THE NORDIC SEDIMENTARY RESEARCH GROUP CONSTITUTION - 2020

- Set in stone -

The Nordic Sedimentary Research Group Constitution was accepted during the commencement meeting held at the University of Oslo on the 07.01.2020.

Diversity Statement

The Nordic Sedimentary Research Group (NSRG) is a mutual interest organisation for the advancement of sedimentology and stratigraphy (§2a). NSRG aims to create an environment, which respects and welcomes everyone, irrespective of age, nationality and ethnicity, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership status, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation, following the international human rights legal framework of the United Nation.

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Code of Conduct

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The purpose of the NSRG Code of Conduct is to ensure that all activities conducted or hosted by the group are in agreement with generally accepted ethics and the rules and the mission of NSRG. Leading principles are honesty, carefulness, transparency, openness, independence, responsibility, and democracy.

This Code of Conduct applies in all NSRG activities, including online events, social gatherings, and field excursions, hereafter referred to as events and resources. NSRG events and resources foster the exchange of scientific ideas through respectful and open dialogue. Together with NSRG, event organisers are committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all participants. All meeting participants, including but not limited to attendees, speakers, volunteers and service providers, are expected to abide by the NSRG Code of Conduct. NSRG considers the neglect of these rules as being equal to a scientific misconduct and will lead us to reconsider the membership of the neglecting individual or group.

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The full code of conduct for the NSRG can be downloaded at the bottom of this page

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THE CONSTITUTION OF THE NORDIC SEDIMENTARY RESEARCH GROUP

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You can download a PDF of the constitution in English  at the bottom of this page.

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1. Title

1. The title of the organisation shall be the Nordic Sedimentary Research Group (hereafter referred to as NSRG).

2. Objectives

1. The overall aim of NSRG shall be the advancement of the science of sedimentology and stratigraphy (including associated disciplines), in research, at all levels of education, and in its practical application. The specific objectives of NSRG shall be:

   1. To promote and enhance sedimentological and stratigraphic research both within Nordic countries and internationally.

   2. To support student and early-career members to access training and other educational opportunities. Early-career members are defined as: i) post-PhD members not in a permanent position; and (ii) post-PhD members within the first three years of their first permanent position.

   3. To organise and support high-quality research meetings, including an Annual General Meeting (AGM) in association with the biennial Nordic Winter Meeting or the Norwegian Winter Meeting, as organised alternatively.

   4. To provide representation for the community between NSRG and other bodies.

   5. To organise events in the most sustainable way possible.

3. Membership

3.1. Type of membership

1. Membership of NSRG shall be open to all persons with a professed interest in sedimentology or stratigraphy, or are actively engaged within employment or study that has application to sedimentology or stratigraphy.

2. No payable subscription is required for joining, or maintaining membership, of NSRG.

3.2. Membership rights

Members shall have the right to:

1. Vote in any ballot of NSRG.

2. Be nominated for any vacant position of NSRG.

3. Attend events and AGMs run by NSRG

   1. Postgraduate and early-career orientated events shall be limited to such audiences although, when suitable, other members shall be able to participate.

4. The Nordic Sedimentary Research Group Committee

4.1. Management of NSRG

1. The affairs of NSRG shall be managed by the committee.

2. The committee shall consist of 8 members, comprising the following roles (§4.3.1 – 4.3.7): President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, Industry representative 1, Industry representative 2, Outreach Officer, and Early-Career Representative.

3. The committee shall be gender- and minority-balanced.

4. Up to two temporary Non-Portfolio Officers and two Postgraduate Representatives might be asked to join the committee of NSRG (§4.3.8). These temporary positions are meant to facilitate extraordinary support to the NSRG committee for a specific activity from people with a certain set of skills and/or network that cannot be provided by the committee members.

4.1.1. Executive Committee members

1. The Executive Committee members of NSRG shall be the President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary. In case of a single vacant position during a serving term (see §4.2a), one of the non-executive committee members could act as a member of the executive committee without election. In case of multiple vacant position within the Executive Committee, new elections shall be organized.

4.2 The Committee

1. First serving term in the committee will be 2 years for Executive committee members, and 1 year for non-executive members. Consecutive terms are 1 year for all committee members. The same Executive committee position cannot be filled for more than 3 successive terms, unless after approval of the full committee and re-election by NSRG members, the same individual is elected again..

2. Where possible, multiple vacancies within the Executive Committee should not occur within a single year. Ideally, such vacancies should be offset to ensure continuity of experience within the committee.

3. Members are eligible to stand for multiple committee roles; however, they may only hold a single committee role at a time. After filling 3 successive terms at the same position, one can stand as a candidate for a different position.

4. Industry representative, Outreach Officer, and Early-Career Representative may serve in post for a term at the discretion of the Executive Committee Members (§4.1.1).

 4.3. Committee roles

4.3.1. President

The President of NSRG shall have the following responsibilities:

1. In the first instance, the President shall be responsible for the operation of NSRG.

2. The President shall act as spokesperson for NSRG.

3. The President shall chair committee meetings.

4. The President shall ensure that NSRG operates in accordance with its aims as stated here in the constitution.

4.3.2. Vice-President

1. The Vice-President of NSRG shall remain at the disposal of the Executive committee for specific and targeted tasks.

2. The Vice-President will overtake the President’s responsibilities if the Presidents is not available or incapacitated until the President returns, or until the next AGM.

