about ssi
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I eligible for membership in SSI?
Does it cost anything to join SSI?
My inbox is already overloaded. Will I be flooded with email messages from SSI?
What if I don't have time to respond to an SSI alert?
What if I don't agree with the UCS position on a particular issue?
The membership enrollment form asks a lot of questions. Why do you need that information; who has access to it; and do you ever rent/sell information to other organizations?
How can I coordinate with other SSI members in my area?
Am I eligible for membership in SSI?
The Sound Science Initiative is designed specifically for scientists. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the issues we work on, we encourage the participation of scientists from a wide range of backgrounds. For eligibility purposes, we define "scientist" as an individual with an advanced degree in the physical, natural, social, or medical sciences, or graduate students in these areas.
If you are a scientist and live outside of the United States, you are certainly welcome to join the network. Please know, however, that most of the SSI action opportunities focus on policy and media arenas in the United States. There are many international participants in the network, and we encourage scientists outside the US to adapt actions to their local contexts.
There are a number of ways non-scientists can be active in the work of UCS. By joining the UCS Action Network, concerned citizens periodically receive alerts and updates on UCS issues via email and/or postal mail. In addition, our website is updated regularly and often contains action alerts or other suggested ways to get involved in the critical issues UCS works on. Please visit us frequently!
Does it cost anything to join SSI?
There is no membership cost associated with joining the SSI network. We offer this service free of charge as a way to keep busy scientists informed and to encourage scientists to actively participate in key policy debates. We do hope, of course, that if you like our work and find it useful that you will consider joining the Union of Concerned Scientists and supporting us financially.
My inbox is already overloaded. Will I be flooded with email messages from SSI?
The SSI staff understands how exasperating it is to be buried under a pile of unread email. For that reason, we are committed to carefully selecting only the most critical and strategic opportunities for action on the part of the scientific community. Although the email volume varies according to the legislative schedule and each individual's issue preference and geographic region, participants in the SSI network can expect to receive an average of four action alerts per month, along with occasional updates and notices.
In addition, we carefully label our materials. So check out the "subject line" (or whatever is comparable) in your email message. First, you will see that the message is from us, because it will always be labeled "SSI." We next tell you whether it's an action alert, information update, or some other form of communication, and then we give it a title. If you are not interested in the topic, or if you know you don't have time to answer an action alert, then simply delete the message right on the spot.
What if I don't have time to respond to an SSI alert?
Clearly, not every scientist participating in the SSI network will have the time to respond to every SSI action alert. At this time, there are no response requirements for participation in the network. So if you don't have the time or the expertise to respond, just hit the delete button.
On the other hand, SSI alerts are designed to make it as easy as possible for a busy scientist to take action. The format of the alert allows for quick scanning (i.e. the executive summary), and—when possible—direct links, contact information, and "talking points" are included in the alert so that it can take as little as five minutes to take some of the suggested actions.
If you do respond to an action alert, we ask that participants let us know—usually through the device of a "blind carbon copy" in your email program—when they take action. This information from participating scientists helps us better track the impact and effectiveness of the network's efforts.
What if I don't agree with the UCS position on a particular issue?
When a scientist decides to join the Sound Science Initiative, we don't expect that scientist to adopt all of UCS's policy positions, and we certainly don't ask that scientist to become a representative of UCS. We understand that not every SSI member will agree with every policy position or scientific stance UCS adopts. It is always the member's choice to participate or not to participate in a particular action.
Throughout the project's history, the differing views of the many scientists participating in the network have led to healthy and informative scientific dialogue on a range of UCS issues. We hope that each scientist participating in the network will bring her or his own views and ideas to the table, and will share those views with UCS staff.
Our commitment to you is to provide information that is scientifically sound and politically accurate. The SSI staff team is made up of scientists, outreach specialists, media experts, and policy analysts working together to provide members with the highest quality information possible. Backing them up is the UCS Science Advisory Council, made up of experts on climate change and biodiversity. The Council assists UCS in setting and maintaining appropriate standards of scientific rigor.
The membership enrollment form asks a lot of questions. Why do you need that information; who has access to it; and do you ever rent/sell information to other organizations?
The SSI staff uses the information on your enrollment form to provide you the best possible service. So, for example, we sometimes send media-related action alerts to SSI members who tell us they subscribe to the New York Times. Or we often sponsor events at scientific association meetings, and so would notify SSI members who have told us they belong to that association. Or your specialization might be used to help us determine the best scientists to invite for meetings with members of Congress on key issues.
The information is currently stored in the SSI database, and UCS staff who work on the SSI project have access to the information. In addition, your name and contact information are stored in the larger UCS database. UCS does rent or swap our membership list with other like-minded organizations. If you have made a financial contribution to UCS and do not want your name exchanged, there is a provision in our membership materials to make such a request.
How can I coordinate with other SSI members in my area?
SSI scientists are occasionally engaged in local activities that relate to SSI issues, or have an interest in coordinating an activity—for example, a visit to a local editorial board or congressional district office—with other scientists in their region. SSI scientists engaged in these kinds of local activities can request from UCS a contact list of other SSI scientists in their region. When a scientist joins SSI, he or she can check a box on the enrollment form that gives SSI staff permission to distribute their contact information to other SSI scientists in their area.
It is our hope that we can help make connections between scientists working toward the same goals in their regions. We will not share your contact information without your express permission; please be sure to indicate your interest in working with others on your enrollment form. If you are interested in obtaining a contact list for SSI scientists in your region, please send a message to ssi@ucsusa.org and include a description of your proposed activity.
If you ever want to communicate with SSI staff, you simply send us an email at ssi@ucsusa.org. You might have information or feedback to share; you might need additional information from us; or you might want to change your issue area designation. The SSI mailbox is your direct line to SSI staff; just let us know what you need or what you want done.
Learn More About SSI
Below are links to several more pages with additional information about SSI. We encourage you to visit them. If you have any additional questions about SSI please email them to us at ssi@ucsusa.org.
Join SSI
Rave Reviews
Current Activities
SSI Accomplishments
Recent SSI Updates
SSI Membership Profile
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