Membership Terms and Conditions

MBA Membership Terms and Conditions

 

This document sets out the terms and conditions of membership of the Marine Biological Association (‘the Association’, ‘the MBA’) and should be read in conjunction with the Rules and Regulations of Membership produced in accordance with the rules set down in clause 13 of the Byelaws of the MBA.

These Terms and Conditions and the definition of membership categories (as defined in the Rules and Regulations) are subject to variation from time to time. The changes will come into effect from the date it is amended on this page. The Terms and Conditions were last updated on 17/11/2023. Members will be notified in advance of any changes

1. Principle terms

  1. This agreement commences once you have indicated your acceptance by reading the Terms & Conditions in the Declaration section on the web sign up process and payment has been received.
  2. You will be entitled to all the rights and privileges exercisable for the membership category chosen.
  3. This agreement cannot be transferred, except in the case of a legal guardian purchasing Young Marine Biologist membership for a person under the age of 18 or purchasing membership as a gift.
  4. Membership will be granted on the basis you fulfil the requirements and rights of admission as detailed in the Rules and Regulations.

2. Admittance to membership

Please refer the Regulations and Rules for information on admission to membership, requirements, and MBA Council.

 

General terms

    1. Professional, Newly Qualified, Post-Graduate, Associate and Student Members must be 18 or older.
    2. Young Marine Biologists under the age of 13 who are submitting their own admission form, are required to provide a legal guardian and have permission from the invoice payer.
    3. Professional members are required to submit evidence of their eligibility (accepted forms of proof include a copy of your degree certificate in marine biology (or related discipline), a short statement informing us of your professional standing with relevance to marine biology, or a link to an online biography / copy of your CV) and approved by the Membership Team staff. Member benefits will be subject to approval of eligibility and (or) review of eligibility.  Failure to provide evidence may result in your membership being re-categorised to an appropriate category
    4. Newly Qualified, Post Graduate and Student members are required to submit evidence of their eligibility (accepted forms of proof include copy study card, acceptance note for studies, graduation confirmation or transaction of credits document). Failure to provide evidence may result in your membership being re-categorised to an appropriate category.
    5. In order to deliver Journal provision, we will share your details with a third party only with consent from you, and as set out in Section 6.1.
    6. In order to deliver magazine provision, we will share your details with a third party only with consent from you, and as set out in Section 6.1.
    7. There may be occasions where we have to close all, or part of, the MBA Laboratory or services within it (e.g. the National Marine Biological Library). We will do our best to let you know of such closures in advance of their taking place, unless the problem is urgent or in an emergency. We will use all commercially reasonable endeavours to ensure that such closures are kept to a minimum in both duration and frequency. You will not be entitled to a refund of part, or all, of your membership fees in such circumstances.
    8. We will not be liable or responsible for any failure to perform, or delay in performance of, any of our obligations under these terms that are caused by any event that is outside of our reasonable control.
    9. As a consumer, you have legal rights in relation to any services (such as member events) that are not carried out with reasonable skill and care, or if the materials we use are faulty or not as described.
    10. We may terminate this agreement with immediate effect on notifying you if you are in breach of the Terms and Conditions.

3. Fees and charges

1, Joining

  1. You can choose whether to pay the full amount, or pay monthly, for your annual membership at the time of application, or to pay monthly.  upon submission of your application. You will receive notice of any recurring payment being taken from your account.
  2. If paying by recurring payment, annual or monthly payments will be taken from your account on the same date every year/month. You will receive notice of any payment being taken from your account.
  3. If any Direct Debit or recurring payment is returned unpaid, or if any other form of payment is not honoured for whatever reason, we will contact you within two weeks. If, despite us having notified you of a missed payment, or in the event of an unpaid renewal, we reserve the right to either suspend or terminate your membership without writing to inform you.
  4. Payments made online are subject to terms and conditions of our payment providers; GoCardless gocardless.com/legal/ and Stripe stripe.com/gb/legal/checkout

2. Price increases

From time to time we may need to increase the price of membership. We will give you at least one full months' notice of any planned price increase and will make it clear when the price increase will take effect and how much your membership will cost after the increase (the increase will not be incurred until your next renewal date). This includes when you are no longer eligible for your chosen category and are required to change categories, such as:

  • A Young Marine Biologist turning 18 thus becoming eligible for a Student or Associate membership,
  • A Student Member becoming an Associate, Post graduate, Newly Qualified or Professional Member.
  • Or a Post graduate or Newly qualified Member becoming a Professional or Associate member

You will retain your usual right to terminate your membership in accordance with the membership terms and conditions. If you do not terminate the membership by the date given to you in the notice (the date of your next renewal) then the price of your membership will be increased in accordance with our notice.

