Membrane Structure & Function Bylaws
Article I
Purpose: The purpose of the Membrane Structure & Function (MSAF) subgroup is to promote the interchange of information and to foster the advancement of knowledge pertaining to the biophysical properties of lipids, lipid assemblies, membrane proteins, and lipid-protein interactions generally relevant to biological membranes and their assembly.
Article II
Membership: Members of the Biophysical Society may join the Membrane Structure & Function subgroup; non-members of the Biophysical Society are welcome to attend MSAF subgroup symposia but are unable to join the Subgroup, serve as Officers of the Subgroup, or vote.
Article III
Meetings: Business meetings of the Subgroup membership shall be held in connection with or in close proximity to the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Biophysical Society. If any matters come up that require a vote at any time of year, Subgroup members can transact Subgroup business by a virtual vote. For virtual votes, decisions shall be made by two-thirds of the Subgroup members voting on the measure.
Article IV
Officers: The officers of the Subgroup will be the Subgroup Chair, Past-Chair, Chair-Elect, and a Secretary-Treasurer. The Chair-Elect shall serve one year as such followed by one year as Chair and one year as Past-Chair. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected for a term of two years. These positions have the following responsibilities:
Chair, Chair-Elect, & Past Chair: As chair, will organize and conduct the annual Subgroup meeting; apprising the Biophysical Society of the activities and needs of the Subgroup; advising the Society on matters related to the Subgroup; promoting and overseeing the Student Research Achievement Award (SRAA) competition; communicating with the Society concerning meeting plans and public communications (flyers, announcements, newsletter reports, etc.); and participating in activities that benefit the Subgroup and Society. Responsible for the Subgroup meeting all deadlines established by the Subgroup Manager and monitoring all efforts that contribute to the Subgroup Report Card. The chair-elect will provide advice and support by executing tasks delegated by the Chair. The past chair will help provide continuity, offer advice, and assist in the work of the executive committee.
Secretary-Treasurer: Will work with the Society to manage Subgroup membership, budgets, keep up to date with financial information and sponsorships, and will work with the Chair to carry out necessary correspondence and other organizational tasks.
Article V
Eligibility for Office: Only members of the Membrane Structure & Function Subgroup may be elected to Subgroup leadership positions. If an elected officer does not become a member prior to the Annual Meeting where they would be taking office, the second runner-up candidate shall assume the position instead. The runner up must also be a BPS member and a member of the Subgroup in order to assume office. In order to serve as a regular Subgroup Officer, the member must be a Regular, Emeritus, or Early Career member of BPS. Graduate students/Postdocs can only serve if the Subgroup has a designated trainee position, in which case the position title will reflect the career stage of eligible members. Members may not be elected to the same position in the Subgroup more than once every five years.
Article VI
Elections: Elections must be concluded electronically two weeks prior to the Subgroup’s Business Meeting. The candidate for each office receiving the highest number of votes will be elected. In the case of a tie, the deadline will be extended for an extra three days. If the tie remains after three days, BPS staff will send out a new ballot with just the tied candidates to break the tie. The results will be announced to the Subgroup’s membership during the Subgroup’s Business Meeting. Officers will take office at the end of the Annual Business Meeting held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society. Interim vacancies in officers or councilors will be filled in accordance with Bylaw Article XVIII of the Biophysical Society.
Article VII
Executive Committee: The Executive Committee will be responsible for fulfilling the scientific and business obligations of the group. The Executive Committee will consist of the four Officers: Subgroup Chair, Past-Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary-Treasurer. The affairs of the Subgroup shall be handled by the Officers in accordance with the policies determined by the Executive Committee and the Biophysical Society Council.
Article VIII
Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee is responsible for soliciting nominations for open subgroup Officer positions from Subgroup membership and for preparing the final slate of candidates. Nominations can come from anyone, with self-nominations also permitted. The members of the Executive Committee shall constitute the Nominating Committee. Nominations will be received electronically no later than one month prior to the Subgroup’s Business Meeting. Nominees must accept their nomination prior to being placed on a ballot.
Article IX
Awards Committee: The Awards Committee will be responsible for inviting nominations from all Subgroup members and selecting awardees based on the established eligibility criteria, nomination packets, and judging rubric. This committee consists of the officers in the Executive Committee and up to three ad-hoc members chosen at the discretion of the Executive Committee. Ad-hoc members can, for example, be chosen to broaden representation on the awards committee, or to alleviate conflicts of interest.
Each year, the Committee must review and confirm award eligibility requirements and the rubric with BPS staff. While the primary selection criteria will focus on scientific excellence, the committee is also responsible for ensuring that the candidate pool gives meaningful access to underrepresented individuals and groups of the Biophysical Society.
Committee members must avoid any conflicts of interest with nominees or award sponsors in a given year.
Article X
Dissolution: The Membrane Structure & Function subgroup must be in accordance with the Biophysical Society’s constitution and bylaws, mission, values, goals, and operational guidelines. If not, the group will be placed on probation and may be dissolved at the discretion of the Council of the Biophysical Society.
Article XI
Amendments to the Bylaws: Amendments can be proposed by any member of the Membrane Structure & Function Subgroup, must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the Subgroup’s Executive Committee, and must be ratified in an electronic ballot by a majority of the members of the group voting.