AAPS Community Restructuring Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why are the AAPS Communities being restructured?
A: AAPS is restructuring the AAPS Communities to make the organization easier to understand and participate in for the thousands of scientists who belong to the organization. The realignment consolidates scientific topics to make it easier for members to find an area in which to begin participating. This will help drive engagement and enhanced discussions between members. The topics are structured to interact so that conversations may spawn new and better solutions. The governance restructuring will place the emphasis and effort of community membership on engaging with members.
Q: What are the new AAPS Communities?
A: AAPS will have eight core Scientific Communities, up to three Emerging Science (ES) Communities, and Dialogue Network Affinity (DNA) Communities. All Communities are expected to foster engagement of pharmaceutical scientists, allowing them to share advice and obtain support for their careers and interests. Please note that Scientific Communities have been restructured, even if their name matches the name of an existing Community. Members should anticipate that the new Community’s focus will be different than any predecessor.
| Scientific Communities |
Emerging Science Community |
Dialogue Network Affinity (DNA) Communities |
Bioanalytical
Chemistry, Manufacturing & Controls (CMC)
Discovery & Preclinical Research
Formulation & Delivery
Manufacturing Science & Engineering (MSE)
Pharmaceutical Quality
Regulatory Science
Translational & Clinical Science |
none at this time – no more than 3 will operate at any given time |
Global Health
Fellows
Women in Pharmaceutical Science
|
Q: What are the new Emerging Communities?
A: Emerging Communities are temporary (3-6 years) Communities that focus on novel and cutting-edge fields of research at the forefront of technological and scientific advancements in pharmaceutical discovery and development (e.g., new modalities, technologies) and that are not yet broadly implemented. All members will have the ability to propose Emerging Communities to the SAC. AAPS does not anticipate having more than 3 at any given time.
Q: If I was a member of an AAPS Community, which Community will I be a member of in the new Communities structure?
A: There is a place for every AAPS member in the new Communities! The scientific focus of the new Communities is much broader and larger in scope to minimize overlap between Communities and to foster more connection and networking among members with the same scientific interests. AAPS members can participate and belong to as many Communities as they like.
AAPS will assist members in automatically migrating to their new Communities in spring 2026. At that time, members will also be able to choose the Communities they wish to join.
Q: I don’t see a Community that fits me. Can I create one?
A: AAPS will limit creation of new Communities going forward to create environments where member interaction and scientific exchange are better supported. The Communities are structured to cover broad areas of science that contain many disciplines. The SAC will review their scientific structure every few years and recommend changes, leading to retirement and invention of Communities over time. AAPS does not anticipate having more than eight Scientific Communities at any time.
Q: I see a new Community listed that has the same name as the Community I participate in now. Is anything changing for me as a member or leader in that Community?
A: Yes, it does. AAPS is restructuring all Communities in terms of both their scientific area of focus and their operation as a networking and learning opportunity for members. Hence, all Communities are starting with a clean slate, regardless of their name. While some Community names persist, the science they represent and the expectations for their leadership are changing. As part of the transition, the new Community leadership will evaluate current activities and identify new goals and activities that fit with the expectations of the Communities program going forward.
Q: When will the new Communities launch?
A: The New communities will launch in March 2026.
Q: How will Communities operate during the transition?
A: Current Community Chairs and Vice Chairs are asked to continue to lead their Communities through the transition period to the new Communities, especially if a hand-off in leadership responsibilities had already been planned. Community leadership teams with unique challenges can contact [email protected] to make the Sub-Committee on Communities aware that they may need additional support during the transition.
Q: Will my Community have a membership meeting at the 2025 PharmSci 360?
A: Communities will not hold official Community Meetings at PharmSci 360. Community leaders are encouraged to network with their leadership team and other members at AAPS receptions and events.
Q: How will the new Communities be led?
A: All community volunteers are encouraged to stay involved in the new Communities. The backbone of AAPS’ science is engaged leaders who, regardless of official title or role, lead scientific engagement. AAPS plans to expand opportunities and support for the scientific conversations and projects that leaders are passionate about through the new Communities structure. AAPS will call for volunteers to apply for Chair and Vice Chair of the new Communities and to serve in many other Community leadership positions in the spring.
Q: What happens to the activities that my Community is currently working on that won’t be completed by March 2026?
A: As the Communities transition, key topics and in-progress work initiatives will be assessed by their leadership with the support of the Board Sub-Committee on Communities. Projects that will clearly benefit AAPS members and that have a strong focus and engaged leadership are likely to continue.
Q: What will be different in the new Communities?
A: The new governance structure developed for the Communities includes a new leadership structure, new Scientific Areas of Focus Teams, and new goals and expectations for activities. The changes are focused on building robust scientific discussion on current and upcoming scientific and regulatory topics that impact the pharmaceutical sciences, and providing collaboration opportunities in a given scientific topic across various molecular/therapeutic modalities. AAPS’ primary goal is to provide additional opportunities for members to participate in discussions, as well as in the various leadership positions.
Q: How do I join a new Community?
A: All of the current Communities have been mapped to the new Community structure. AAPS staff will automatically migrate you to the new structure. After March 2026, you will also be able to join any other new Community you like, as well as change your membership for those in which you no longer wish to participate.
Q: How did AAPS develop the new scientific structure?
A: A key objective of the 2021-2026 AAPS Strategic Plan is developing a technology-based knowledge network that facilitates collaborations and access to knowledge among members. With this in mind, the Board of Directors directed the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) to develop a taxonomy to build, organize, and align AAPS’ scientific agenda, which comprises all the science AAPS presents through its programs, products, and channels. One of the desired outcomes of this project was to create a scientific structure for AAPS that allows every member to find their science in the organization, even if they’re new to AAPS, or their science is an emerging topic. The SAC developed a taxonomy, which is now being applied across AAPS, including to its conferences, workshops, eLearning, publications, and the Communities.
Q: How did AAPS develop the new governance/leadership structure for the Communities?
A: The Board of Directors seated the Sub-Committee on Communities and selected members based on their strong engagement with the Communities to develop the new approach. The sub-committee is a permanent, standing committee that will provide support and connection to Community leaders throughout the transition and in the new Communities system.