Open Board of Directors positions for 2026-2027

• Vice President/President/Immediate Past President (One-year term for each position, with succession from one role to the next)
• Secretary/Treasurer
• Trainee Committee, Chair & Vice Chair (One-year term for each position, with succession from one role to the next)
• Research Advocacy Co-Chair, US
• Program Committee, Chair
• Program Committee, Vice Chair (Gallery member, non-voting position)

Position descriptions and expectations can be found here. 

*Nominations for the NAPCRG Board of Directors position of Vice President will be limited to NAPCRG members who have either served previously or currently serve on the NAPCRG Board of Directors and/or have actively participated on a NAPCRG Committee.

Time and Financial Considerations for Board Members

Meetings:

• Virtual meetings for updates on programs, setting policy, etc. (as needed)
• Committee Work (generally by email) if applicable.
• Virtual Board Meetings (February, May/June, and September)
• One in-person Board Meeting (October/November, usually immediately prior to the Annual Meeting)
• Attendance at the NAPCRG Annual Meeting

Travel Cost:

Effective May 2025, NAPCRG Board members will be responsible for covering their own travel expenses to the in-person Board meeting.

Executive Board Job Descriptions

President Duties

The President is responsible for ensuring that the Board of Directors and its members:

• are aware of and fulfill their governance responsibilities
• comply with applicable laws and bylaws
• conduct board business effectively and efficiently

In order to fulfill these responsibilities, and subject to the organization’s bylaws, the President presides over meetings, proposes policies and practices, sits on various committees, monitors the performance of Directors and Officers, submits various reports to the board, to funders, and to other “stakeholders”; performs other duties as the need arises and/or as defined in the bylaws.

The President provides leadership to the Board of Directors, which sets policy and to whom the executive director is accountable. The President may delegate specific duties to the Executive Director, Board members and/or committees as appropriate.

The President ensures that an agenda is planned for board meetings. This may involve periodic meetings with committee chairpersons and the Executive Director to draft meeting agendas and provide guidance on proposals.

The President is the primary liaison between the Board and the executive director. In this capacity, the President meets weekly with the executive committee and executive director:

• discusses issues confronting the organization with the executive director
• ensures that periodic performance reviews of the executive director are conducted
• participates in the hiring and evaluation of the executive director

The President ensures that the organization maintains positive and productive relationships with other organizations and funders. In this capacity, the President serves as primary spokesperson for the organization. Duties include timely and appropriate reporting of Board decisions and actions to members and/or funders and other organizations.

The President serves as one of the signing officers for certain documents. In this capacity, the President may be authorized or required to sign or countersign checks, correspondence, applications, reports, contracts or other documents on behalf of organization.

Vice President Duties

• Attend all board meetings
• Serve on the Executive Committee
• Carry out special assignments as requested by the board chair
• Performs presidential responsibilities when the president cannot be
• Participate as a vital part of the board leadership

Immediate Past President Duties

• Serve on the Executive Committee
• Attend all board meetings
• Carry out special assignments as requested by the Board Chair
• Participate as a vital part of the board leadership

Three-year Term: one year as Vice President, one year as President, and one year as Immediate Past President/Board Chair. 

Selection/Qualifications: Presidential nominees are identified by the Governance Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. Nominees must be members in good standing and demonstrate leadership and relevant experience; prior board experience is preferred. Nominees for the Vice President position are limited to members who have previously served or are currently serving on the NAPCRG Board of Directors and/or have actively participated on a NAPCRG committee.

Secretary-Treasurer Duties

The Secretary-Treasurer nominees are not required to have previously served on the NAPCRG Board of Directors or on a committee, although previous service to either or both is preferable.

• Attend all board meetings
• Serve on the Executive Committee
• Chair the Finance Committee, which provides guidance on finances, investments and the budget of the organization.

Term: Two-year term, eligible for one consecutive reappointment.

