SPS Policies

SPS Diversity Policy

The primary objective of the Scandinavian Physiological Society (SPS) is to promote research, interest, and education in various fields of physiology and the related life sciences within the Nordic countries. In SPS, we support equal opportunities and an inclusive environment for our members to conduct and communicate their scientific progress.

Hence, the Scandinavian Physiological Society promotes an inclusive environment and opportunities to conduct and publish experimental research, irrespective of research topics, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, geography, and culture.

To ensure that action follows words, SPS’s diversity guidelines constitute the foundation for all our Society-related activities, including all work in the SPS Executive Committee, Board, Special Interest Groups, committees, and our journal Acta Physiologica.

As a particular note on geography, SPS has its primary activity in the Nordic Countries but considers itself an international player and gladly accepts members from all over the world if they are affiliated with the Nordic Countries.

Acta Physiologica is an international journal, that publishes manuscripts independent of geography, and we strive to have a diverse team of Associate editors and editorial board members.

The SPS facilitate open transparent processes based on our diversity principles for election of the Executives Committee, Board members, Prize- and Grant recipients and when advertising for position within the society.

As an evaluation tool, we use constant monitoring of our activities with report to the Board and General Assembly.

SPS Environmental Policy

The Scandinavian Physiological Society is actively engaged in reducing our CO₂ emissions and the footprint of the networking activities that we promote. Overall, SPS is an organisation with very little daily running cost, because the SPS activities are primarily run decentral as Con Amore activities amongst active researchers. However, the SPS activities are centered around networking, which at heart requires physical meetings.

Therefore, we have been front runners in supplying high-quality meetings in a European setting, reducing the overall travel miles, and allowing the use of public ground transportation. With our fairly advantageous travel grants, we give people the opportunity to choose this type of solution, and the Executive Committee is currently working on an incentive structure for selecting those options.

We keep merchandise to a minimum, only choosing very functional usable items that are recyclable.