Constitution And Bylaws Of The International Committee For Radionuclide Metrology

Adopted at the General Meeting in Bucharest, Romania
31 March 2023

Table of Contents

1. Name and Membership

1.1 — The name of the organisation is “International Committee for Radionuclide Metrology”, hereinafter referred to as “ICRM” (See Note 1).

1.2 — ICRM is an international association of radionuclide metrology laboratories whose membership comprises appointed delegates of such laboratories together with other scientists engaged in the study and applications of radioactivity.

2. Objectives

2.1 — The objectives of ICRM shall be to promote, through the active participation of all its members, the advancement of radionuclide metrology in the worldwide applications of radioactivity and to disseminate information relating to, for example, new metrological methods or recent nuclear data.

3. Membership and Rights and Obligations of Members

3.1 — ICRM shall comprise two types of membership: these shall be designated “delegate member” or “delegate” and “associate member” or “associate”. In this document “member(s)” shall refer collectively to both types of membership.

3.2 — A delegate member shall be the person who represents a radionuclide metrology laboratory or any other organisation that actively pursues the objectives of ICRM. This delegate shall be appointed by their organisation, to represent it in all its interactions with ICRM, by the procedure specified in Section 5 of these bylaws, which also specifies the procedure for any change in representation.

3.3 — An associate member shall be a person who is recognised for their special contributions to the work of the ICRM and its working groups or who has indicated their willingness to serve in an ICRM organisation (Section 4.2), and shall be appointed in accordance with Section 6.

3.4 — Voting (See Note 2) at General Meetings of the members [Section 7] is restricted to delegates or their proxy (Section 5.2).

3.5 — Any matter to be decided by majority vote by the delegates shall be the subject of a resolution proposed by any member (delegate or associate) and seconded by a delegate.

3.6 — Each member of ICRM should receive notice by letter (See Note 3) of all meetings and elections.

3.7 — Each delegate should provide biennially to all other members a brief summary of expected activities in the field of radionuclide metrology to be undertaken by their organisation in its new working year. An associate whose organisation is not represented in ICRM should assume this obligation in relation to their activities. Because participation in the ICRM conference is deemed to satisfy the intent of this requirement, formal reports to the membership are required only in the year(s) between ICRM main conferences.

3.8 — Each member should provide biennially to all other members copies of progress reports and publications of their organisation which are relevant to the objectives of ICRM. Because participation in the ICRM conference is deemed to satisfy the intent of this requirement, formal reports to the membership are required only in the year(s) between ICRM main conferences.

3.9 — Every member (delegate and associate) should provide and disseminate all information related to ICRM activities in their organisation or country.

3.10 — Reporting of activities pursuant to Sections 3.7 and 3.8 can be satisfied by posting of information on the ICRM website, provided that the information is reviewed and updated by the member institution. Reports shall be reviewed at least every two years, but preferably more often in order to keep the information current. A reminder to update the information shall be sent to the delegates by the Secretary annually. Submissions shall be sent to the Secretary and reviewed for format by the Executive Board, who will then forward the submissions to the institution hosting the ICRM website for posting.

4. Organisation of ICRM

4.1 — The delegates in a General Meeting [Section 7] constitute the supreme authority of ICRM. But amendments to these bylaws are subject to the provisions of Article 13.

4.2 — The formal organisations of ICRM are: an Executive Board [Section 8], that shall administer the affairs of ICRM; a Nominating Committee [Section 9] that shall seek nominees to fill vacancies on the Executive Board and the Nominating Committee; and Working Groups [Section 10] created by the delegate members to carry out specific tasks for ICRM.

4.3 — The Executive Board of ICRM shall comprise six officers, namely a President, the immediate Past President, three Vice-Presidents and a Secretary. The President and two Vice-Presidents shall be delegates; any member is eligible to be elected to the office of Vice-President or Secretary; noting that

i) at any time there should be four delegate members on the Board, and members from the same organisation at a meeting of the Board shall cast a single “organisational” vote.

ii) ICRM shall not assume any financial or contractual responsibilities, nor shall it be responsible for any consequence arising from its activities or those of its members.

