Chartered Scientist
Chartered Scientist represents a single chartered mark for all scientists, recognising high levels of professionalism and competence in science. BASES is a Licensed Member Body of the Science Council, enabling us to award Chartered Scientist status to members who meet the criteria.
All BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientists are eligible to become Chartered Scientists, having demonstrated the required competencies through the BASES Accreditation application process.
What are the benefits of gaining Chartered status?
Benefits to BASES members - Chartered Scientist (CSci) status gives wider recognition of the high professionals standards achieved by sport and exercise science practitioners, beyond the sport and exercise science arena. CSci provides external, independent recognition of the standards achieved by BASES Accredited members by benchmarking all professional scientists at the same high level, no matter which sector they work in.
Benefits to your employer - CSci status demonstrates a commitment to professionalism and high levels of competence and skill development. It provides employers with a platform for networking across disciplines and sectors by showing that staff are practicing at the highest level, giving assurance of the competence and professionalism of employees.
Benefits to the public - CSci provides a single badge of professionalism that the public can recognise across the scientific professions. It maintains and increases the public’s trust in scientists through professional standards, codes of conduct and mandatory re-validation.
How do BASES members apply for and renew their CSci?
CSci application submission windows are the same as those for BASES Accreditation and Re-accreditation:
1 December to 6 January or 1 June to 1 July.
The criterion for BASES members to gain CSci status is to hold BASES accreditation.
BASES worked with the Science Council to align the competencies enabling BASES members to easily apply for CSci once accredited.
Members applying for BASES accreditation will have the option of applying for CSci status as part of their application. The CSci fee is refundable if accreditation is not awarded.
Those members who are already accredited are encouraged to apply for CSci when they re-accredit or by one of the deadlines below during their accredited period.
The renewal process consists of completing a short form confirming your continuing professional development. BASES will email reminders one month before your renewal date.
You need to maintain current professional membership and accredited status at all times in order to maintain your CSci status.
To apply for, or renew your BASES Chartered Scientist status click here.
What costs are involved?
Registration for CSci is £63 per year. This can be paid by either debit/credit card or by setting up a direct debit.
Science Council CPD monitoring
When you apply for CSci status with BASES you are agreeing to being randomly selected by the Science Council for a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) audit.
The BASES CPD recording template has been designed for you to evidence one year’s worth of CPD in a similar manner to how you would record it for BASES re-accreditation.
Additional CPD information for Chartered Scientists
What is CPD?
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the means by which people maintain their knowledge and skills related to their professional lives both currently and in the future. CPD comprises updating particular areas of competence, developing personal and managerial skills and broadening your experience and expertise.
Why is CPD important?
Any true professional should keep up to date with the latest developments in their field in order to remain competitive and employable. As a registrant, you are required to keep your skills and knowledge both relevant and up to date. A failure to do so may result in loss of professional registration. Whilst this may sound daunting, see it as an opportunity to identify and work towards achieving your career objectives.
While you may have a degree (or several), you probably got them a number of years ago. They show that you have an understanding of your subject, but it is your registration that shows you have expanded your knowledge and kept up to date with pertinent developments in your field.
What do I have to do? Why should I keep a record?
Most activities within (and some outside) the workplace are relevant to your professional development and learning. It is for you to extract and use the experiences to further yourself and your profession. The Science Council defines 5 categories of activity and expects you to carry out activities in at least 3 of these areas in any one 12-month period.
However, CPD isn’t just about the type of activity you do or the number of hours you have completed. CPD is about setting yourself objectives and monitoring your progress against them. A key part of this is undertaking reflective analysis of what you have done.
The Science Council recommends that at least once a year you review the learning you have achieved throughout the year and then set professional development objectives for the coming year. You may well have an annual appraisal process as part of your job but CPD can complement this
Why is reflection important?
Reflection allows you to take responsibility for your personal growth and helps you identify the benefits of a particular activity or groups of activities. Reflection should be a normal part of your working life. Those who regularly plan, do, record and reflect on their learning tend to be better at identifying opportunities for professional and personal development. This ensures CPD becomes a valuable tool to improve practice as opposed to a box-ticking exercise for satisfying an arbitrary goal.
How long does it take?
CPD is not about how much time you spend doing something or sitting in the lecture room, it is about how much value you capture and take from what you do and the lessons you learn as a result. CPD recording should be seen as an iterative process, rather than something that is rushed together at the end of the year.
How can BASES help with CPD?
BASES offers conferences, publications, workshops and webinars, as well as opportunities to write journal articles, which can all be used as evidence of CPD.
Where can I get more information?
More information about Chartered Scientist and the Science Council's CPD requirements can be found on their website.
Appeals and Complaints
Applicants have the right to appeal if they feel aggrieved at the decision of the Accreditation Committee in relation to an application for Accreditation/Chartered Scientist or a CSci audit, based on one of the following grounds for appeal:
- the Accreditation Committee or awarding panel has misinterpreted or misapplied the Terms of Reference (Accreditation criteria) when considering the application;
- the Accreditation Committee or awarding panel has discriminated arbitrarily against the Applicant;
- the Accreditation Committee or awarding panel has made a materially incorrect finding of fact or misinterpreted the evidence before it;
- there is evidence of material maladministration on the part of an administrative officer
Please note that appeals which are not based on one of these grounds of appeal will not be accepted. Appeals may not be based on questions regarding the interpretation of evidence provided within an application by members of the Accreditation Committee; nor can appeals be used to provide additional evidence to demonstrate competence in areas that fell short of the required standard in the original application.
BASES Appeals Process
1. Applicants must make written notice of an appeal within 14 days of the decision being communicated to the Applicant, outlining the grounds for appeal.
2. An independent member of the Accreditation Committee (not involved in the original review of the application) will review the application and either:
a) uphold the original decision
b) accept the appeal and recommend the decision be changed
3. The Applicant is informed of the outcome of the appeal, with feedback provided by the independent reviewer explaining their decision.
4. If the Applicant remains aggrieved by the decision and has grounds to do so, they may lodge a "Final Appeal" to the BASES Board. The "Final Appeal" process is detailed within the BASES Appeals Process policy document.
