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MATDS
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Questions

Frequently asked questions

Membership, Fellowship, verification, and independence, in brief.

Membership

Membership

How do I become a Professional Member?
Apply through the Membership Office with your CV and documentation of at least two of the five indicators. Administrative review takes about two weeks.
What does MMITDS mean?
It is the post-nominal for a Professional Member of the Meret Association for Trusted Digital Systems.
Are there membership fees?
Professional Membership applications carry an application-processing fee, published at the time of application. It covers administrative review only: paying it does not influence the outcome and does not entitle an applicant to admission. Fellowship carries no fees of any kind at any stage - it cannot be applied for or paid for. No recognition is ever sold.
What is the difference between a Member and a Fellow?
Professional Membership (MMITDS) is granted by administrative review against the published indicators and is open to direct application. Fellowship (FMATDS) is the Association’s highest recognition: it is conferred only by confidential peer nomination and a two-thirds election, and cannot be applied for. The two tiers are independent of one another.
Fellowship

Fellowship

Can I apply for Fellowship?
No. Fellowship is conferred only through confidential peer nomination and election; self-nomination is not accepted. See the Nominate page for who is eligible to put a candidate forward.
What does FMATDS mean?
It is the post-nominal for a Fellow of the Association - its highest recognition.
How are Fellows selected?
Through a seven-stage process: confidential nomination, completeness review, eligibility screening, candidate consent and verification, independent expert review, a two-thirds Selection Committee vote, and Governance Board procedural ratification.
How many Fellows are elected each year?
No more than 25 globally per year - a hard cap.
Is Professional Membership required for Fellowship?
No. The two tiers are independent; Fellowship candidates may be identified from inside or outside the membership.
Verification

Verification

How do I verify someone’s credential?
Enter their document ID or membership ID on the Verify page. You will see whether the credential is authentic, the member’s tier and section of election, and the bylaws version in effect at the time of election.
What does a verification reveal?
It confirms the public facts of the record: recognition level, election year, and technical section.
General

General

What is its relationship to Meret Solutions?
The Association was founded with the support of Meret Solutions but is governed independently. At least two-thirds of the Selection Committee and at least two of every three Expert Reviewers per candidate are external to Meret Solutions, and recognition decisions are made solely by the Association on the evidentiary record.