Membership

No national, political, racial or religious affiliation shall constitute a bar to membership in the Society, and there will be no numerical limitations on membership. SIOP is committed to further and foster the best interests of children with neoplastic disease.

Benefits of membership

Members of the Society can make use of  various advantages:

• They are provided with an annual listing of their colleagues’ details in the web site membership directory so they can contact each other on various issues.
• They have free subscription to the official SIOP journal Pediatric Blood & Cancer (PBC), 12 issues per year + on-line.
• They receive free SIOP newsletters, 2 issues per year
• They get an average reduction of Euro 100,- on the registration fee to attend the annual SIOP meeting
• They are offered the opportunity to be actively involved in SIOP activities (SIOP committees etc.)
  They are given the opportunity to liaise with over 1,450 colleagues and researchers in the field of paediatric oncology
• They can visit the SIOP web-site and take part in discussion forums on the site. 
• They can discuss and vote on membership issues via postal ballots and at the Annual General Assembly
  
  

Types of membership

Membership in the Society is limited to the following kinds of members

A. Founding members
B. Ordinary members
C. Honorary members
D. Fellows
E. Nurses
F. Associates
G. Members in training

A. Founding Members
Those SIOP members so designated at the time of the formation of the Society on 6 November 1969.

B. Ordinary Members
Health and science professionals at the doctorate level (or equivalent degree) who have an exclusive or predominant interest in the clinical, laboratory, epidemiologic, or other research application to the field of childhood cancer.
All applications must be received by the Secretary-General at least one calendar month before the Annual General Meeting, supported by three sponsors among ordinary members of the Society, normally one should be from the applicants own country and one must work in a country other than that of the applicant. All applicants must have attended at least one SIOP meeting and can be elected at the second meeting which they attend. One of these meetings must be an annual SIOP meeting. The other may be a SIOP regional or other officially sponsored SIOP meeting. Applications for membership are vetted by the Secretary General and those which are complete and fulfil the regulations are submitted to the immediately succeeding Annual General Meeting for ratification.

C. Honorary Members
Ordinary Members who have retired from active involvement in paediatric oncology, or have attained the age of 65 but wish to maintain an interest in the Society.

D. Fellows
Health and science professionals at the doctoral level or those with equivalent academic rank or scholarly attainments to be determined by the Board, who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the goals of the Society, even if not directly involved with paediatric oncology.
Nomination to Fellowship with supporting letters from five (5) or more ordinary members must be received by the Secretary General at least three (3) months before the Annual Meeting for consideration by the Board. The formal nomination will be made by a member of the Board at the annual business meeting if the nomination is favourably considered by a majority vote of the Board.

E. Nurses
Nurses who have an exclusive or predominant interest in the broad aspects of the care of children with cancer.
All applications must be received by the Secretary-General at least one calendar month prior to the Annual Meeting; supported by two sponsors who may both come from the applicant’s own country. The sponsors should be one ordinary member of the Society and one other ordinary or nurse member. All applicants must have attended
All applicants must have attended at least one SIOP meeting and can be elected at the second meeting which they attend. One of these meetings must be an annual SIOP meeting. The other may be a SIOP regional or other officially sponsored SIOP meeting. Applications for membership are vetted by the Secretary General and those which are complete and fulfil the regulations are submitted to the immediately succeeding Annual General Meeting for ratification.

F. Associate Members
Health and science professionals such as oncology nurses, physician assistants, statisticians and other specialists who have demonstrated their ability to participate in research or care and treatment of children with neoplastic diseases. Membership shall usually be limited to those paramedical personnel who function as integral members of a team responsible for the care of such patients. Such Associate Members shall be identified in the membership list by speciality, e.g. Associate Member (Nursing).
Election to membership will be based on experience in the field of paediatric oncology. Associate members must be nominated by a Founding or Ordinary member. The application must be accompanied by one (1) additional letters of recommendation from a SIOP member and must be received by the Secretary General at least three (3) months before the Annual Meeting.

G. Members in training
Individuals who are ten or fewer years after the completion of their basic medical degree or five or fewer years after the completion of a Ph.D. or Sc.D.). Applicants who have had a career break or career change and do not satisfy the above requirements for timing will be considered individually. These may qualify for member-in-training status for a maximum of three years. After three years as a member-in-training, they will automatically become Ordinary  Members. 

Duties and Privileges of Members

Founding, Ordinary and Nurse Members

• must pay annual dues which includes subscription to the official journal of the Society when applicable;
• membership is automatically cancelled if dues are not paid for three consecutive years without good reason.
  (The Board will make the decision regarding cancellation of membership.)
• Members may hold office, vote and nominate or second candidates for Society membership or office;
• present communications to the Society;
• and can serve on committees.
• These types of members receive all publications and communications of the Society.
• They can submit abstracts as the presenting author or as co?author for each annual meeting, for consideration by the Scientific and  Programme Committee.
• They may sponsor abstracts from non-SlOP members for each annual meeting. Abstracts from non-SIOP members will only be considered for presentation if sponsored by a SIOP member.
  The permissible number of abstracts submitted or sponsored by anyone shall be established by the Board with the advice and consent of the membership.
  Each member will be allocated to a continent according to their usual domicile and to a discipline of either paediatric oncology, radiotherapy, surgery, pathology, basic science, statistics/epidemiology or nursing.
  Members may only belong to one continent and one discipline group for the purposes of voting.

Honorary Members
Are exempt from the payment of dues, may not hold office and are not eligible to vote nor nominate or second nominations, but are eligible for all other rights and privileges of the Society, except receipt of the journal.
Honorary members may receive the journal only upon payment of the appropriate subscription rate.
They must pay the registration fee for meetings which they attend.

Fellows
Are exempt from the payment of membership dues. They shall be expected to pay the registration fee for meetings which they attend. They may not hold office and are not eligible to vote, but are eligible for all other rights and privileges of the Society, except receipt of the journal.
Fellows  may receive the journal only upon payment of the appropriate subscription rate.

Associate Members
Must pay annual dues which are substantially reduced, to a level decided by the Board. They must also pay the registration fee for meetings they attend. They may not hold office or vote, but are eligible for all other rights and priviliges of the Society, except receipt of the journal.
Associate Members may receive the journal only upon payment of the appropriate subscription rate.