Governance

DNP Bylaws

Approved by Council: July 22, 2024

Ratified by DNP Membership: December 9, 2024

PREAMBLE

In the following text, “Society” shall signify the American Physical Society; “Council” and “Board” shall signify the Council of Representatives and the Board of Directors of the Society, respectively; and “Regular Meeting” shall signify the principal meeting held once a year by the Division.

ARTICLE I - NAME

This Division of the American Physical Society shall be known as the Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP).

ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVE

The objective of the Division shall be to assist the advancement, dissemination, and application of knowledge of nuclear physics. Nuclear physics is the study of the properties and interactions of nuclei and their constituents. It extends to interdisciplinary studies of nuclear phenomena in the cosmos and to the use of nuclear properties to probe fundamental forces. It also includes the development of accelerators, instrumentation, and new technologies in support of these studies.

ARTICLE III - ENABLING CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISION

Article VII of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society and associated Policies and Procedures, as said governing documents may be subsequently revised or amended, are hereby incorporated in these Bylaws by reference.

ARTICLE IV - MEMBERSHIP

The members of the Division shall consist of members of the Society who have indicated, in accordance with procedures established by the Board and the Council, their desire to join the Division and who retain membership from year to year by the payment of designated dues or by other method established by the Board.

ARTICLE V - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

1. Governance: The Division shall be governed by an Executive Committee that shall have general charge of the affairs of the Division.

2. Composition: The Executive Committee shall consist of the Officers of the Division, the Division Councilor, six Members-at-Large elected to staggered two-year terms, and an Early Career member. The Early Career member shall be chosen in the same way as Members-at-Large. The nominees shall be at the post-doctoral level, within six years of completing their PhD, not a student or tenure-track or tenured faculty member (the equivalent definitions for positions at national laboratories and industry apply.) They shall have a term of one year and can serve for two, not necessarily consecutive, terms. If the Early Career member changes their employment status (including but not limited to promotion), they shall be allowed to finish their term.

3. Executive Committee Meetings: The Executive Committee shall meet at least twice each year. One meeting shall be held during the Regular Meeting of the Division, and the other at a time spaced appropriately between Regular Meetings. Any member of the Executive Committee unable to attend a meeting may name a non-voting alternate who is a current member of the Division in good standing, subject to the approval of the Chair, to represent them at the meeting. Executive Committee members will be offered the opportunity to join in-person meetings virtually if they are unable to physically attend a meeting.  A majority of the voting members, including at least three Officers, shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE VI - OFFICERS AND DIVISION COUNCILOR

1. Officers: The officers of the Division shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Vice Chair, a Secretary/Treasurer, and the most recent Past Chair.

2. Duties of the Chair: The Chair shall have overall responsibility for the operations of the Division. The Chair shall call all meetings of the Executive Committee and shall preside at all those meetings at which their attendance is possible. The Chair, in collaboration with the Secretary/Treasurer, will prepare the agenda of the Executive Committee meetings and any Business Session of the Regular Meeting of the Division.  The Chair shall appoint any committees, other than the Executive Committee and the Program Committee, which are necessary to conduct the affairs of the Division and shall be an ex officio member of each such committee except the Nominating Committee.

3. Duties of the Chair-Elect: The Chair-Elect may act for the Chair at their request and shall act for the Chair in the event that the latter is unable to perform their duties. The Chair-Elect shall serve as Chair of the Program Committee and appoint the members of the Program Committee for the meetings at which they will serve as Chair-Elect at the beginning of the meeting.

4. Duties of the Vice Chair: The Vice Chair shall act in place of the Chair-Elect if the latter is unable to perform their duties.

5. Duties of the Past Chair: The Past Chair shall chair the Mentoring Award Committee; serve on the Program Committee and Distinguished Service Award Committee; and take on other assignments at the direction of the Chair.