4.4 — ICRM shall not assume any financial or contractual responsibilities, nor shall it be responsible for any consequence arising from its activities or those of its members.

5. Organisational Membership

5.1 — Notwithstanding any informal approach that may have been made, the procedure for an organisation to join ICRM shall be according to the following steps:

(a) a proposal by a member by letter to the President or Secretary, that a particular organisation having demonstrated (by publications and/or participation in recent ICRM meetings) involvement in radionuclide metrology, hereinafter called the “Organisation”, be invited to join ICRM;

(b) approval of the proposal by majority vote of the delegate members at a General Meeting;

(c) letter to the Director or Head of the Organisation from the President or Secretary inviting membership and to appoint a representative who shall serve as its delegate to ICRM;

(d) reply by letter to the President or Secretary from the Director or Head of the Organisation accepting the invitation and giving the name of the person appointed to serve as delegate to ICRM.

5.2 — An organisation that is represented by a delegate shall be able, by letter to the President or Secretary, to replace on a temporary or permanent basis, the person appointed to serve in this capacity. The time at which the change in representation shall come into effect and the period for which it shall be effective shall be specified in the letter. For a temporary replacement at a particular General Meeting, a letter of the organisation’s permanent delegate to the President or Secretary of ICRM is sufficient.

6. Election of Associate Members

6.1 — Any member of ICRM may suggest by letter to the President or Secretary the election to associate membership of any person by reason of their past or anticipated special contributions to ICRM. At its discretion the Executive Board may then propose this at a General Meeting and election shall be by majority vote of delegate members at that meeting.

6.2 — In accordance with clause 10.3, a newly elected working group Coordinator who is not a member of ICRM shall be appointed to associate membership during term in office by acclamation of the delegate members.

6.3 — The term of associate membership shall not normally be restricted, but any associate no longer willing or able to participate in the activities of ICRM should so inform the Secretary by letter. An associate not serving as an officer of ICRM nor engaged upon a specific task for ICRM, may be asked by the Secretary to confirm their wish to continue as an associate member; in the absence within one year of any positive response to this request, the membership shall be deemed to have lapsed.

7. General Meetings

7.1 — The Executive Board shall endeavour to convene a General Meeting of the members of ICRM at least once in every two years. The time and place of the meeting shall be proposed by the Executive Board and confirmed by vote of the delegate members. Notice of the meeting shall be sent by letter to each member from the Secretary not later than three months prior to the date of the meeting.

7.2 — The agenda for the General Meeting shall be proposed by the Executive Board and approved by the delegates present at the meeting. The proposed agenda should be distributed to members not later than one month before the meeting.

7.3 — An Extraordinary General Meeting may, if deemed necessary, be called by the Executive Board. Likewise, such a meeting may be proposed, by letter to the President or Secretary, by any two delegates. The decision to convene such a meeting shall rest with the Executive Board which, in the event, shall also choose its location and date.

7.4 — The quorum for a General Meeting or an Extraordinary General Meeting shall be twelve delegates or thirty per cent of the delegate membership, whichever is larger.

8. Executive Board: Duties, Terms of Office, Nomination and Election

8.1 — The Executive Board consists (Article 4.3) of a President, the immediate Past President, three Vice-Presidents, and a Secretary.

8.2 — The Executive Board may invite any member of ICRM to attend a meeting of the Board for a specific purpose, e.g. to assist in the planning for a forthcoming General Meeting.

8.3 — The Executive Board shall endeavour to meet once a year.

8.4 — The quorum for a meeting of the Executive Board shall be three and shall have a majority of attendees that are delegates.

8.5 — All decisions made at duly convened meetings of the Executive Board shall be by agreement of a majority of members present, keeping in mind the provision of Article 4.3(ii).

8.6 — The President shall normally chair General Meetings of the members and meetings of the Executive Board, and will coordinate the work of other officers in accordance with the constitution and bylaws of ICRM.

8.7 — The Vice-Presidents and the Secretary shall perform duties according to these bylaws. If the President should be unable to perform their duties, they shall be assumed during that disability by a Vice-President designated by the President immediately after the latter is elected.

