Membership grades

Upgrade to Certified Member to demonstrate your commitment to research excellence and verify your professional status.

Certified status is the higher professional grade of membership. This senior grade recognises your academic achievements as well as career experience. It is suitable for senior practitioners who have progressed to a leadership level in research, insight or analytics.

Attaining this grade enables you to all the benefits of professional membership as well the elevated status of being a Certified Member – you also get access to the peer-reviewed journal IJMR.

Being a Certified Member also benefits your organisation too – with your senior grade of membership your organisation can apply for Company Partner accreditation.

How to qualify for Certified member?

There are 10 routes to qualify for this senior grade – if you have completed one of the following you may be eligible to be a Certified Member:

• MRS Diploma
• MRS Accredited Masters
• A PhD that demonstrates research skills
• MRS Fast Track
• A solo authored paper in IJMR (or an academic journal or equivalent standing).

Alternatively you can join as a Member and progress through one of the upgrade paths within our CPD programme:

• MRS Advanced Certificate, 3yrs+ experience and 1 year of CPD.
• Undergraduate or Post Graduate Degree, 3yrs+ experience and up to 3 years of CPD.
• MRS Advanced Qualitative Practitioner Award, 3yrs+ experience and 2 years of CPD.
• MRS Certificate qualification, 4yrs+ experience and 4 years of CPD.
• MRS Accredited Training Programme, 3yrs+ experience and 3 years of CPD.
• Relevant Professional Qualification e.g. CIM, HND/HNC, Membership of British Psychological Society, 3yrs+ experience and 3 years of CPD.

Please note the CPD programme is based upon 21 hours of learning per year. For more information what is involved visit here

Apply for Certified Member grade now.

Research and Data Fellowship

Fellowship of MRS recognises your senior professional status and contribution to the sector.

Fellowship of MRS is the most prestigious grade of membership. Fellowship is awarded after an assessment made by the Fellows Board , which comprises past Chairs of MRS. Fellows are nominated and then personally invited to be assessed for this grade. New Fellows are announced and invited to attend the Excellence Lunch in June each year.

Attaining the grade of Fellow gives you all the benefits of professional membership as well as being recognised for the elevated status of Fellow. You also get to receive the peer-reviewed journal IJMR. Fellows represent the sector at a senior level ensuring the profession’s continuing relevance to business and society. 

Nominations

Nominations for MRS Fellowship can be made throughout the year. However, as the Fellows Board meet in March/April, nominations and supporting documentation should be submitted by midnight on the 28 March 2025.

Nominations should be sent via email to MRS Managing Director Debrah.harding@mrs.org.uk

Further information

Criteria for Fellowship 

Guidance for Nominees on Information Needed in the Submission for Fellowship

Routes to MRS Honours

Honorary Posthumous Fellowships

Honorary Fellowships are awarded to eminent public and business figures who have championed, or who demonstrate the power of research, insight or data from outside the sector. Honorary Posthumous Fellowships are awarded to individuals not recognised by a Fellowship in their lifetime.

Nominations

• Nomination of candidates for Honorary Posthumous Fellowship must be made by current Certified Members or Fellows of MRS or other professional bodies within the sector.

• Nominators must have known the nominees in a professional capacity and be able to provide sufficient details about the individuals achievements to enable the Fellows Board to be able to make an informed decision regarding their suitability for the award. 
• Nominations of candidates for Honorary Posthumous Fellowship must be made no longer than five years since the passing of an individual.
• All nominations/submissions and other processes in relation to the consideration of Honorary Posthumous Fellowship will be handled under ‘Private & Confidential’ cover by the Managing Director.

Honorary Posthumous Fellowships will be awarded once a year, with the final review process by the Fellows Board in March/April for submission to Main Board at its first meeting after the Fellows Board has met

Nominations should be sent via email to MRS Managing Director Debrah.harding@mrs.org.uk

If you have any queries regarding nominations and fellowships, please email MRS Managing Director Debrah.harding@mrs.org.uk