4.3.3. Treasurer

The Treasurer of NSRG shall have the following responsibilities:

1. In the first instance, the Treasurer shall be responsible for the management and safeguarding of NSRG’s finances.

2. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual report for NSRG’s membership (commonly delivered verbally at the AGM).

4.3.4. Secretary

The Secretary of NSRG shall have the following responsibilities:

1. The recording of minutes at committee meetings.

2. The Secretary shall be responsible for the dissemination of meeting minutes to the membership where appropriate.

3. The Secretary shall be responsible for conducting elections. In the event of a conflict of interests, the committee shall appoint an impartial person to conduct the election(s). 

4.3.5. Industry Representatives

The two Industry Representative should normally be members working in a stakeholder industrial organisation when elected to the roll. The Industry Representatives of NSRG shall have the following responsibilities:

1. The Industry Representative shall be responsible for briefing the committee in areas of possible overlap between stakeholder industrial organisations and the operations of NSRG. This may include but is not limited to:

   1. Highlighting specific area(s) of science interest within stakeholder industries that the Society may wish to address.

   2. Ensuring awareness of the most up-to-date industry standards and practices.

   3. Highlighting training opportunities to postgraduate and early-career members of the Society that have application to stakeholder industries.

4.3.6. Outreach Officer

The Outreach Officer of NSRG shall be enrolled as a M.Sc. or PhD student when elected to the roll and have the following responsibilities:

1. Controlling and maintaining of NSRG’s social media. The use of these may include but is not limited to:

   1. Using NSRG’s social media platforms to promote and highlight the activities of the group as a whole, or its members’ work individually.

   2. Highlighting and promoting the work/actions of other individuals or groups that overlap with the interests of NSRG.

2. Co-ordinating outreach with other associated societies and groups, where appropriate.

3. Maintaining and updating NSRG’s website and email mailing list.

   1. At the discretion of the Executive Committee, the Website and List management tasks may be remunerated up to 5000 NOK per annum.

4.3.7. Early-Career Representative

The Early-Career Representative should have obtained a doctoral degree no later than 7 years before being elected in the committee. The Early-Career Representative shall have the following responsibilities:

1. The Early-Career Representative shall be responsible for representing the postgraduate and early-career members of Society at committee meetings.

2. The Early-Career Representative shall be responsible for organising postgraduate and early-career scientist training courses (field-, classroom-, and/or lab-based).

4.3.8. Student Representative

The Student Representative of NSRG shall be enrolled when elected to the roll as a M.Sc. or PhD student and have the following responsibilities:

a. Coordinating outreach with other associated student societies and groups, where appropriate.

b. Being the person of contact between NSRG and student societies and groups in Nordic Countries

c. Maintain and update the list of student consolers and other important contacts with respect to outreach to students.

 4.3.9. Non-portfolio Officers and Postgraduate Representatives

1. The Executive Committee may co-opt members of NSRG to Non-portfolio Officers or Postgraduate Representatives. Postgraduate representatives must be enrolled as a M.Sc. or PhD student when elected to the roll.

2. Normally, no more than two Non-portfolio Officers and two Postgraduate Representatives shall be appointed and in office at a single time.

3. Non-portfolio and postgraduate committee members shall have an area of responsibility and duration in post (normally no more than two years) defined by NSRG’s Executive Committee.

4. Non-portfolio Officers and Postgraduate Representatives are not permitted to vote during committee meetings.

5. At the Executive Committee’s discretion, it is expected that the person(s) organising the forthcoming AGM and the person(s) that convened the most recent AGM will become Non-portfolio Officers so as to provide input and continuity to the AGM planning process.

5. Elections

1. Elections shall normally be conducted during the AGM when a committee position(s) become vacant.

2. All members of NSRG are eligible to stand for all committee roles, however, it is expected that the Postgraduate and Industry Representatives will belong to their respective communities whilst in office.

3. The Secretary of NSRG shall be responsible for the running of elections (§4.3.3.).

5.1. Nominations Period

1. Society members wishing to stand for a vacant committee role must send a nomination email to the Secretary during the ‘nominations period’.

2. The nominations period will normally be opened 30 days prior to the start of the AGM.

3. The nominations period will normally be closed 7 days prior to the start of the AGM.

4. Late submission of nominations will only be considered in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

5. The Secretary shall open and close the nominations period via email to NSRG mailing list.

6. Nomination emails should include the name of the applicant and the position(s) to which they would like to stand. Nominations sent during the nominations period are not required to be ‘seconded’.

5.2. Voting

1. The membership attending the AGM are eligible to vote.

2. Vacant committee positions that receive no nominations may be opened again at the AGM. In such instances, present members may nominate themselves.

   1. Should a position still remain vacant after the re-opening of nominations at the AGM, the committee may co-opt members to fill vacant positions. Such co-opted members will serve a normal term and perform the roles in accordance with the specific committee role.

3. Where a single individual has been nominated for a vacant position unopposed, at the discretion of the Executive Committee, a simple ‘voice vote’ or ‘show of hands’ may be taken in place of a ballot.

4. Where a position is opposed (receiving 2 or more nominations) a secret ballot shall be taken.

5. New appointments to the committee shall assume office at the close of the AGM.

6. Amendments to the constitution

1. Amendments to the constitution should be made after an affirmative vote (simple majority vote) by the membership at an AGM meeting.

2. The President of NSRG is to be considered the sole interpreter of the constitution.