8.8 — The Secretary shall give notice of and attend meetings of the Executive Board and of the membership, and shall perform the duties of recording secretary at such meetings. The Secretary shall perform such additional duties as may be required of them in accordance with these bylaws. If the Secretary is indisposed, the President shall appoint an ICRM member to serve as Secretary, for such time as may be needed.

8.9 — The President shall be elected for one term of two years and shall be eligible for immediate re-election only once.

8.10 — Each Vice-President shall be elected for a term of two years and shall be eligible for immediate re-election only once.

8.11 — The Secretary shall be elected for an initial term of two years, but shall be eligible for immediate re-election regardless of the number of consecutive terms in office which they have served.

8.12 — A term in office of a member of the Executive Board or Nominating Committee (Section 9), stated as a certain number of years, is understood as extendable by a maximum of 6 months, if the sequence of General Meetings held in concurrence with ICRM conferences so requires.

8.13 — The election of officers to serve on the Executive Board and Nominating Committee shall be carried out in accordance with Section 11 of these bylaws.

8.14 — The Secretary shall inform all members by letter within four weeks of the result of every election.

9. Nominating Committee: Duties, Terms of Office, and Election

9.1 — The aim of the Nominating Committee shall be to ensure the continuity of purpose and vigour of ICRM by soliciting from the membership, and by itself proposing, the names of eligible candidates to fill vacancies about to occur on the Executive Board and the Nominating Committee.

9.2 — The Nominating Committee shall comprise three persons elected from the membership of ICRM, who shall not be members of the Executive Board. The Secretary of ICRM shall serve as liaison between the Nominating Committee and the Executive Board. The members of the Nominating Committee shall appoint one of their members to act as Chair of their committee. The appointee shall identify themselves to the Secretary within four weeks of the most recent election to the Nominating Committee. The Chair shall coordinate the work of the Committee.

9.3 — The duty of the Nominating Committee shall be to prepare a list of candidates who have agreed in writing to be nominated to stand for election to any office becoming vacant on the Executive Board or Nominating Committee.

9.4 — The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall notify all members of ICRM, by letter sent to be received not later than two months before the date of an election, of any forthcoming vacancies on the Executive Board and Nominating Committee. The list of candidates already nominated by the Nominating Committee [Article 9.3] to fill these vacancies shall be sent at the same time, together with an invitation to the members to submit further nominations to the Nominating Committee, not later than one month before the date of the election. The final list of candidates shall be sent to all ICRM members at least two weeks prior to the election (see Section 11.1).

9.5 — Each member of the Nominating Committee shall hold office for a term of four years. Members shall be eligible for immediate re-election only once.

10. Working Groups and Committees of ICRM

10.1 — There shall be working groups or other committees established by majority vote of the delegate members at a General Meeting.

10.2 — Each working group of ICRM shall be established, initially for a period of two years, and for a specific purpose which is consistent with the objectives of ICRM.

10.3 — A Coordinator for each working group shall be chosen by majority vote of the delegates. If the elected Coordinator is not already a member of ICRM, they shall automatically be an associate member during term in office.

10.4 — The need for the continuation of existing working groups shall be reviewed every two years by the delegates at a General Meeting on the basis of a written status report prepared by the Coordinator of the working group and circulated with the provisional agenda [Section 7.2].

10.5 — The Coordinator of each working group shall plan the work of the group, and may appoint qualified persons, who need not be members of ICRM, to their working group.

10.6 — In the event of a within-term resignation of a working group Coordinator, the Executive Board shall appoint an interim replacement in accordance with Articles 11.5 and 12.3.

11. Election of ICRM Officers

11.1 — Any member of ICRM may nominate a candidate to fill any vacant ICRM office after having first obtained their agreement in writing. All such nominations shall be sent to reach a member of the Nominating Committee at least one month before the date of the election. If a vacancy should be created after the deadline of one month before the date of election including at the General Meeting itself, and by virtue of Article 4.1, any member shall have the right to propose, at that General Meeting, a candidate for election to the vacated office.

11.2 — If only one candidate has been nominated for a given office, their election shall be formally approved by the delegates at a General Meeting or, in the absence of a General Meeting, by the Executive Board.