Selection: The Secretary/Treasurer is selected through NAPCRG’s Call for Nominations. Nominees are reviewed by the Governance Committee and then recommended to the Board of Directors for approval or vote. Nominees must be members in good standing and demonstrate leadership and relevant experience.

Committee Chairs Responsibilities

In addition to the general responsibilities below, it is preferred that Committee Chair nominees have knowledge, previous experience serving on the respective Committee, and interest in the subject matter and responsibilities of the Committee.

Role: The Committee Chair provides general direction and strategic leadership for the committee. Chairs coach and mentor committee members and work closely with the Board and NAPCRG staff to ensure that the organization’s goals and members’ needs are met. Committee Chairs may serve only on the committee they are chairing.

General Responsibilities

• Meet with the Committee a minimum of three times per year, either in person at the Annual Meeting or virtually.
• Carry out the specific duties related to the Committee Chair position.
• Recruitment and retention of Committee members.
• Ensure a Vice Chair is selected and approved by the Committee through a majority vote.
• Provide strategic leadership – set the course for the Committee, Committee-related workgroups and subcommittees in conjunction with the organization’s strategic plan.
• Assure follow through on all Committee related initiatives.
• Most Committee Chairs hold a position on the NAPCRG Board of Directors and are required to attend all Board meetings each year either in person or virtually. 

Committee Deliverables:

• Use Committee time meaningfully. All Committee meeting agendas should reflect the goals that are to be accomplished during the meeting and the meeting should last long enough to accomplish those goals.
• Develop programs and initiatives related to the Committee’s mission that support the strategic plan of the organization.
• Make recommendations to the Board of Directors.

Term: Two-year term, eligible for one consecutive reappointment.

Selection: Committee Chairs are selected through NAPCRG’s Call for Nominations. Nominees are reviewed by the Governance Committee and then recommended to the Board of Directors for approval or vote. Nominees must be members in good standing and demonstrate leadership and relevant experience; prior service as a Committee Vice Chair or committee member is preferred.

Open Committee Member positions for 2026-2027

• Awards Committee
• Governance Committee
• International Committee
• PaCE Committee
• Program Committee (Annual Meeting)
• Research Advocacy Committee
• Trainee Committee

NAPCRG offers opportunities to get involved through its seven standing committees. These groups connect regularly, typically every two to three months, via Zoom and keep in touch through email to share updates and coordinate activities. Committee meetings usually last 1–2 hours.

Committee involvement is open to current, paid NAPCRG members. Standing committee members serve two-year terms and may serve up to two consecutive terms. Each term begins and ends on the final day of the NAPCRG Annual Meeting, usually held in October or November.

Joining a committee or workgroup is a rewarding way to contribute to shaping NAPCRG’s programs, connect with peers, and help advance the field of primary care research.

Find descriptions on each NAPCRG committee here.

Open Task Force Positions for 2026-2027

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force

The purpose of the NAPCRG Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force is to strengthen
NAPCRG’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across all organizational
activities. The Task Force will help ensure that NAPCRG remains a welcoming, globally engaged,
and inclusive professional home for researchers and learners across nations, disciplines, generations,
career stages, identities, and lived experiences. The Task Force is temporary in nature and will operate until it submits its recommendations to the Board of Directors and a long-term plan is determined.

Composition: The Task Force chair is appointed by the Executive Committee while its membership is composed of a representative from each NAPCRG committee along with two at-large members appointed through the standard nominations process. 

Meetings: Virtual meetings as requested by the Chair of the committee.

At-Large Members
Term: two-years plus eligibility for one consecutive reappointment, or until the Task Force completes its work and is sunsetted, whichever occurs first.

Selection: NAPCRG's open Call for Nominations. 

Section A: Committee Membership

• To be eligible for committee membership, candidates must be current, paid members of NAPCRG.

• Within three months of this policy being enacted, the chairs of NAPCRG’s standing committees, in conjunction with the current committee members, will determine the optimal size and type of members they require for their committee depending on their specific needs. They will also determine a fair and transparent election or selection for their respective committee members (i.e. the chair will simply approve each new member or the committee will hold a formal election to decide on new members).

