Our
Mission
Our mission is to foster an inclusive community that explores and shares life’s history through research, advocacy and education.
The Association
The Association is based in the UK and is registered as a UK charity, but its members are drawn from all over the world. The interests of members of the Association encompass all aspects of palaeontology, including macropalaeontology, micropalaeontology, palaeobotany, vertebrate palaeontology, palaeoecology, and biostratigraphy. There are currently over 1000 professional, amateur and student members.
The activities of the Association include our Awards and Grants programmes, the Progressive Palaeontology meeting at which early career researchers (mostly postgraduate students) present their work, and the Annual Meeting. For many, the Annual meeting is the high point of the Association calendar. It takes place in mid-December in a city somewhere in Europe (usually the UK two out of every three years), and brings together palaeontologists from across the world for three to four days of talks, a short field excursion, workshops, the Association’s AGM, and a vibrant social programme. Presentations at the meeting cover the latest developments in palaeontology, including presentations by early career scientists who compete for the prestigious ‘Presidents Prize’. Other Palaeontological Association activities include advocacy for our field, engagement with policy development, and schemes to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive field. The Association provides support for career development, including a mentorship scheme, guidance on fellowship applications for early career researchers, career development grants, and funding for PhD students and undergraduates considering a career in palaeontology. We are proud recognise excellence in palaeontology through a series of awards for vocational and avocational researchers.
The Palaeontological Association was founded in 1957 to promote the study of palaeontology and its allied sciences and is governed and structured under rules and regulations set by the The Charity Commission. As such, it has a board of trustees, and also has two employees: find out more about our team.
If you would like to support our work, please consider donating, or leaving a legacy, or offer your time by standing for council. We exist thanks to the generosity of the Palaeontological Community, and are grateful for all contributions, no matter what their form.
Association
Membership
Membership of the Palaeontological Association is open to anyone.
Key points
- Subscriptions are kept low so as to allow as many people to join as possible
- In addition to other benefits, members receive Palaeontology Newsletter, Palaeontology (journal) and Papers in Palaeontology (journal), plus generous discounts on other Association publications.
- Membership is required for those applying for awards from the Association such as the annual Small Grants Scheme Awards.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Palaeontological Association is committed to providing equality of opportunity. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in palaeontology and its allied sciences, regardless of colour, ethnic or national origin, race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religious or other beliefs, marital status or family circumstance. The only membership requirement is payment of the appropriate annual subscription where applicable. More details of the aims and the nature of the Association are listed below and in the constitution.
History of
the Association
The story of the Palaeontological Association starts on a Wednesday in the Autumn of 1954. Bill Ramsbottom and I emerged from the, then, Geological Survey Museum...
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Governing Documents and Structure
The Palaeonological Association (PalAss) is governed and structured under rules and regulations set by The Charity Commission. Below you will find documents relating the day to day running of our organisation.