The goal of this playbook is to provide guidance to individuals who are considering starting a new international EFI chapter and to provide resources for current EFI chapter Steering Committee members and Co-chairs. Bylaws for international chapters can be found in Section 6 of EFI’s Operating Principles and Procedures.
Playbook Contents
- Overview of Chapters
- How to Form a New International Chapter
- Yearly Calendar
- History of International Chapters
- Examples of EFI Chapter Activities
- Application Template for New International Chapters
- International EFI Chapter Annual Report Template
- Maintaining this Playbook
Overview of Chapters
EFI welcomes members from around the world to participate in EFI activities. In addition to joining EFI, affiliated international EFI chapters are encouraged to foster regional collaboration to help overcome challenges associated with different time zones, costs of travel, and native languages.
Chapters may be multinational (e.g. the Oceania, European, and African chapters) or national (e.g. the Canadian chapter). EFI undertakes to support international chapters with promotion, technical and administrative assistance when possible, and shared resources.
Established international chapters will be listed on the EFI website and contribute to the EFI newsletters to showcase their activities.
The formal structure of each Chapter is not specified, provided that its structure, activities, and statements are consistent with EFI’s shared principles and the Operating Principles and Procedures. Chapters may choose to create additional bylaws, establish additional working groups and activities, and seek their own independent funding.
Chapter responsibilities to EFI include an annual report on activities (see the report template below) and virtual attendance of the Chapter leadership at twice-annual meetings of all the chapters (see the yearly calendar below for scheduling). The goal of the twice-annual meetings is to provide a time of exchange and learning among chapters.
See Section 6 of the Operating Principles and Procedures for full details about the Chapter responsibilities.
How to Form a New International Chapter
Individuals interested in forming a new Chapter must send a Chapter application form (see the template below) to the EFI Steering Committee (email info@ecoforecast.org). The form asks for a justification for the creation of the new international chapter, the initial activities the Chapter leadership is planning, and, if possible, identifies potential members and roles (e.g., chair, chapter steering committee member). New Chapters are not required to host the same activities as other chapters; instead, activities are tailored to the interests and availability of the Chapter leadership. See examples HERE of activities other Chapters have led.
The EFI Steering Committee will discuss applications at the monthly Steering Committee call following the application submission. A request for follow-up information may be required to vote on the application. The Steering Committee will communicate updates and timelines during the approval process. Initiation of new Chapters is approved by a supermajority vote (60%) of approval by the EFI Steering Committee.
Before filling out the application form, those seeking to create a new chapter should check to make sure that their proposed international chapter does not already exist (see the list of Chapters at: https://ecoforecast.org/efi-chapters/). Note that the existence of a multi-nation chapter in a region does not preclude the creation of a new nation-based chapter.
Inquiries about potential activities and to learn more about the support available from EFI prior to applying to become a new chapter are encouraged. Reach out to info@ecoforecast.org to schedule a call with a Steering Committee member.
To avoid helicopter science, at least one chapter organizer (but preferably more) are required to have a mailing address within the territorial limits of the proposed chapter and are required to be EFI members (https://ecoforecast.org/member-profiles/).
EFI community members participating in general chapter activities (e.g., seminars, manuscripts, conferences) may participate in multiple chapters.
Yearly Calendar
January
- Reports from Chapters due to the EFI Steering Committee. Updates will be included in the annual EFI report released in February
April
- First of the biannual calls for the International Chapters Steering Committees and Co-chairs
September
- New European EFI Chapter Steering Committee members onboarded
November
- Second of the biannual calls for the International Chapters Steering Committees and Co-chairs
History of International Chapters
Updated October 2025
EFI Chapters form to meet the needs and interests of individuals, as well as funding sources available outside the US, where the original EFI activities were centered.
Chapter leadership structure and activities are not prescribed by the EFI Steering Committee, but instead are developed through grassroots efforts to meet the goals of the communities. Chapters can develop at the pace that works best for their community and do not need to follow what other chapters have done.
The Canadian Chapter (CEFI) was the first chapter to form in 2018 with three co-chairs who proposed and led conference symposia and applied for and received funding to support 1) a short course, 2) a working group that developed guidelines to help research produce more reliable and useful ecological predictions to inform policy, resulting in this publication, and 3) an EFI Conference to be held in summer 2026. In January 2025, the CEFI leadership transitioned to a 10-member Steering Committee that will have rotating members every 2 years.
Website: https://canadianefi.ca/
The European Chapter (EEFI) was initiated in 2022 with a five-member Steering Committee that expanded to 11 members over 2 years. A new cohort of five Steering Committee members was onboarded in September 2025 as the founding members rotated off. Over the first three years, the Steering Committee proposed and hosted numerous conference sessions and workshops, hosted the EFI2024 Conference in Helsinki, Finland, created a working group, and is currently hosting a monthly virtual seminar series.
Website: https://euro-ecoforecast.wordpress.com/
The Oceania Chapter (OEFI) also began in 2022 with three co-chairs. The group is hosting virtual seminars, hosts sessions and symposia at international conferences, and is working on a community-developed manuscript with systematic exercises used to identify emerging trends, knowledge gaps, and future priorities to set up the Oceania community for great collaborative efforts and highlight research opportunities. Details of OEFI activities can be found here.
Webpage: https://ecoforecast.org/oceania-ecological-forecasting-initiative/
The African Chapter (AEFI) began by collecting expressions of interest in June 2023. The group had its inaugural virtual call in May 2025 and hosted a short course in July 2025.
Website: https://ecoforecast.africa/
Examples of EFI Chapter Activities
*There are multiple ways that chapters can consider who is in their community. In some cases, the community is defined by who is on their email listserv or Google Group. In other cases, individuals sign up to become members in conjunction with becoming an EFI member.
Application Template for New International Chapters
Leaders of potential new EFI International Chapters will provide the following information to the EFI Steering Committee. Copy the information below or use this PDF application template. Send the application via email to info@ecoforecast.org
At least one member of a Chapter organizing committee must have a mailing address from within the territorial limits of the proposed chapter and are required to be an EFI member (https://ecoforecast.org/member-profiles/).
Chapter name: __________
Submitting contact (name and email address): _____________
- Justification for the need for the new Chapter (including an explanation of why this fills a gap amongst existing chapters)
- Potential activities the Chapter wants to focus on in the first year (detail) and the subsequent two years (general)
- Potential leadership and membership, and roles
International EFI Chapter Annual Report Template
Annual Report Template PDF Version
Chapter name:
Submitting contact (name and email address):
Date submitted:
Number of active chapter members and what metric is used to determine who members are*:
*Note: the number of chapter members could be the number of members if there is an official membership option, the number of contacts in the email listserv, number of members in a Google Group
- Chapter Leadership (names, emails, positions)
- Summary of chapter activities within the last year (up to 3 pages) – report on dates, attendance, and topics. Please provide weblinks to supporting materials
- Seminars/Presentations
- Conference Sessions
- Training opportunities
- Publications attributable to chapter efforts
- Is there anything that should be updated on the spreadsheet of activities in the Example of Chapter Activities section?
- Opportunities for next calendar year (< 1 page)
- Risks to the chapter or struggles that would be useful to get feedback from the Steering Committee or other international chapters (< 1 page)
- General financial information (This can be anything that supports the chapter activities, e.g., grants that were applied for or received, and what the plans are for those funds)
- Additional Comments
Maintaining this Playbook
The EFI Community Manager will add updates when new chapters are approved by the EFI Steering Committee and review if anything needs to be added after the international chapters submit their annual reports.