• Members of NAPCRG’s standing committees will serve for a two year term and will be limited to two terms each.

• Committee members’ terms will begin and end on the last day of the NAPCRG Annual Meeting (usually held in October or November).

• NAPCRG staff will establish a year-round web page where information/applications for joining a committee will always be available for any member interested in joining a committee.

• The page will be monitored by staff and when applications are received they will be forwarded to the respective committee chair (once the applicant has been screened to ensure they are an active member in good standing).

• All committee chairs will be required to follow-up with any member that expresses or applies for membership on their committee.

• Each year, (usually during the spring) when the call for nominations to the NAPCRG Board of Directors goes out, there will be a call for open positions on NAPCRG’s committees.

• The Nominations Committee will be responsible for gathering (from committee chairs) vacancies that are available on each committee prior to the call for nominations.

• These committee membership opportunities will be publicized during the regular call for nominations to the Board of Directors.

• NAPCRG staff will develop an online application form for eligible committee members to complete and electronically submit when they want to serve on any NAPCRG committee.

• NAPCRG staff will screen each applicant to ensure they are a member in good standing of NAPCRG before the application is forwarded to the committee chairs.

• Once the nominations process closes, the Nominations Committee chair will forward applicants to the respective committee chairs and they (along with their committee) will be responsible for reviewing the candidates and determining who shall be elected.

• Committee chairs will be required to communicate with all applicants whether they are selected or not for committee membership.

• Committees/committee chairs can add members to their committees at any time during the year if vacancies occur and eligible members apply for service.

• Each committee and committee chair will adhere strictly to the NAPCRG Diversity Statement as follows when recruiting and selecting members of committees: The statement is as follows:

“We recognize current and historical inequities in research, including inequities in populations and among researchers themselves, that have resulted in disparities in health and well-being. We strive to create a research environment that amplifies the diverse voices of people and communities across all aspects of research, and particularly for those populations and Indigenous peoples who have been -- or continue to be underrepresented. We seek to promote the participation of a diverse membership in NAPCRG leadership, meetings and programs, research, employment and in all its other endeavors. We strive to include all, inclusive of sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, race, religion, disability, ancestry or national origin; and to promote non-violent, rational idea exchange. We commit ourselves to promote primary care research scholarship nationally and internationally.” – Updated May 9, 2022

• The NAPCRG Nominations or Executive Committees can suggest members for service to a standing committee for consideration.

• Each committee chair (or committee staff) will be responsible for keeping records on each member’s term and length of service on the committee. They will be responsible for ensuring that committee members will be notified when their terms expire and will initiate the process to fill vacancies when necessary.

• No more than a third of the members of each committee will rotate off each year.

• The Nominations Committee could request an annual parameter report and or roster and terms of service from committee chairs to ensure the committees are following the Diversity Statement and terms appropriately.

• The Nominations Committee and chair will monitor each committee chair to ensure they have each established a fair elections process for their committee, are following the NAPCRG Committee Membership policies, adhering to the diversity statement and communicating with anyone that has expressed an interest or applied for membership on their committee.

• This policy will take effect immediately but existing members of all committees will be grandfathered so they will be eligible for serving for two, two year terms. Committee chairs will be responsible for staggering the terms of their members.

• Committee chairs will communicate membership opportunities to NAPCRG staff so they will be regularly promoted and or communicated to the full NAPCRG membership through the NAPCRG newsletter, social media, e-mail and during the annual NAPCRG University held during each Annual Meeting.

• NAPCRG members that express an interest in joining a committee during the NAPCRG University event or at any other times throughout the year will be forwarded to the appropriate committee chair for consideration.

• NAPCRG staff will communicate directly with the interested members to let them know their name and interest was sent to the respective committee chair.

Section B: Subcommittee and Workgroup Chairs

• To be eligible for a subcommittee or workgroup position, candidates must be current, paid members of NAPCRG.

