The Association for the Study of Death and Society (‘ASDS’) is dedicated to studying and understanding death, dying, grief and bereavement from a variety of perspectives. It brings together a diverse international community of researchers, professionals and interested parties through a range of supportive initiatives and activities.
ASDS is voluntarily run on behalf of the ASDS Membership by elected members of the ASDS Council. Council Members are usually appointed at the Annual General Meeting of the Association, for terms lasting between two and four years. Council is composed of between six and fifteen members at any one time, and includes a President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Events Secretary, Website Manager, PGR Representative, Postdoctoral Representative, and General Members.
Vacancies
ASDS is seeking two new General Council Members. The general council member is expected to attend council meetings where possible, and serve a term of office lasting four years.
Responsibilties
- To attend and contribute to ASDS Council Meetings (virtually or hybrid) usually three times per year in January, May, and September. Where requested, to prepare a written report on your activities to be sent to the Secretary in advance of the meeting.
- To attend and contribute to the ASDS Annual General Meeting (virtually or hybrid) in September. Where requested, to prepare a written report on your activities to be sent to the Secretary in advance of the meeting.
- To undertake work on behalf of ASDS through working groups, sub-committees, or individual tasks on an ongoing basis.
- Represent and promote not only the interests of ASDS but also the field of death studies more broadly through, but not limited to, publication, events, teaching, policy, and practice.
ASDS is an international organisation and we welcome applications from all countries and regions.
How to Apply
As part of the nomination process to be considered for ASDS Council membership, candidates are required to submit:
- A statement of no more than 500-words, explaining how and what the candidate will contribute to ASDS in relation to the mission and values of ASDS, alongside their contributions to the specific role applied for.
This will be assessed broadly against the following criteria:
- The candidate’s skills, knowledge and expertise in the area of death, dying and bereavement.
- The candidate’s degree of experience in similar roles.
- The candidate’s ability to actively promote ASDS through links to other professional and/or academic networks.
- Whether the candidate brings particular areas of expertise to Council – especially in areas in which there are ‘gaps’ within Council and/or ASDS (e.g., disciplinary perspectives, regional representation, professional expertise, levels of career progression).
- Any specialist skills that ASDS might benefit from (e.g., networking or marketing).
- Promoting equality, diversity and inclusivity, to ensure – where possible – that Council is representative of ASDS membership.
Please submit your statement to the ASDS Secretary, Dr Georgina Robinson (deathandsociety@gmail.com), by 17:00 GMT on Friday 18th September 2026.