Biopolymers in vivo Bylaws
Article I
Purpose: The purpose of the Biopolymers in Vivo (BIV) Subgroup shall be to advance and disseminate knowledge regarding structural and physical properties, mechanisms, and biological functions of biopolymers in cells and in complex environments.
Article II
Membership: Members of the Biophysical Society may join the Subgroup; non-members of the Biophysical Society are welcome to attend BIV symposia but are unable to join the Subgroup, serve as Officers of the Subgroup, or vote.
Article III
Dissolution: The BIV Subgroup must be in accordance with the Biophysical Society’s constitution and bylaws, mission, values, goals, and operational guidelines. If subgroup is found in violation of their bylaws or Society’s guidelines, the group will be placed on probation and may be dissolved at the discretion of the Council of the Biophysical Society.
Article IV
Meetings: Business meetings shall be held in connection with the annual scientific meeting of the Biophysical Society. The voting members attending an Annual Meeting can transact Group business by a simple majority vote. These meetings will be held in association with the annual Biophysical Society meetings, and must follow the guidelines established by the BPS Council.
Article V
Officers: The officers of the group will be a group Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, and two Program Co-chairs. The Chair-Elect shall serve one year as such, followed by one year as Chair. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected for a term of two years and the Program Co-Chairs shall be elected for a period of one year. In addition, a Graduate Student Representative and Postdoctoral Representative shall be elected for terms of two years each.
Article VI
Executive Committee: The Executive Committee will be responsible for the fulfillment of the scientific and business obligations of the group. The Officers, the immediate past Chair, immediate past Secretary-Treasurer and three members elected at large shall constitute this Executive Committee. The members-at-large will serve staggered three-year terms, with one new member elected each year. The Executive Committee shall have power to conduct other business by means of electronic vote. 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 VII
Nominating Committee: The members of the Executive Committee shall constitute the nominating committee. The immediate past Chair shall be the chair of the nominating committee. The Nominating Committee is responsible for soliciting nominations from subgroup membership and for preparing the final slate of candidates. Nominations will be received electronically up to one month prior to the Subgroup’s business meeting. Nominees must accept their nomination prior to being placed on a ballot.
Article VIII
Elections: Elections shall be held electronically up to two weeks prior to the Subgroup's business meeting.The candidate for each office receiving the highest number of votes will be elected. 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 IX of the Biophysical Society.
Article IX
Eligibility for Office: Only members of the BIV Subgroup may be candidates for offices. Members may not be elected to the same office more than once every five years. A member may be elected to a different position (i.e., Chair Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Program Co-chair, or Member-at-Large) after a minimum break of one year from office.
Article X
Junior Faculty Awards Committee: This awards committee shall consist of the Executive Committee, the two immediate Past Chairs, and the BIV Student and Postdoc Representatives (if filled). A member shall recuse oneself from the Awards Committee if they have a conflict of interest such as a direct affiliation with a nominee or award sponsor. The Awards Committee will solicit nominations through a call to all subgroup members, evaluate nominations, and select awardees. The committee’s selection criteria will be based on scientific excellence first but must also consider diversity.
Article XI
Amendments to the Bylaws: Amendments should arise from the members of the Biopolymers in Vivo subgroup, approved by a two-thirds majority of the Subgroup’s Executive Committee, and ratified in an electronic ballot by a majority of the members of the group voting.