Popularly associated with accountants and engineers, chartered status is an accreditation that indicates not only training and education but also a significant level of professional experience. Laurence Dawkins-Hall explains its relevance in biological science.

The award of Chartered Biologist (CBiol) is provided to dedicated life sciences professionals who hold membership with the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) plus certain other attributes, including professional and ethical conduct, technical proficiency, management of teams or individual life sciences project(s) and CPD. In many ways, chartered status concords with the more popular and better-known award of Chartered Scientist (CSci), provided by the Science Council. However, Chartered Biologist is a specialist life scientist award, provided exclusively by the Royal Society of Biology.

An RQF level 7 qualification with an additional three to five years of dedicated postgraduate specialist working practice in a professional life sciences setting is a general starting point in order to apply. Alternatively, recipients can have five to 10 years of demonstrable postgraduate experience without a level 7 qualification. The exact length of experience mandated will depend upon the qualifications you hold. This can consist of a level 6 Bachelors (B.Sc.) in life sciences, plus six years of specialist graduate experience in a professional setting. Alternatively, one can have between eight- and 10- years’ experience, compatible with level 7 practice plus either A-levels in STEM subjects or GCSE passes in STEM subjects, in order to be eligible.

The latter provision is designed to mak e Chartered Biologist status more inclusive, so that school leavers who entered a life sciences environment and worked their way up the career ladder are not discriminated against.

A prerequisite of application is becoming a full RSB member (MRSB); the time tak en to attain this will vary, depending on professional development your starting point. As a general rule, the requirement is MRSB plus three years specialist life sciences experience (with implied duration of experience, designed to attain MRSB), dependent on starting qualifications and job responsibilities. Having attained MRSB status, the route to Charter is then a standard one: a further three years of postgr aduate experience at RQF level 7 in a professional life sciences setting. Many such settings are wholly or partly laboratory based.

Becoming a Chartered Biologist mirrors and augments the benefits of full membership/ MRSB. But why take the extra step?

I would assert there is synergy between the two. There are opportunities afforded b y full membership of the RSB. Participation in committees, running bespoke training sessions, accessing and perhaps writing for RSB-specific journals all subsequently provide evidential materials for CBiol competency answers.

A prerequisite of application is becoming a full RSB member (MRSB); the time tak en to attain this will vary, depending on professional development your starting point

In turn, having attained your CBiol in addition to your MRSB postnominals only increases those membership opportunities. It also constitutes useful Continuous Professional Development evidence, creating a virtuous circle between MRSB, CBiol and CPD.

Thus, becoming an MRSB by virtue of, say, lab practice provides benefits such as participation in RSB activities. Then, after three years, chartered status can be achieved with additional benefits; in my case, this consisted of mentoring and assessing for the RSB chartered award, as well as designing and recording an online learning aid. Such opportunities can then be codified into CPD evidence which in turn enables one to remain on the RSB Chartered register.

Assessment for chartered status is themed and uses evidence of competent practice from the last three to five years, encompassing empirical theory and practice. Section A references planning, organisation and efficient use of resources. Section B examines proficient practice in terms of communicating within and/or supervising specialist teams, as well as interaction with non-specialists, for example finance, external companies and non-specialist stakeholders.

Meanwhile, Section C considers demonstrable practice in terms of ethics, compliance with existing and new rules and due regard for sustainable practice. Lastly, Section D looks at evidence of individuals’ support for more junior colleagues in bioscience settings within and outside of the workplace.

These can include voluntary settings outside paid STEM employment.

When writing about evidential practice, specialised technical language should, where possible, be avoided (or qualified) to keep things clear: competency descriptors, in order to capture diverse disciplines making up life sciences, are necessarily broad. Consequently, simple answers are preferred so that an assessor who does not share your subject knowledge can understand your answers without ambiguity. This will ensure a direct route to passing.

To assist application, I have devised an online, on-demand application guide. This gives examples of working practices that might be adapted or contextualised in terms of personal evidential practice.

Section D looks at evidence of individuals’ support for more junior colleagues in bioscience settings within and outside of the workplace. These can include voluntary settings outside paid STEM employment

The online course also provides recorded verbal commentary and enables transcripts of webinar commentary to be visualised and saved. Slides associated with each module can be archived. Conveniently, the course can be completed in a person’s own time, by dipping into and out of modules, with progress tracked and monitored.

The course can be found within the MyLearning materials on the RSB website and can be accessed for free as a member of the RSB.

In conclusion, the vocational award of Chartered Biologist is a conspicuous mark of professional development n A lab technician with 35 years international experience, Laurence Dawkins-Hall has mentored c3,000 scientists and technicians in HE, FE and industry for professional registration. He has received multiple awards and fellowships, including in the 2024 Lab Awards Outstanding Achievement category excellence and validates ethical, technical and competent specialist practice in life sciences settings. Furthermore, it can provide traction in terms of job interviews, career progression and outside prospects, as well as impacting CPD.

• Putting together my Chartered Biologist course was a labour of love and required reflection, rewording, re-recording and tenacious application to generate the individual webinars that make up the course. I further refined my thoughts and explanations via discussions with my friend and mentor, Mr Christopher Rawnsley. Accordingly, I would like to dedicate this article and my ensuing efforts to capture the process of chartership in my online course to him.

• A lab technician with 35 years international experience, Laurence Dawkins-Hall has mentored c3,000 scientists and technicians in HE, FE and industry for professional registration. He has received multiple awards and fellowships, including in the 2024 Lab Awards Outstanding Achievement category