4. Cancellation

1. Termination of membership by us

  1. If you misrepresent the MBA or your conduct is deemed detrimental to the interests of the Association, the MBA reserves the right to terminate a membership. Please refer to the Rules and Regulations for more information.

2. Your right to cancel

4.2.1. Pursuant to The Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000, regulation 13(1) and with the exception of the conditions detailed under Refunds, you have the right to cancel at any time once the contract has begun.

4.2.2. A notice of cancellation will be accepted in writing pursuant to the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013

4.2.3. We will also take appropriate action when informed of a deceased member by a next of kin.

5. Refunds

5.1. Membership

5.1.1. As per the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 you are entitled to cancel your membership and receive a full refund of any fees paid within 14 days of submitting your membership application.

5.1.2. Payment and refund for membership events is subject to the terms of the event itself and will be advertised at the point of event registration.

6. Your personal information

The MBA is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) with the Data Protection Registration Reference Z8249388.

The MBA respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data.

For more information about how we store, process and protect your data please see our Privacy Notice, or Contact our Data Protection Officer at DPO@MBA.ac.uk

6.1 Third party

6.1.1 Our principal data management system is a ReadyMembership CRM system, which is maintained and developed by a third party processor. This system enables us to efficiently store any information about our members, former members and other stakeholders in a way that ensures adequate security and only allows people who have the right level of authority to access personal information. It also simplifies our responsibilities for data retention and subject access requests.

6.1.2. If you request to subscribe to the Journal of the Marine Biological Association, the MBA will securely disclose personal data to a third party named as Cambridge University Press. We will supply your personal data (name, e-mail and address) to Cambridge University Press for the purposes of providing the contracted service of journal provision.

6.1.3. If you request to subscribe to The Marine Biologist in print, the MBA will securely disclose personal data to a third party named as CenturyOne. We will supply your personal data (name and address) to CenturyOne for the purposes of providing the contracted service of magazine provision.

6.1.4. The MBA uses ReadyMembership to securely distribute a emails pertaining to your membership and in accordance with their Terms of Service

6.1.5. The MBA uses Stripe and GoCardless for online payment transactions in accordance with their Terms of Service.

6.1.6. The MBA uses Alchemer to coordinate surveys and in accordance with their Terms and Conditions. Only surveys written by the MBA for the purpose of improving membership provision will be distributed.

6.1.7. The MBA uses Discourse to provide its Communities platform, which is hosted by Communiteq, in accordance with their terms of service.

6.1.8. If you receive any communications from a third party other than Cambridge University Press or CenturyOne, please get in touch to alert us immediately as this may indicate a data breach has occurred.

We will not give your payment information, or any other information, to any third party.

6.2 Privacy Policy

See MBA Privacy Notice here: mba.ac.uk/privacy-policy/

7. National Marine Biological Library

The National Marine Biological Library (NMBL) is a reference library which is open to members from Monday to Thursday, generally between 9am to 5pm, subject to staff availability.  Information on library services and resources can be found at www.mba.ac.uk/nmbl 

By agreeing to the Terms and Conditions of Membership, you also agree with the rules below, including those on the use of NMBL library resources:

  • All Library visits should be booked in advance and are subject to staff availability and other factors which may affect access to the Library. Library staff will then confirm if it is possible for the visit to proceed.
  • All Library visitors should first report to MBA Reception. They will then be issued with a fob which allows entry to the Library.
  • For Health and Safety reasons, all Member visitors will need to leave the Library when requested by staff, for example, when Library staff are leaving at the end of their working day.
  • For Health and Safety reasons all Member visitors must not access any other areas within Citadel Hill laboratory other than the Reception. Library and nearest toilet facilities
  • They are also not permitted to use the “Staff only workstations” including monitors and other equipment, which is for MBA staff and student use only.

