About Membership
Membership in the Society of Catholic Scientists is rewarding.
Why Join the Society of Catholic Scientists?
Many scientists join SCS simply out of solidarity with our mission, but membership is rewarding in other ways too.
Conferences
Members may attend our annual conference and participate in other activities.
Member Directory
Members get access to a private directory of SCS members. Find peers next door and around the world. Participation is optional.
Forum
Members may participate in a private, friendly, well-moderated online forum. Get to know your peers while discussing practical and theoretical questions.
Announcements
We try to keep members abreast of important publications, events, and other items of interest to those concerned with the relation between science and faith.
Kinds of Membership and Association
All Members and Associates of SCS must be practicing Catholics who support the purposes of the Society.
Regular Members of SCS
To be a Regular Member of SCS one must have earned a doctorate in a natural science as “natural science” is defined below. (Note that it includes mathematics and certain computational fields.) Regular Members may vote at SCS membership meetings. Dues for Regular Members are $49.00 per year. ($195 for five years, and $750.00 for lifetime.)
Student Members of SCS
To be a Student Member of SCS one must either be an undergraduate majoring in a natural science or be a graduate student pursuing an advanced degree in a natural science as “natural science” is defined below. (Note that it includes mathematics and certain computational fields.) Dues for Student Members are $25.00 per year.
Associate of SCS
An Associate of SCS must have earned a masters degree in a natural science as “natural science” is defined below. (Note that it includes mathematics and certain computational fields.) Dues for Associates are $25.00 per year.
*In the above qualification criteria, “natural science” includes physics, chemistry, earth and atmospheric sciences, astronomy, biology, biomedical research, computational science, mathematics, computer science, and closely related fields. Those who pursue basic research in these fields may be considered for membership even if their doctorate is in another field. Biomedical researchers holding an MD without a PhD will be considered for membership if their research has a strong basic science component. Those in psychology and related fields will be considered if their research has a strong physiological component, such as genetics or neuroscience. Engineers whose research has a strong basic science component can qualify.
Scholar Associates of SCS: In addition to those in the categories given above, which are for those in natural sciences, SCS includes some Catholic theologians, philosophers, historians of science and scholars in other fields as Scholar Associates. One becomes a Scholar Associate by invitation of the SCS Board only. Scholar Associates must be practicing Catholics in full communion with the Catholic Church, must be interested in the relation of science to the truths of faith, and must support the goals of SCS. Scholar associates have the right to attend conferences organized by SCS.