• Within three months of this policy being enacted, the chairs of NAPCRG’s standing committees, in conjunction with the current committee members, will determine a fair and transparent election or selection process for their respective subcommittee or workgroup chairs (i.e. the chair will simply approve each new workgroup or subcommittee chair or the committee will hold a formal election to decide).

• Subcommittee or workgroup chairs will serve for a two year term and will be limited to two terms each.

• NAPCRG staff will establish a year-round web page where information/applications for subcommittee or workgroup chairs will always be available for any member interested in applying.

• The page will be monitored by staff and when applications are received they will be forwarded to the respective committee chair (once the applicant has been screened to ensure they are an active member in good standing).

• Members that express interest or apply for a subcommittee or workgroup chair position will be followed up by the Committee Chairs.

• Each year, (usually during the spring) when the call for nominations to the NAPCRG Board of Directors goes out, there will be a call for open positions for subcommittee or workgroup chairs.

• The Nominations Committee will be responsible for gathering (from committee chairs) vacancies that are available for subcommittee or workgroup chairs prior to the call for nominations.

• These subcommittee or workgroup chair opportunities will be publicized during the regular call for nominations to the Board of Directors.

• NAPCRG staff will develop an online application form for eligible subcommittee or workgroup chair candidates to complete and electronically submit when they want to serve as a subcommittee or workgroup chairs.

• NAPCRG staff will screen each applicant to ensure they are a member in good standing of NAPCRG before the application is forwarded to the committee chairs.

• Once the nominations process closes, the Nominations Committee chair will forward applicants to the respective committee chairs and they (along with their committee) will be responsible for reviewing the candidates and determining who shall be elected.

• Committee chairs will be required to communicate with all applicants whether they are selected or not for subcommittee or workgroup chair positions.

• Committees/committee chairs can add subcommittee or workgroup chairs at any time during the year if vacancies occur and eligible members apply for service or if a new workgroup or subcommittee is created.

• Each committee and committee chair will adhere strictly to the NAPCRG Diversity Statement as follows when recruiting and selecting subcommittee or workgroup chairs: The statement is as follows:

“We recognize current and historical inequities in research, including inequities in populations and among researchers themselves, that have resulted in disparities in health and well-being. We strive to create a research environment that amplifies the diverse voices of people and communities across all aspects of research, and particularly for those populations and Indigenous peoples who have been -- or continue to be underrepresented. We seek to promote the participation of a diverse membership in NAPCRG leadership, meetings and programs, research, employment and in all its other endeavors. We strive to include all, inclusive of sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, race, religion, disability, ancestry or national origin; and to promote non-violent, rational idea exchange. We commit ourselves to promote primary care research scholarship nationally and internationally.” – Updated May 9, 2022

• Each committee chair (or committee staff) will be responsible for keeping records on each subcommittee or workgroup chairs’ term and length of service on the committee. They will be responsible for ensuring subcommittee or workgroup chairs will be notified when their terms expire and will initiate the process to fill vacancies when necessary.

•  This policy will take effect immediately but existing subcommittee or workgroup chairs in all committees will be grandfathered so they will be eligible for serving for two, two year terms.

• Committee chairs will communicate subcommittee or workgroup chair opportunities to NAPCRG staff so they will be regularly promoted and or communicated to the full NAPCRG membership through the NAPCRG newsletter, social media, email and during the annual NAPCRG University held during each Annual Meeting.

• NAPCRG members that express an interest in a workgroup or subcommittee chair during the NAPCRG University event or at any other times of the year will be forwarded to the appropriate committee chair for consideration.

• NAPCRG staff will communicate directly with the interested members to let them know their name and interest was sent to the respective committee chair.

• The Nominations Committee and chair will monitor each committee chair to ensure they have each established a fair elections process for their workgroup or subcommittee chairs, are following the NAPCRG Workgroup and Subcommittee Chair policies, adhering to the diversity statement and communicating with anyone that has expressed an interest or applied for a workgroup or subcommittee chair on their committee.

Adopted April 13, 2014 by NAPCRG Board of Directors