See below for our current volunteer calls:
We welcome anyone interested in volunteering their time and energy to assist with our myriad Committees. After six months as a volunteer, you will receive an SSWG-SCB certificate for contributing to the working group. Currently, we are looking for volunteers for the next term, September 2025- February 2026.
Organizational Capacity Committee. Following the launch of our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, we are prioritizing key initiatives that enhance internal capacity, communications, and academic visibility.
We are recruiting two volunteers to help deliver targeted, high-impact projects that support our operational and strategic goals, in collaboration with the communications and DEIJ committees.
Project 1: Review and relaunch of our resources platform
This project aims to assess how conservation social science resources are curated, shared, and accessed. The volunteer(s) will:
- Review and update our existing resource database.
- Establish systems for the ongoing maintenance of the database.
- Evaluate the accessibility and functionality of our current website.
- Explore platform options for hosting and sharing resources.
- Propose ideas for a publishable output(s), such as a guidance brief, internal report, or journal article.
This project is ideal for: Individuals with interests in science communication, education, digital content strategy, or capacity-building in conservation.Duration: 6 months
Time commitment: ~8 hours/month || Committee(s): Organisational Capacity & Communications Committees
Project 2: Interdisciplinary Publishing in Conservation
Support our efforts to mainstream conservation social science and interdisciplinary research in academic publishing. The volunteer(s) will:
- Conduct a review of recent publication trends across SCB journals.
- Analyse article themes and metrics
- Identify opportunities to strengthen the presence of CSS in publishing.
- Support efforts to make conservation publishing more inclusive and interdisciplinary (in collaboration with the SSWG DEIJ committee)
This project is ideal for: Those interested in academic publishing, bibliometrics, or the science–policy interface.
Duration: 6 months
Time commitment: ~8 hours/month || Committee(s): Organisational Capacity & DEIJ Committees
Benefits of volunteering with SSWG
- Professional exposure: Collaborate with a global board of conservation social scientists.
- Board experience: Attend select SSWG board meetings to share progress and receive feedback.
- Mentorship & networking: Work closely with board members and connect with peers in the conservation social science community.
- Tangible impact: Help shape the tools, processes, and conversations that support the future of conservation social science.
- Recognition: SSWG volunteers receive a certificate of recognition and are authors on outputs and publications related to their project.
If you’re passionate about conservation social science and want to contribute meaningfully to the global community, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact us at sswgboard@gmail.com, stating which project you are interested in applying for and attaching your CV. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in contact.
Communications Committee: If you have skills in social media, graphic design, or related areas, we’d love your help! Please reach out to sswgcommunications@gmail.com.
Student Affairs: If you are interested in supporting the annual SSWG mentoring program and helping us organize webinars around the issue of mentoring and capacity development, please fill out the following form: https://forms.gle/RMQQHZWxgMx6BvT96
*If you have any questions, contact us at sswgstudent@gmail.com.
Contact our SSWG Board President, Stephanie Brittain at sswgboard@gmail.com, with questions about current volunteer opportunities or ideas you have regarding how you wish to engage. If you are particularly excited about any of our committee efforts, you can also directly contact a Committee Chair.
Thanks for all you do to make a difference in the conservation social sciences!
