On October 1st, The Royal Statistical Society (RSS) and Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry Ltd (PSI) began to discuss formally whether a union of the two associations could benefit both societies.
RSS and PSI share many goals and activities. Discussions will evaluate whether the two societies could improve upon the delivery of those goals and activities without altering the character of either society to the detriment of their members, and will take place among a joint assessment committee (JAC) with appointees from both societies. The committee will meet formally in October, December and February. If discussions do identify a model for a union that the JAC believe will benefit both societies, each society will assess this model for the value it brings to its own members.
For PSI, this means an assessment by the BoD and by the members, most likely at an Annual General Meeting. A meeting of members (by teleconference) will be scheduled to allow PSI members to ask questions of the PSI representatives on the JAC, and to give their views on a union. The date of this meeting has yet to be set but will most likely take place in early January 2016, allowing members to hear the results of early discussions and give input into any proposed model of union. Further details will be communicated via eNews.
Please direct comments or questions to the PSI Chair, Mark Morris (mmorris@conatuspharma.com) or the PSI Secretariat (psi@mci-group.com).