Membership should be considered an invitation to serve. Members contribute by taking part in YAS activities within our Grand Challenges. Members are welcome to participate in existing projects, but are also encouraged to suggest new activities and projects.
Members are also required to attend at least one of the three plenary meetings per year (financial support is available to cover travel costs).
Applicants should ensure that they can accommodate the minimum time commitment required for YAS membership, typically 4-5 hours/month.
Membership is for 5 years without the possibility of re-election. Members who take a career break of at least six months, e.g. for caring responsibilities, may have their membership extended by the length of the career break.
Members pay a small annual subscription, currently £80.
All members must uphold the Responsibilities of YAS Membership, as laid out in the Statute of the Young Academy of Scotland (5.2).
In addition to contributing to the public good, one of our objectives is to support the professional development of our members. Some of the benefits we offer are:
- Increasing members’ networks beyond their main area of work
- Attendance at events attended by key decision-makers
- Opportunities to work globally through collaborations with other Young Academies
- Opportunities to contribute to the work programme of our senior academy, the RSE
- Access to a mentorship programme which links YAS members with Fellows of the RSE
Application for membership of YAS is open to any person who considers that they have a contribution to make to the work of YAS, and who has already demonstrated excellence in their work, along with a wider interest in collaboration, cross-sector working, and societal impact.
In applying to YAS, applicants will be asked to demonstrate evidence that they meet most of the following selection criteria:
- Demonstrated Excellence in Field
- Evidence of significant achievement or potential in their profession, discipline, or sector (academic or non-academic).
- Commitment to Societal Impact
- Clear interest in applying knowledge, skills, or experience to address societal challenges in Scotland or globally.
- Past engagement in public service, outreach, policy, community-based work, or civic initiatives.
- Interdisciplinary and Cross-Sector Orientation
- Willingness and capacity to work across disciplinary or sectoral boundaries.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with those outside their field.
- Collaborative Mindset
- Evidence of working successfully in teams, especially in co-creative or co-produced projects.
- Strong interpersonal skills and a constructive approach to working with diverse viewpoints.
- Potential for Leadership and Growth
- Indicators of leadership potential, initiative, and ambition to contribute to societal betterment.
- Motivation to develop personally and contribute actively to YAS projects.
As early-to-mid career professionals, applicants are expected to have between 5 and 15 years post-qualification or professional experience, although YAS recognises that this may vary where an applicant has had career breaks or changes. For more information on our experience-level criteria, please read our statement Experience and Career- Level Criteria for YAS Membership (pdf).
YAS members should be resident in Scotland at the time of appointment (August 2026).
Applications will be reviewed by current YAS members, using the criteria above. They will then be discussed by selection panels involving YAS members and RSE Fellows. The list of new members will be approved by the YAS Advisory Group, a committee comprising current YAS members and RSE Fellows.
