Early Career Network

Early Career Network

Mission

The ESRS Early Career Network (ECN) [formerly Early Career Researcher Network (ECRN)] is dedicated to collaboration and participation of early career sleep professionals within the ESRS and its activities and events. Our main aim is to establish and maintain a peer network for early career sleep researchers and clinicians to support a generation of healthy, collaborative and successful sleep professionals.

All early career sleep professionals (e.g., MSc and PhD students, postdoctoral researchers or clinicians,) who obtained their PhD or Master degrees less than 10 years ago and are a member of the ESRS can become a member of the ECN. We do however also reach out to the broader community of early career sleep professionals on our social media platforms. You can find us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).

Our most prominent activity is the hosting of the Early Career Day at the first day of each bi-annual ESRS conference since 2016. The Early Career Day is half-day session organized around topics relevant to early career professionals, such as professional development and transferrable skills. Moreover, networking events, online sessions, and digital communications such as the “member of the month” that throws the spotlight on individual members, are organized throughout. Please follow our social media channels for more information. If you have any specific questions do feel free to reach out.

The Executive Committee (EC)

The ECN is led by an executive committee, which preferably reflects the diversity of early career sleep researchers and clinicians within the ESRS. The EC consists of five members, who are elected at the biannual Early Career Day after an advertisement sent out via email to all ECN members. To assure the continuity of the ongoing work, members of the EC are elected for 4 years and 2-3 new members are therefore elected at every biannual ECN meeting.

EC members cannot sit for longer than 4 years at a time but can re-elected once at a later time. If needed, the ECN-EC may decide in collaboration with the ESRS board to change the composition of the EC. This decision may be taken by simple majority. The members of the EC choose the Chair, the Co-Chair and Secretary from amongst them.

The ECN-EC makes sure the voice of young professionals is heard throughout the ESRS. The ECN Chair has regular meetings with the ESRS Board and ECN members participate in the Education Committee, the Sleep Medicine Committee and the Digital and Communication Committee, and of the ESRS.

Subcommittees