Royal Institute of Navigation

The Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) is a learned society and a professional body for navigation, founded in 1947 as a forum for mariners, pilots, engineers and academics to compare their experiences and exchange information.[1] Today it is a leading centre for promoting knowledge in navigation and its associated sciences, including positioning, timing, tracking and conduct of a journey, whether on, in, over or under land, sea, air or space. The Institute has members in over 50 countries worldwide.

Royal Institute of Navigation
FormationEstablished 1947
HeadquartersThe Royal Institute of Navigation

1 Kensington Gore

London
President
Professor T Moore
Vice President
Dr A Grant
Vice President
M Fougler
Director
J Pottle
Websitewww.rin.org.uk

History

The organisation was formed in 1947 as the Institute of Navigation and was patterned after the US Institute of Navigation. Both organisations had been influenced by the role navigation had helped in moving troops and supplies during Second World War. Emerging technology such as radar and LORAN increased in the years following the war. The Institute sought to provide a forum where academics, engineers, mariners, and pilots could learn, exchange information, and share personal experiences.

The Institute's founding membership included several notable professionals in the field. From the field of astronomy Sir Harold Spencer Jones, the Astronomer-Royal was the first president. The first two vice-presidents represented the field of aviation in Air Chief Marshal Sir John Slessor (Deputy Chief of the Air Staff) and the development of radar in Sir Robert Watson-Watt. Marine navigation was represented by Michael Richey who became the first Executive Secretary. The following year Richey would found the Institute's official academic publication, the Journal of Navigation.[2]

The Institute expanded its focus in the 1950s and 1960s to also address issues of safety and began collaborating with similar organizations in Europe. In 1972, at its 25th anniversary, its work was recognized by Her Majesty the Queen and it became entitled to the "Royal" prefix and was renamed the Royal Institute of Navigation.

More recently, the Institute has broadened its activities to include significant developments in the understanding and applications of cognitive navigation, human factors and animal navigation. The institute also fulfills an important role in the provision of guidance information for practical navigators including private pilots and small boat mariners.

Governance

The Institute is a UK-registered charity with a Royal Charter. The charity registration is 1117254.

The Institute is governed by its board of trustees called the Council, which is chaired by its President. The members of Council and the President are elected from the Institute's membership and serve for up to a three-year term.

The Institute has four specialist committees to advise the Council: the Technical Committee, Audit and Risk Committee, Membership and Fellowship Committee, and the Remuneration Committee.

Membership

Membership is available to anyone in the world with an interest in navigation or its associated sciences. There are five categories of individual membership:

  • The most popular membership is that of Ordinary Member providing full membership benefits and allowing the individual to adopt the post nominal letters MRIN.
  • Associate Member status offers affiliate status with the Institute and does not allow the individual to hold office.
  • There are two categories of membership designed for younger members - Junior Associate, for those under 18 years of age and Student for those under 25.
  • The Institute also offers the possibility to progress to Associate Fellow or Fellow membership for those that have achieved a high level of professional involvement or achievement in navigation or its associated sciences or have made a significant contribution to navigation, respectively.

The Institute also offers a number of plans tailored to corporate bodies including businesses, clubs and universities.

Professional Registration

The Institute offers professional registration to the UK's Engineering Council (EngC) registers in the following three categories of professional engineers and technicians:

  • Chartered Engineer (CEng)
  • Incorporated Engineer (IEng)
  • Engineering Technician (EngTech)

Any member of the Institute who can demonstrate professional competence and commitment is able to apply for professional registration through the RIN. It is expected that registered members are committed to maintaining their professional standard through ongoing continuous professional development.

Special Interest Groups

The Institute hosts a number of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) catering for members' interests in specific areas; all SIGs are organised and run from within the Institute's membership.

The Institute's active SIGs are the Small Craft Group, Cognition and Navigation Group, Animal Navigation Group, General Aviation Navigation Group, History of Navigation Group, Professional Marine Navigation Group, Civil and Military Aviation Group, and the Younger Members' Group.

Awards and Scholarships

The Institute presents a number of awards to individuals and organisations that have contributed to the advancement of navigation and its associated sciences:

  • The Harold Spencer-Jones Gold Medal is the Institute's highest award and is awarded in recognition to those making an outstanding contribution to navigation.
  • The JED Williams Medal is awarded to individuals making an outstanding contribution to the affairs of the Institute.
  • The Michael Richey Medal is awarded to the authors of the best paper in each volume of the Institute's Journal of Navigation.
  • The Duke of Edinburgh's Navigation Award (formerly the Institute's Technical Excellence Award) is awarded to individuals or organisations for outstanding technical achievement.

Nomination guidance for the various awards is provided on the Institute's website.

The Institute offers a number of scholarships to assist in the education and development of its younger members.

Library

The Institute houses the Cundall Library of Navigation at its offices in London. The Cundall Library of Navigation, the UK's leading navigation-specific library of books and resources, from which members may borrow, is also open to the public.

Publications

The Institute regularly issues two leading publications in print edition as well as online:

  • The Journal of Navigation is published six times a year by Cambridge University Press and available at cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-navigation. It contains papers which have been presented at meetings, other original papers and selected papers and reports from the Institute's Special Interest Groups.
  • Navigation News is published six times a year by the Institute and contains a full accounts of the Institute's proceedings and activities including a record of current navigational work, a diary of events, topical articles, news and membership and advertising.

Activities

The Institute sponsors conferences, publications, and reports related to navigation and its associated sciences. The Institute may publish position papers or white papers in relation to current navigation-related developments.

In 2017 its international conference included contemporary topics as artificial intelligence, cyber threats, and machine learning.[3] It also co-sponsored a report to the UK government on the economic impact of a 5-day loss of geopositioning systems.[4]

Following a period of internal review, in 2019 the Institute published its vision of becoming an inclusive group of diverse disciplines working together for a more navigable world. A 5-year strategy was published simultaneously with the vision outlining three pillars within which many of the Institute's activities would be focused.

  1. Learned Society
  2. Professional Body
  3. Increasing diversity and inclusivity

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the Institute's activities transitioned to virtual events.

References
  1. "The Royal Institute of Navigation - Aims and Objects". Journal of Navigation. 69 (66): b1–b2. 2016.
  2. s. Journal of Navigation.
  3. "The International Navigation Conference 2017 - Innovations in Autonomous & Resilient PNT". Royal Institute of Navigation. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  4. "The economic impact on the UK of a disruption to GNSS". Innvate UK. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
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