Volunteering Opportunities

Join a Branch committee

By joining a Branch committee, you will be an integral part of the Institute, enabling our activities in your local area.

Our Branches make IMarEST activities accessible to members around the world - including technical lectures, conferences, and networking events - enabling you to develop links with other members and organisations in the marine sector.

Find your local Branch to get involved

Join the Membership Committee

Support candidates by providing advice on membership and registration through the Membership Committee.

Sitting on the committee involves assessing and scrutinising applications for corporate membership (the membership categories of Fellow, Member and Associate Member) and applications for reduced fees, before making recommendations to the IMarEST Council. You will also make the final decisions around applications for Professional Registration (Chartered, Incorporated, Registered or Technician status).

Become a PRI Assessor

Members who wish to become a Fellow or to gain Incorporated, Registered or Chartered status are required to attend a Professional Review Interview (PRI) to assess their competence. Your role as a PRI Assessor would be to conduct this interview (assuming you are at the same level or more advanced than the person being interviewed).

This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the breadth and diversity of your profession and to experience the enthusiasm of your peers, hear innovative ideas, and reflect on your own performance, adaptability and receptiveness to different ways of thinking.

Become a CPD Recognition Assessor

It is crucial that those working in marine engineering, science and technology maintain their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for the marine sector to remain at the forefront of innovation and technological progress.

By assessing training courses, events and conferences against set criteria, and recognising that engaging in them would contribute to an individual’s CPD, you're helping professionals to not only stay up to date, but also to progress in their careers. You will make a recommendation to the Professional Affairs and Education Committee (PAEC) for the course to be recognised or alternatively, you will provide guidance on what improvements can be made to meet the criteria.

Join the Professional Affairs and Education Committee (PAEC)

As a member of the PAEC, you will lead on setting the Institute’s academic and professional development standards, dealing directly with the Engineering Council and Science Council on education, training and registration matters.

You will be responsible for the final decisions regarding accreditation and CPD recognition. The PAEC is also responsible for identifying and training accreditation and CPD Recognition Assessors and for making recommendations of award winners and grant recipients.

Become an Accreditation Assessor

This is a great opportunity to engage with the current state of education in marine disciplines, as well as furthering the advancement of the sector by recognising excellence in teaching.

As an Accreditation Assessor, you will ensure that academic courses provide a high standard of teaching/training, development opportunities, mentoring and support throughout the course. Once this criteria is met, you will make a recommendation to the PAEC for the course to be accredited or alternatively, you will provide guidance on what improvements can be made.

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and SIG committees

Help advance a variety of areas across the marine sector by participating or leading in our Special Interest Groups. A wide range of SIGs exist, reflecting the depth of knowledge and scale of marine activity that IMarEST members are involved in. You can view the full list here.

If a SIG covering your field of interest does not currently exist, the IMarEST will provide support for you to start your own.

IMarEST technical experts

In order to become an IMarEST technical expert, you will need to have a high level of expertise in one or more specific areas. You can then be called upon to contribute to relevant Institute activities, such as:

• Getting involved in developing regulations and standards
• Being invited to review journal papers in your area of expertise (for which you will receive a free 60-day subscription to the relevant IMarEST journal and a CPD certificate)
• Being invited to chair or speak at events and conferences

Contribute to technical activities

Contribute to IMarEST position statements and respond to member consultations on topics which you are passionate about and that impact the marine community and wider world. You can get involved in 'horizon-scanning' activities to look at future trends, uncertainties and challenges, support or participate in roundtable discussions, get involved in research projects and support and promote vital campaigns in the industry.

Join conference Technical Advisory Committees (TACs)

You will advise on conference location, programme, themes and potential attendees and sponsors. Our sector-leading learned society events cannot be run without our members’ expertise and experience.

We aim to support delegates and speakers by conducting, sharing and disseminating important research, highlighting new ideas and technological developments, and to advance and promote the profession. By being on a TAC you will have the incredibly rewarding role of facilitating these objectives.

Assist the Technical Leadership Board (TLB)

The IMarEST is a significant participant in industry, government and academic matters, providing impartial marine technical expertise for the benefit of society - our TLB is integral to how we are positioned in the wider marine sector.

By providing support to the TLB, you can help ensure key marine engineering, science and technology issues are addressed and provide input on those issues, as well as giving guidance on how and where the Institute should influence, provide technical contribution through research and best practice and contribute to policy development.

Join a journal Editorial Board

You will determine whether a specific technical or scientific paper is worthy of publication in the Journal of Operational Oceanography (JOO) or the Journal of Marine Engineering & Technology (JMET).

Reviewers are required to hold a high level of expertise in the subject. Becoming a reviewer gives you access to the latest developments in your specialist area and helps you contribute to the advancement of your subject, and to the profession, by ensuring the best quality research is published. You will also receive a 60-day subscription to either JOO or JMET on completion of a satisfactory review.

Join the Publications Supervisory Board (PSB)

Become a custodian of the latest research in marine engineering, science and technology by overseeing the quality of IMarEST proceedings and appointing Editors-in-Chief for the IMarEST’s journals: the Journal of Marine Engineering and Technology (JMET) and the Journal of Operational Oceanography (JOO).

You will ensure that the editorial board for each journal is working well to produce papers reflecting the interests of the marine community. You will also advise the Institute on it's book strategy and portfolio, including recommendations on which subject areas require coverage, potential new markets and developments around the publication of learned society papers and books. You will also have the opportunity to identify outstanding authors and recommend them for relevant awards.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the IMarEST’s governing body and has responsibility for policy and strategic matters.

The Board is composed of the Officers of the Institute, Council Trustees (who are Council Members elected by Council to serve on the Board), and Non-Council Trustees (who may be, but do not have to be, members of the Institute and who are appointed by the Board). Vacancies for Non-Council Trustees are often advertised as required.

IMarEST Council

The purpose of the IMarEST Council is to represent our members and to advise the Board of Trustees, providing leadership on the strategic and operational delivery of the professional, technical and learned society activities of the Institute.

Council delivers most of its operational work via its committees, whose members include both Council Members and other interested Institute members:      

• Branches Committee (BC)
• Membership Committee (MC)
• Professional Affairs & Education Committee (PAEC)
• Publications Supervisory Board (PSB)
• Technical Leadership Board (TLB)

Council also serves as a key channel of communication between the Institute, its Branches and its members and makes key appointments, including the President, President-elect, Council Trustees, Appointed Members of Council, Honorary Vice-Presidents and Honorary Fellows.