IOR Fellow membership

Recognition as a Fellow of the IOR is a substantial honour that distinguishes an individual as an ambassador and technical leader and recognises their unique contribution to the RACHP sector. Fellows are appointed by the IOR Nominations Committee on behalf of the Board of IOR Trustees.  IOR Fellows, who can use the designation FInstR after their name, must meet these criteria:

1. Committed to and involved in the advancement of refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pumps beyond their day-to-day work responsibilities
2. Leaders at work with a depth of technical knowledge  
3. Involved actively in shaping the IOR (eg a member of a committee, giving presentations, publishing technical papers, usually for the IOR or other industry groups)
4. Have usually been in membership (at any grade) for approximately 10 years. Candidates who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and contribution but with fewer years of involvement may also be considered.

View our short webinar explaining
what being an IOR Fellow means

How do you become a Fellow?

Individuals may apply for consideration as Fellow or the IOR Nominations Committee may also invite individuals to apply.  All applicants must prepare a comprehensive Fellow Nomination Statement (see below). There is no fee for applying but if accepted you will be required to pay a higher annual rate of membership fee. IOR holds regular Fellow Info-webinars to explain more about requirements and to go through an example statement. 

If you are considering applying for Fellow please consider this eligibility checklist: 

• Have you been in job roles that you would describe as being at a Leadership level for at least 10 years?
• Are your technical knowledge and technical responsibilities at a senior level in your organisation?
• Can you think of several examples of what you have done outside of your usual job responsibilities to contribute to the advancement of the industry or other people within it?
• Have you been a member (at any grade) of the IOR for 10 years?
• What involvement have you had in IOR during that time, what has this achieved, can you prove your commitment to the IOR?
• Are there two people who are IOR Fellows who know your work well and would write a reference supporting your application as Fellow?
• Could you provide a written statement that would cover all three of the criteria (Commitment, Leadership and Involvement) above?

Nominations process

November – Join our webinar on Fellow requirements and application process. See the Events calendar for dates and registration.

1st December - Deadline for submission of online application 

Early February - You will be advised of result of your application

End February - Announcement of IOR Fellows for the year is made at Annual Dinner by the President.

Preparing your Nomination Statement

Nomination statements from potential Fellows are considered against the eligibility checklist and criteria above by the Nominations Committee who comprise members of the Membership Committee of the IOR.  The statements are considered once a year in February at a special Committee meeting. The Committee may request further information if insufficient detail is provided and applicants may have to resubmit in the subsequent year. 

Statements must include the following:

1. Your name and email
2. Names and emails of two sponsors (Fellow members)
3. A written statement of up to 1000 words split into the three sections below (you can, in addition, attach a CV or copies of relevant documents eg articles or qualifications etc but you must provide a written statement requested): 

a) Demonstrating commitment and involvement beyond your day-to-day job responsibilities.  This is likely to be very diverse and individual. Some recent examples include: giving regular talks to IOR, branches or other associations on technical topics, being a volunteer mentor to someone new to the industry, writing or published technical articles or academic papers, appointment to an IOR, FETA, BESA, CIBSE committees or representing your industry on a Standards committee, helped young people or students to develop their career through initiatives such as SkillFRIDGE,  giving talks to schools through STEM ambassadors or local careers fairs, contributing to development of qualifications, winning a personal award from the IOR or other organisation.

b) Demonstrating Leadership and Technical responsibilities. You should be able to detail responsibilities at work over the past 10-15 years that show technical or managerial leadership contributing to the future of the industry through your business activity. This includes considerable theoretical knowledge and practical experience through some examples of your work or jobs undertaken. Your current job title and responsibilities should reflect a senior management role eg Chief Executive, Managing Director, Head of Contracts, Chief Engineer, Principal Lecturer etc. Include accreditation by other relevant professional bodies e.g. CEng, EngTech, IEng, MIMechE, MCIBSE, MASHRAE. Technical qualifications are not essential but include details if you hold them as they will also be taken into consideration.

c) Demonstrating involvement in IOR. Confirm that you have been a member and at what grade for over 10 years by stating your date of joining and grades of membership held since then. Detail how you have been involved with the IOR for example attending technical events, giving or contributing to IOR technical talks or guidance notes, membership of any IOR committees, working groups, branches etc.

Please return your statement to membership@ior.org.uk