11.3 — If more than one candidate has been nominated for a given office, the election shall be by secret, if necessary mailed, ballot (See Note 4) of the delegates arranged by the Secretary.

11.4 — If more than one position as Vice-President or member of the Nominating Committee are vacant, separate elections per vacant position shall be held.

11.5 — In the event that any office (including Working Group Coordinator) becomes vacant before expiry of the term, a temporary appointment to run until the next General Meeting shall be made by the Executive Board. Such temporary service as an officer shall not constitute a term in office as defined elsewhere in these bylaws.

11.6 — Where the result of an election to office in ICRM is declared at a General Meeting or at a meeting of the Executive Board, the term in office shall commence at the conclusion of that meeting. In all other cases the term shall begin on the day following the election.

12. Resignation and Replacement of Officers (including Nominating Committee and Working Group Coordinators)

12.1 — Voluntary abdication of position: In the event an officer (in this context meaning member of the Executive Board or Nominating Committee or Working Group Coordinators) finds that they are unable to continue performing their duties on a permanent basis, they shall notify the Executive Board in writing within 30 days of their intent to vacate their position.

12.2 — Involuntary removal from office upon abandonment of duties: In the extraordinary case in which an officer fails to carry out their duties for an extended period time through inaction without communicating with the Executive Board, that officer is considered to have abandoned their position de facto and may be replaced on a temporary basis by the Executive Board.

(a) The officer is considered to have abandoned their position if they consistently fail to perform required tasks of that position or attend required meetings without communicating with the Executive Board to provide an explanation.

(b) Prior to being considered for replacement due to abandonment of a position, a good faith effort to communicate with the officer shall be made by the Executive Board. This should include no fewer than three documented attempts to reach the officer via electronic mail, telephone, or through a colleague at the same institution over a period of 6 weeks. The final attempt to communicate shall include a notice that action will be initiated to remove that officer from their position.

12.3 — Once it is established that the officer is unresponsive to requests to explain their absences and / or inaction, the proposal to remove the officer shall be made by a member of the Executive Board and shall be ratified by at least 2/3 majority of the Executive Board (or remaining members of the Executive Board if the officer is an Executive Board member).

12.4 — The Executive Board shall appoint a temporary replacement for the removed officer that will serve in that capacity until the next General Meeting. In the event the removed officer is the President, the duties of President shall generally be assumed by the Acting President (appointed under Section 8.7).

12.5 — Once action has been taken to remove an officer and a replacement is appointed, the Executive Board shall notify the removed officer and the delegates in writing no more than 5 days following the completion of the action.

13. Amendments

This ICRM constitution and these bylaws, apart from the Notes, may be amended, repealed or altered, in whole or in part, by a two-thirds majority vote of the delegate members at a General Meeting of ICRM, provided that a copy of any proposed amendment has been sent by letter to each delegate at least sixty days prior to the date which has been announced for the meeting. Amendment of the Notes may be proposed at a General Meeting without prior notice and adopted by majority vote.

Notes

  1. Under normal circumstances and by consensus, English is the preferred language for the conduct of the business and other activities of ICRM.

  2. Except where specified elsewhere in these bylaws majority voting at meetings of ICRM will normally be by a show of hands, unless a secret ballot is requested by one quarter of the delegate members present. Persons to count the votes shall be appointed by the presiding officer if needed.

  3. “Letter” in these bylaws shall mean a written message communicated by mail (physical or electronic).

  4. A secret mailed ballot shall be carried out as follows:

    The Chairman of the Nominating Committee shall prepare ballot forms listing each office for which an election is required, and the name, organisation and country of each candidate. These forms are then mailed to each delegate member at least two weeks before the date announced for the election.

    Each delegate, having recorded their vote, shall return the ballot form by mail, or in person, to the Secretary in time to reach that officer no later than at the date of the election.

    The Secretary and a member of ICRM or, lacking that, another colleague “of good repute” shall tally the votes, certify the results and send them to all other members of the Executive Board for their confirmation and resolution of any tied vote. The same quorum as for a General Meeting (Article 7.4) shall apply. The results of the election should be sent by the Secretary to the members of ICRM within two weeks. In the event of a tied vote, only delegates on the Executive Board shall be entitled to vote.