Sigma Xi question

[Unseen Academical]

Quick question about Sigma Xi. I've just received an invite to join. The identity of the person nominating me was in the invite and I do not know them. I am not even in their field. A cursory search suggests this is a real society. Is it worth joining? Thank you!

[Puget]

Yes, it certainly is a real honors society-- an old and venerable one--like Phi Beta Kappa but just for the sciences.
Generally, students who are involved in research in the sciences are nominated for associate membership in their senior year by their university chapter, though people can join later as well. The person who nominated you may run your university's chapter?
At any rate, it serves little practical purpose but is a nice thing to put on your CV I suppose.

[Ruralguy]

Nobody cares. Move on.

[lightning]

Nobody cares. Move on.

I appreciate your bluntness.

[mleok]

I received a grant-in-aid of research from them when I was a graduate student, but it's not something which would be really helpful if you're already in a faculty position.

[Ruralguy]

Sorry, in case of misunderstanding, I didn't mean to say nobody cares about the post. It's that in my experience, nobody cares about these societies...maybe Phi Beta Kappa a little, but not even really that

[Puget]

Sorry, in case of misunderstanding, I didn't mean to say nobody cares about the post. It's that in my experience, nobody cares about these societies...maybe Phi Beta Kappa a little, but not even really that

No one cares at later career phases, but we note them in grad school applications and I've seen them noted by reviewers on NIH fellowship (NRSA) applications. I don't know what career phase the OP is.

[mamselle]

The chapter activity in some areas for PBK can be good for connection-building and social outreach.

After several years of dormancy, we got ours kick-started and now have a good program of presentations, in-depth book discussions (currently online, but they were dinner events), and outings/tours (also sort-of on hold for now) to historic spots, cool estuaries, etc.

One prof who needed some community service in her tenure file picked up on the group's initial efforts, got a grant to hire students to build the mailing list from the national roster, and it took off after that.

I did one program awhile back that netted connections with an NPS site, and a presentation/tour series with them, later (and that's feeding forward to an article project).

I don't know exactly how SigX would look from the science-y side of things, although some of the things I described are probably transferable (History of Science or 4S talks, journal-club-like activities, etc, as well as the connection-building options), but it doesn't cost that much, you don't have to be super-involved unless you want to be, and it puts a more humanizing face on an area of study that sometimes lacks that (speaking from experience in working with individuals in such fields).

Just another perspective.

M.

But there is some potential there for worthwhile activity. And it's another way to find contacts if you've moved far from wherever you did your degree to wherever your first job is.

[Unseen Academical]

Thank you all for the information. I'm mid-career faculty at a teaching focused place. Sounds like being a full member could benefit our students seeking funding and that is valued at my institution. 

[mleok]

Thank you all for the information. I'm mid-career faculty at a teaching focused place. Sounds like being a full member could benefit our students seeking funding and that is valued at my institution.

I was once asked by Sigma Xi to represent them as a judge at the Conrad Foundation Spirit of Innovation Awards, as they were sponsoring a prize there, and they paid for my flight to the Bay area from San Diego and my hotel expenses.

This was the grant-in-aid program that I mentioned above,

https://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/grants-in-aid

I received $1000 from them in my first year as a graduate student to fund some travel.