Research Committees

Statutes

These Statutes were originally adopted by the RC07 Assembly in Montreal 1998; revisions were adopted by the Assembly in Brisbane 2002; further amendments and revisions were adopted by the Assembly in Buenos Aires 2012.

PREAMBLE

The International Sociological Association Research Committee on Futures Research (ISARC07) aims to promote world-wide sociological research about possible, probable, preventable, and preferable futures.

ARTICLE ONE: OBJECTIVES

The RC07 Futures Research shall carry out the policy of the International Sociological Association and shall enhance international cooperation in theoretical and empirical research in the various areas of future-oriented sociology. Accordingly, the RC07 Futures Research assumes to act as an international representative of the different branches of sociology with a future orientation and an interdisciplinary approach.
To achieve these ends, the RC07 Futures Research shall support its activities:
1. to secure and develop institutional and personal contacts between sociologists and other social scientists with a future orientation throughout the world;
2. to encourage the international dissemination and exchange of information on developments in sociological knowledge with a future orientation;
3. to facilitate and promote international future-oriented research and training;
4. to convene meetings in the same orientation, including participation in ISA World Congresses and at least one midterm meeting every four years.

ARTICLE TWO: MEMBERSHIP

The members of RC07 Futures Research shall consist of regular and affiliated members, with geographical diversity determined by the Executive Committee and responding to article 1.
Regular individual members shall be scholars or professionals active in sociological teaching, research or practice with an interest in futures research who are members in good standing of both RC07 and ISA.
Affiliated individual members shall be scholars or professionals active in sociological teaching, research or practice with an interest in futures research who are members in good standing of RC07 but who do not belong to ISA.
All members shall respect the principles upon which the Research Committee is founded, contribute to its purposes and pay their fees. The amount and structure of fees are determined by the Assembly of RC07 members and are to be in accordance to ISA statutes. The fees of regular members shall be paid to the ISA Secretariat while the Secretary-Treasurer shall collect the fees of affiliated members.
All regular and affiliated members in good standing have the right to vote on RC07 matters and to make nominations but only regular members in good standing can be elected to the board.

ARTICLE THREE: THE BOARD

The Research Committee has a board elected every four years according to democratic procedures and geographical distribution.
The Board consists of a President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, and at least three additional officers with responsibilities such as Membership, Newsletter Editor, or designations such as Regional Representative or at-large. Elections should proceed in this sequence. In the interest of balancing the benefits of experience and renewal, at least one third of the board members should continue and at least one third should be replaced. The Assembly can increase the total number of board members for practical purposes and in consideration of regional representation as determined per majority decision. Likewise, the Assembly can allow the sharing of specific offices. In addition, the Board can co-opt for the remaining duration of the term up to three additional board members upon the recommendation of the President and with the agreement of a majority of Board Members.
Any member in good standing may make a nomination or second to a nomination. The nominations and elections should be handled by the Secretary-Treasurer or other Election Officer, if appointed by the Board, who is a member but not candidate. shall be send at least three months before the election to the Secretary-Treasurer or other Election Officer. The endorsement of at least two other members in good standing is required for becoming a candidate. Candidates shall confirm their willingness to serve and submit a curriculum vitae and brief statement of experience and interest in the position. Candidates for the same position shall be given equal opportunity to present their experience, interests, and endorsements per written statement or speech of equal maximum length or duration.
If there is more than one candidate for a specific office, or in the case of board members at-large, more candidates than positions, then a secret ballot will be held upon request by any member in good standing. In case of competitive elections, the votes must be counted in a transparent, verifiable, and uncontested manner. A recount must be held if requested by any member in good standing.
Temporary vacancies on the Board between consecutive World Congresses may be filled by appointment by the Committee's president. A Board Member who does not fulfill major parts of her/his responsibilities can be replaced by the Board per two-third majority vote.
Each Board member must be throughout their term of office a member in good standing of RC07 and ISA in accordance with ISA statutes.
The Board shall have the task of carrying out the policies established by the Assembly of RC07.
The Board shall provide a newsletter to the membership at least twice per year. The newsletter may be distributed electronically.
The Board may convene subcommittees to make recommendations on particular matters or undertake specific activities.

ARTICLE FOUR: THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE-PRESIDENTS

The RC07 President and Vice-Presidents shall legally represent the RC07 both internally and externally. The president shall chair the meetings of the Board and name delegate and alternate to the Research Council, unless other provisions were decided by vote. In his/her absence, the meetings shall be chaired by a Vice-President; if also absent, then by the Secretary-Treasurer. A former president becomes Past-President but will have voting rights on the board only if elected to the incoming Board.
In case of vacancy of the offices of President and/or Vice-Presidents, RC07 shall elect an interim President and/or Vice-President until the end of the term. Until a new President and/or Vice-President can be elected in a democratic and transparent manner by the regular members in good standing, the Board shall appoint an interim Acting President. In case a president fails to carry out her/his presidential responsibilities or allow membership to lapse, the Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a six-month period of grace notice on the President. If the irregularity is not resolved by the end of this period, the Secretary-Treasurer is required to inform the Board and refer the matter to the ISA Secretariat.

