Bylaws

The name of the group: The Institute of Mathematical Statistics New Researchers Group (herein the “NRG” or “IMS-NRG”).

Aims

• To promote and provide a forum for early career statistics and probability researchers

• To encourage membership among early career researchers in the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS).

• To organize conferences, workshops, and sessions in other meetings. Nominally, the group will organize three conferences:  (i) in North America, taking place before JSM, (ii) in Europe, taking place before ICSDS; and (iii) in the Asia-Pacific Rim, taking place in the summer. 

• To provide social networking opportunities for early career statistics and probability researchers in order to discuss research, exchange ideas with each other, and connect with the community at large.

Officers and Terms of Office

• The officers of the IMS-NRG are President, President-elect, past-President, Treasurer, Treasurer-elect, and past-Treasurer.

• Elections: The President-elect and Treasurer-elect are elected every year. After the completion of the election, the current President-elect and Treasurer-elect will become the President and Treasurer, respectively, whereas the current President and Treasurer will become the past-President and past-Treasurer. 

• The officers constitute the group’s Executive Committee (herein NRG-EC), which shall follow the general policies established by the IMS Executive Committee and shall conduct the affairs of the group between meetings of the general Executive Committee. The NRG-EC shall report to the IMS Executive Committee (IMS EC) at each IMS meeting. The report may be in writing.

• The President may appoint additional members of the NRG-EC (whose terms will conclude with the election of a new President-elect) as needed without conducting a formal election. 

• All officers must hold a faculty position. This requirement does not apply to non-officer members of the NRG-EC (as appointed by the President as described above). 

Duties

• The President is responsible for convening and chairing meetings of the NRG-EC and for overseeing group membership. The President is also responsible for ensuring that NRG hosts three new researchers conferences every year: (i) in North America, taking place before JSM, (ii) in Europe, taking place before ICSDS; and (iii) in the Asia-Pacific Rim, taking place in the summer. In addition, the President shall select (via application or other process as deemed appropriate by the President) new researchers to present at various conferences in sessions allocated to IMS-NRG. Finally, the President is responsible for holding elections for new officers every year. 

• The Treasurer is responsible for securing funding for the aforementioned new researchers conferences as well as administering any private funds given to the IMS-NRG and held by the IMS.  

• The past-President, past-Treasurer, President-elect, and Treasurer-elect are expected to ensure that the transition to new leadership is smooth. 

• The NRG-EC (including the incoming and outgoing officers) is also expected to support the President and Treasurer in the execution of their responsibilities, e.g., assisting with the organization and conduct of the new researcher conferences, the selection and evaluation of speakers for invited new researcher sessions, and other tasks as requested by the President and Treasurer.

• The NRG-EC as a whole is responsible for maintaining the NRG website: imsnrg.com, and for contributing regularly to the IMS bulletin to discuss recent NRG events. 

• The President sits ex-officio on IMS Council.

• The right to enter into legal contracts for IMS or NRG is vested solely in the IMS EC.

Membership

• Membership in the NRG has three eligibility requirements: First, one must be an IMS member. Second, one must be a student or within 10 years of receiving their PhD. Third, one must pay the group membership fee (if applicable). The group membership fee is set by the NRG-EC and approved by the IMS EC by resolution. Anyone eligible can join the NRG (as a member) by joining the NRG’s mailing list managed by IMS, i.e., membership on the mailing list and membership in the NRG are equivalent. Should a member become ineligible, they are expected to leave the mailing list (and thus leave the NRG). Should an officer become ineligible under the second eligibility requirement during their term, they will be allowed to retain group membership by paying the annual group dues and finish serving their terms. 

• Solicitation. Any participants in the new researcher conferences will be invited to join the NRG.

Elections of IMS-NRG Officers

• The President is responsible for conducting elections for the positions of President-elect and Treasurer-elect by September 1st of each year.

  • The opportunity to run for election should be advertised to the NRG membership via the mailing list.

  • Candidates for President-elect and Treasurer-elect must self-nominate as a pair, i.e., their application must list two individuals, one each for the position of President-elect and Treasurer-elect. The application should include a description of why the candidates are well-suited for leadership as well as their vision for the group. Geographically diverse pairings are encouraged to facilitate hosting new researchers conferences on different continents.

  • A pair of President/Treasurer can only be elected once; that is, they can be selected as President-elect and Treasurer-elect for office only once.

• A ballot including all eligible candidate pairings will be sent via email to the NRG mailing list. The candidate pairing receiving the greatest number of votes will be elected as President-elect and Treasurer-elect. In the case of an exact tie, the current President may break the tie.

• The results of the election should be communicated promptly, which shall trigger the cycling of officers as described above.

• At the time of adoption of these bylaws, the current President shall appoint a new President and Treasurer. The President-elect and Treasurer-elect will be selected by running an election. Further, the current President and Treasurer shall become past-President and past-Treasurer, respectively. This provision applies only at the time of bylaw adoption; all future officers shall be selected via election as described above.

Finances and Revenue

• The NRG will aim to ensure revenue neutrality with regard to its workshops and conferences. The NRG-EC applies for an NSF grant for funding the North American New Researchers Conference. At the moment, the group also applies to receive funding from IMS for the conferences in Europe and Asia-Pacific Rim. The duties of soliciting contributions will mainly fall to the Treasurer. Any surpluses generated will be retained by the NRG to use in support of future workshops and conferences.

Amendment of the Bylaws

• These bylaws may be amended by majority vote of the officers in two successive NRG-EC meetings (with the current President receiving 1.5 votes to avoid ties), with at least a two-week interval between the meetings. The NRG will be considered inactive and dissolved by the IMS EC by resolution if no report is submitted for 2 consecutive years, or no elections take place within 4 years. Provisions in the IMS Bylaws and Constitution will apply in connection with any issues that are not specifically addressed in the NRG Bylaws.