Use of Library resources

  • Library items may not leave the Library under any circumstances.
  • InterLibrary Loan requests are made and used in accordance with copyright laws (the copyright declaration form must be signed and returned to NMBL). NB. There is an additional fee for this service.
  • All use of print and electronic resources will be in compliance with current copyright legislation. Resources can only be used for non-commercial research and/or private study only.
  • For all enquiries regarding commercial use of resources,  the NMBL will be contacted to ensure that the appropriate permission is granted by the MBA. There may also be a charge for this permission.

8. Auto enrolment into MyMBA Community

As part of your membership with The Marine Biological Association you will gain access to our exclusive online community platform, designed to enhance your experience and foster collaboration among members of the marine biological community. Please review the following terms regarding your participation in the All-Members Community Group:

  1. Automatic Enrolment
  • Upon joining The Marine Biological Association all new Members will be automatically enrolled in the All-Members Community Group within our community platform.
  • This group serves as a central hub for organization-wide updates, discussions, and networking opportunities among members.

 2. Access to Community Guidelines

  • Participation in the All-Members Community Group is subject to the Community Guidelines, which outline the standards of conduct and acceptable behaviour within the platform.
  • These guidelines are available for review at any time through your membership dashboard and community platform. Members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these guidelines upon joining. If you have any questions or issues please contact membership@mba.ac.uk.
  • MyMBA Community Guidelines

     

 3. Opt-Out Option

  • If you prefer not to participate in the All-Members Community Group, you may opt-out at any time through your community platform. You are able to manually leave any community group via our MyMBA community space. However, opting out may limit your ability to engage with organisation-wide communications and member discussions.
  • Optionally you can also contact the Membership team if you wish to decline automatic enrolment in the community space.

 4. Purpose of the Community

  • The MyMBA community is an exclusive online community where marine students, professionals, and enthusiasts come together to shape the future of marine biology. The All-Members Community Group is intended to:
  • Promote engagement and networking among Members.
  • Provide a space for the dissemination of important updates, research and resources within the marine biological community.
  • Facilitate knowledge-sharing and discussions relevant to the marine biological community.

As a forward-looking community, the MyMBA community is committed to supporting the international marine biological community through research, investment, and collaboration. By joining, members engage with future-focused discussions and initiatives that expand our understanding of ocean life and help secure a sustainable future for marine ecosystems worldwide.

  1. Member Responsibilities
    • By participating in the All-Members Community Group, you agree to:
      • Abide by the Community Guidelines at all times.
      • Engage respectfully and constructively with other members.
      • Refrain from sharing content that violates privacy, is inappropriate, or breaches the guidelines.
  2. Amendments to Terms
    • The Marine Biological Association reserves the right to update or modify these terms and the Community Guidelines as needed. Any significant changes will be communicated to Members through the community platform, community guidelines and Membership Terms and Conditions.

By joining The Marine Biological Association and accessing the community platform, you acknowledge and agree to these terms. For questions or assistance, please contact the Membership team.

9. Information about us

9.1 Registered charity

The MBA is a registered charity in England and Wales. Its registered charity number is 1155893. Its registered office is at The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2PB, UK. Its registered VAT number is GB143463479.

9.2 Contact details

If you have any questions or if you have any complaints, please contact us by telephoning the Membership Office on 01752 426331 or by e-mailing membership@mba.ac.uk.

If you wish to contact us in writing, or if any clause in these terms requires you to give us notice in writing you can send this to us by e-mail to the Membership Office at membership@mba.ac.uk or post it to us at the address given above.  We will confirm receipt of this and aim to complete your request within two weeks.

10. Copyright

All content included on the website, such as text, graphics, logos, button icons, images, audio clips, digital downloads, data compilations, and software, is the property of the Marine Biological Association, unless otherwise stated, or its content suppliers and protected by international copyright laws. The compilation of all content on the website is the exclusive property of the Marine Biological Association, with copyright authorship for this collection by the Marine Biological Association, and protected by international copyright laws.