ARTICLE FIVE: THE SECRETARY-TREASURER

The Secretary-Treasurer maintains records and reports on the financial accounts at Business Meetings.
The Board audits the finances every four years in preparation for the Business Meeting at World Congresses.
The Secretary-Treasurer shall be discharged of financial responsibilities by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of auditing board members.

ARTICLE SIX: BUSINESS MEETING

The Research Committee shall hold a business meeting at least once during the four-year World Congress cycle for available members in good standing.

ARTICLE SEVEN: CHANGE OF STATUTES

The Research Committee’s statutes can be revised according to democratic procedures.
A change of statutes can be initiated by the Research Committee’s Board, an appointed committee, or upon a petition signed by at least eight regular members in good standing. Statute-changes proposed by members shall be send to the Board along with an explanation of its rationale at least twelve months before the next Assembly meeting. The Board shall circulate proposed changes along with an explanation of its rationale at least three months before the next Assembly meeting.
Changes to the statutes can take effect if accepted by
1. a two-third majority at a regular business meeting; or
2. a two-third majority in a referendum held at least four months after announcement of the proposed changes to the membership; or
3. a simple majority at a regular business meeting, if at least three-fourths of regular members in good standing participated; or
4. a simple majority in a referendum held at least four months after announcement of the proposed changes, if at least three-fourths of regular members in good standing participated.

ARTICLE EIGHT: DISSOLUTION

The dissolution of RC07 shall be decided by the Assembly of RC07 following the procedures of the ISA Statutes.
The dissolution shall be declared provided that a quorum of at least two thirds of the members has reached and that it has been approved by at least a two thirds majority of those present at the Assembly of RC07.
In the event of dissolution, the funds shall be transferred to the ISA.

ARTICLE NINE: AWARDS

RC07 may establish awards
1. to encourage promising young scholars to participate in RC07 and contribute to the field;
2. to promote sociological futures research in underrepresented regions, especially the Economic South (as defined by ISA’s categories B/C countries); and/or
3. to recognize special contributions to and life-time achievements in future-oriented sociology.
Rules for Awards specify the criteria and procedures. Rules for Awards are adopted upon the Board’s recommendation and with ISA’s approval by the simple majority of votes in the assembly.

ARTICLE TEN: WORKING LANGUAGES

English, French, and Spanish are the recognized languages of the RC07. The administrative language of the RC07 shall be English.

APPENDIX

FURTHER RC07 ASSEMBLY DECISIONS AND POLICIES

This Appendix gathers further Assembly decisions and policies that are not a formal part of the Statutes. Assembly decisions are valid if adopted by a simple majority of regular members in good standing with at least one third of regular members in good standing present or none of the regular members invoking a lacking quorum for the vote in question. The Statutes prevail in case an Assembly decision or policy contradicts the Statutes. The majority of the Board decides on any contested interpretation of the Statutes until the Assembly meets to settle matters by vote according to the principles for statutory changes.
DUES
1. Regular Members are in good standing upon timely payment of their dues which cover a period of four calendar years.
2. The Assembly approved in Barcelona 2008 the following dues structure: - Supporter US$40 (voluntary)
  - Regular US$20
  - Discount US$10 (for members from B and C countries or students)

The country categories refer to the currently valid list maintained by ISA and included on the membership form.

The Assembly approved in Buenos Aires 2012 the following additional categories:

Lifetime Member (only available to ISA lifetime members, currently 65 years or older: fee equal to the cost of two four-year terms (i.e. currently Supporter 2xUS$40=US$80, Regular 2xUS$20=US$40, Discount US$2x10=US$20).
Affiliated Individual Member (i.e. non-ISA member) US$200
Institutional Member (i.e. non-profit organization) US$1,000

This fee structure shall be in effect until changed by the Assembly.

AWARD FOR BEST GRADUATE STUDENT PAPER - RULES FOR THE AWARD

Purpose

This award recognizes the best paper related to sociological futures research authored by one or more graduate students and submitted to a quad-annual world-wide competition of RC07. This award is intended to encourage promising young scholars in the field of sociological futures research and to foster participation in ISA and RC07.

Recognition

The award consists of a certificate with a citation and, pending allocation of funds, a monetary reward that can be used toward expenses for attending the ISA World Congress of Sociology. Winners present their paper in one of RC07’s scheduled sessions at the World Congress, and their names will be published in the Newsletter.

Eligibility

Eligible are papers accepted for inclusion into RC07’s program for the ISA World Congress of Sociology. The author(s) must be registered for a graduate degree at a degree granting institution at the time the paper is submitted. Candidates must hold an undergraduate degree (B.A. or equivalent) but cannot hold a Ph.D. (or equivalent) at the time the paper is submitted. Not eligible are papers that were co-authored with a faculty advisor or someone holding a Ph.D. (or its equivalent), that have been published already, or that have been accepted for publication more than three years prior to submission. Papers must be submitted in English or with an accompanying English translation. The maximum length for the paper is 8,000 words, including bibliography, plus an abstract of not more than 500 words. The Subcommittee for the Best Graduate Student Paper Award specifies further format and information requirements in the announcement of each competition. Winners must be member of both the ISA and RC07 at the time of receiving the award.

