By‐laws and Rules of Procedure

World and Regional Conferences 

1. The primary objective of the WCRIF is to promote World Conferences on Research Integrity. The Governing Board of the WCRIF does so by formulating and publishing calls for bids to organise and host World Conferences, normally on a biennial basis.

2. Bids shall be evaluated by the Governing Board and the chosen host organisation and venue shall be announced at the preceding World Conference.

3. The Governing Board formulates and publishes criteria according to which it assesses bids.

4. The Governing Board may approve Regional Conferences to be linked to the World Conferences, using the same procedure as for World Conferences.

5. The Governing Board will stipulate explicitly, in all pertinent agreements, that WCRIF incurs no financial or other liability for World and/or Regional Conferences, which are the responsibility of the hosting organisation.

6. The Governing Board will ensure that the host organisation for a World Conference has comprehensively covered its financial risk and other liabilities, whether by commercial insurance or by assuming those risks and liabilities itself.

7. Each hosting organisation should plan for each Conference to achieve a positive financial surplus and the Governing Board will ensure that the WCRIF receives 50 percent of any such surplus arising from World Conferences. The aim of such surpluses is to ensure the financial sustainability of the World Conferences and the Governing Board will determine the amount of surplus to be invested as start-up funding for each World Conference.

8. In securing financial support for each Conference, it will be the responsibility of the local organisation and the Co-Chairs to ensure that sponsoring will only be accepted from organisations that have a demonstrated interest in promoting integrity in research and whose values are consistent with the values of the World Conferences on Research Integrity. The WCRIF reserves the right to refuse inappropriate sponsors.

9. The Governing Board selects the Co‐Chairs of each World Conference. Normally, these will be the local organiser plus two members of the Governing Board.

10. The Governing Board considers and approves proposals from the Co‐Chairs for membership of World Conference committees – programme committee, advisory committee and the local organising committee.

11. The Governing Board ensures that WCRIF databases are in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 and other relevant EU Directives as well as Dutch and local laws in the country hosting the World Conference regarding personal privacy protection.

Publicity and Transparency

12. The Governing Board will be responsible for all publicity for the WCRIF. 

13. The Governing Board will liaise closely with the Co‐Chairs to ensure that publicity, websites and social media related to the World Conferences on Research Integrity are in accordance with WCRIF policy and responsibilities as well as any agreements between the WCRIF and the local organiser.

Finances

14. The Treasurer shall have overall responsibility for developing budgets and accounts of the WCRIF, as set out in the Statutes of WCRIF. The budgets and accounts of the World Conferences themselves shall be the responsibility of the local organisers, who are obliged to keep the WCRIF fully informed about budgeting and finance of the World Conferences.

15. All financial transactions require two signatures of which one shall be the Treasurer and the second being another member of the Executive Board. Digital endorsements shall be accepted in lieu of written signatures.

16. The Treasurer is responsible for preparing annual accounts for audit. 

17. The Governing Board shall appoint an audit committee of at least two prominent participants of recent World Conferences who shall not be members of the Governing Board. The audit committee shall review the annual accounts and make recommendations to the Governing Board.

Nomination and selection of Board members: 

18. Two months in advance of the annual meeting of the Governing Board, the Governing Board shall call for nominations (including self‐nominations) to replace retiring member(s) of the Governing Board for new member(s).  Each nomination (including self‐nominations by others) must be supported by a Governing Board member.

19. Current governing board members have the right to make nominations. 

20. The Governing Board, including its retiring members, select the new member(s) from the nominations received. This decision is made in accordance with the decision procedures laid out in the statutes (article 6 clauses 8‐13). Retiring members shall serve through the end of the meeting at which their term ends.

Board Procedures

21. The Chair shall have responsibility for the orderly conduct of Governing Board business. 

22. Motions for approval shall have both a proposer and a seconder. 

23. The Governing Board will normally work by consensus, but any member of the Board may ask for a formal vote and the result shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. 

24. The Governing Board may create such committees as deemed necessary for the conduct of the WCRIF. 

25. Points of order raised by Governing Board members must be considered immediately on being raised. 

26. Motions of no confidence in any or all the officers of the Foundation must be delivered (either in hard copy or electronically) in writing at least 10 working days in advance of a Board meeting. 

27. Motions of no confidence in any or all the officers of the Foundation take precedence over other business and must be considered and resolved at the start of any meeting at which they are raised.

Executive Committee

28. An Executive Committee consisting of the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer of the Foundation shall act on behalf of the Board. Its decisions will be circulated to other Board members for their input. 

29. The Executive Committee holds ‘virtual’ meetings, normally monthly. Meetings will be arranged so that all three Executive Committee members are present. Other members of the Governing Board will be notified of the dates and times of these meetings and may join the meeting.

WCRIF Archive

30. The Governing Board will be responsible for the structure, compilation and maintenance of an archive of the World Conferences materials. It will also be responsible for determining the appropriate contents of the archive and which portions will be publicly available.

Conflicts of Interest

31. All members of the Governing Board shall declare any conflict of interest (fiduciary or otherwise) prior to the start of consideration of an agenda item for which it is relevant.