community. The HS ECS reps, the division president and the vice president will then meet to select the successful candidate. In mid-March, an acceptance email is sent to confirm her/his availability and willingness to accept the new position. The term of the newly elected rep will cover the period 2025-27 and is expected to shadow the current ECS reps during EGU25.
Before officially taking on the role, the new ECS team will be introduced at the HS division meeting during the EGU GA on Tuesday the 29th at mid-day.
Got any questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us: ecs-hs@egu.eu!