Submissions

An announcement for award competitions will be made in the RC07 Newsletter at least twelve months prior to the World Congress during which the award will be given. Papers must be submitted in hard copy or electronically to each member of the Subcommittee for the Best Graduate Student Paper Award as specified in the announcement. Papers can be by the author(s) or by a nominator (e.g., editor, supervisor, or other third party).

Selection Process

The papers will be evaluated by a Subcommittee for the Best Graduate Student Paper Award consisting of the president of RC07 (ex-officio) and at least two other RC07 members from different countries, who are board members or senior scholars confirmed by the board. The Chair of this Jury takes the lead in organizing the selection process. Members of the Subcommittee are expected to draw on the expertise of other RC07 board members and/or senior scholars. The primary criteria for selection are originality of ideas, social relevance, conceptual rigor, analytical perceptiveness, and clarity of style.
To avoid potential conflicts of interest, members of the Jury must disclose any substantial personal or professional ties with submitters or nominees (e.g., as instructor, supervisor, dissertation committee member, or editor) to the other members of the Jury and the board of RC07.
The Jury is expected to make its decision by consensus. If no consensus is possible, then a vote may be held, in which the simple majority decides, unless a jury member vetoes. The Jury can decide to split the award, extend special recognition for the best paper from the Economic South (ISA’s category B/C countries), make honorary mentions of runners-up, or to not make an award.
The selection process will be completed in time for winners to register for the World Congress in which they are to receive the award. The time-table for the selection process will be planned accordingly.

Reporting

The president will report the Jury’s decision to the ISA Executive Committee and the RC07 Newsletter Editor.

Cost

There is no monetary reward permanently linked to this award. However, RC07 will make efforts to raise funds towards the winners’ expenses for attending the World Congress and/or other financial rewards, pending budgetary considerations and available donations. The amount available for the award will be determined by the Board of RC07 and indicated in the announcement of each competition.

Frequency

The award will be granted every four years at the World Congress of Sociology, in accordance with the procedures specified above.

(Award rules approved by the ISARC07 General Assembly at its meeting in Buenos Aires, 3 August 2012)

AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO FUTURES RESEARCH - RULES FOR THE AWARD

Purpose

This award recognizes a living scholar who has made a significant contribution to future-oriented sociology. The award is intended to recognize achievements in futures research regarding one of three categories: (a) a career-long contribution spanning over at least two decades, (b) a publication of outstanding scholarly excellence, originality, and relevance, or (c) long-term distinguished service to RC07. The winner of the award will be most highly esteemed by future-oriented sociologists throughout the world.

Recognition

The award consists of a certificate with citation and, pending allocation of funds, a monetary reward that can be used toward expenses for attending the ISA World Congress of Sociology. Winners will be asked to deliver a presentation in an event sponsored by RC07 and their names will be announced in the newsletter.

Eligibility

Any living sociologist or social scientist, whether or not she or he is a member of RC07 and/or of the ISA, is eligible. Currently serving members of the RC07 Board or Distinguished Contribution Award Subcommittee are not eligible to receive the award. A condition of acceptance of the award is that the winner delivers a presentation in an event sponsored by RC07 or, in case of travel inability, contributes a written paper for a publication sponsored by RC07.

Nominations

Nominations will be solicited from RC07 members through the newsletter at least eighteen months before the corresponding World Congress of Sociology, to ensure that the winner will be given sufficient notice of the award and will thus be able to make arrangements to attend the World Congress. Nominators will be expected to provide a brief justification of the nomination. Nominations must be made in English or with an accompanying English translation. The Awards Subcommittee specifies further format and information requirements.

Selection Process

All nominations will be reviewed by an Award Subcommittee for the Distinguished Contribution Award, consisting of the president of RC07 (ex-officio) and at least two other RC07 members from different countries who are board members or senior scholars confirmed by the board. The Chair of the Distinguished Contribution Subcommittee takes the lead in organizing the selection process. Members of the Subcommittee are expected to draw on the expertise of other RC07 board members and solicit opinions from senior scholars of future-oriented global sociology.
To avoid potential conflicts of interest, members of the Award Subcommittee must disclose any substantial personal or professional ties with nominees (e.g., as instructor, supervisor, dissertation committee member, or editor) to the other members of the Subcommittee and the board of RC07.
The Awards Subcommittee is expected to make its decision by consensus. If no consensus is possible, then a vote may be held, in which the simple majority decides, unless a subcommittee member vetoes. The Awards Subcommittee can decide to split the award or to not make an award at all. The Inaugural Awards Subcommittee should make more than one award.
The selection process will be completed in time for winners to register for the World Congress in which they are to receive the award. The time-table for the selection process will be planned accordingly.

Reporting

The president will report the Award Subcommittee’s decision to the ISA Executive Committee and the RC07 Newsletter Editor.

Cost

Frequency

The award will be granted every four years at the World Congress of Sociology, in accordance with the procedures specified above.

(Award rules approved by the ISARC07 General Assembly at its meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 3 August 2012)