6. Duties of the Secretary/Treasurer: The Secretary/Treasurer shall send out necessary notices and announcements to the members of the Executive Committee, the Program Committee and to members of the Division. The Secretary/Treasurer shall notify all members of the meetings of the Division at least nine weeks prior to the date of each meeting and shall assist the Program Committee with arrangements for the meeting and for publication of the program. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare minutes of each meeting of the Executive Committee and submit these minutes to each member of the committee, and to the Corporate Secretary of the Society within two weeks after the meeting. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare minutes of each Program Committee meeting and submit these minutes to each member of the Program Committee within six weeks after the meeting. The Secretary/Treasurer, in collaboration with the Chair, will prepare the agenda of the Executive Committee meetings and any Business Session of the Regular Meeting of the Division.

   The Secretary/Treasurer shall have responsibility for all funds in the custody, or placed a the disposal of the Division and shall, in coordination with the Chair, make disbursements from such funds in a manner that is consistent with the general policies of the Society and the Division. The Secretary/Treasurer shall present a financial report at each meeting of the Executive Committee and, when requested by the Chair, at the annual Business Meeting of the Division.

7. Duties of the Division Councilor: The Division Councilor shall serve as liaison between the Council of the Society and the Executive Committee of the Division. Following each Council meeting, the Division Councilor shall report to the Chair and the Secretary/Treasurer regarding Council actions that affect the status and operations of the Division. Reports shall be made to the entire Executive Committee during their regularly scheduled meetings. The Division Councilor shall, in coordination with the Chair and the Secretary/Treasurer, report the activities and needs of the Division to the Council.

ARTICLE VII - ELECTION AND TENURE OF THE OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND DIVISION COUNCILOR

1. Qualifications: Officers, Division Councilor, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee must be members of the Division for at least two years prior to nomination.

2. Ballot: The Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, Division Councilor, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall be elected by ballot as hereinafter provided.

3. Nomination and Election of the Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, and Executive Committee Members: Each year a Vice Chair and an Early Career Member shall be elected for a one-year term and three Members-at-Large shall be elected for two-year terms on the Executive Committee. During the final year of the current Division Councilor, the Nominating Committee shall also nominate at least two candidates for election for the open Council position. In years when there is an election for Secretary/Treasurer, the Nominating Committee shall also nominate at least two candidates for Secretary/Treasurer.

   Not later than twenty weeks before each Regular Meeting of the Division, the Secretary/Treasurer shall invite all members of the Division to suggest candidates for officers and members of the Executive Committee for the following year. Any qualified member proposed as a candidate by not less than two percent of the total Division membership shall be deemed to have been nominated.

   Not later than sixteen weeks before each Regular Meeting, the Nominating Committee shall submit to the Secretary/Treasurer nominations of at least two candidates for Vice Chair, at least two candidates for each Member-at-Large position to be filled on the Executive Committee, and at least two candidates for the Early Career member as well as at least two candidates for Secretary/Treasurer and Division Councilor in years when elections will take place for those offices. The Nominating Committee shall consult with the Chair before submitting the name of any candidate for a consecutive term. The Early Career member nominees will run against each other, not against other candidates for the Member-at-Large positions.

   The Secretary/Treasurer of the Division shall administer the election electronically or by mail not later than twelve weeks before the Regular Meeting. The results shall be verified by the Chair or by a process determined by the Executive Committee. The election shall be open for member voting not less than four weeks. Election shall be determined by plurality of those voting. In the event of a tie, the Executive Committee shall decide the election, with the Chair voting only in the case of a tie among the other Executive Committee members.

   Not later than one week before the Regular Meeting, the Chair shall report to the Corporate Secretary of the Society the results of the election, and the Secretary/Treasurer shall publish these results in a manner designated for official announcements.

4. Official Year: The official year of the Division shall extend from the close of the meeting at which terms of new officers begin, to the close of the next such meeting.

5. Vice Chair, Chair-Elect, Chair, and Past Chair: The member elected as Vice Chair shall serve in that office for one year, then for one year as Chair-Elect, then for one year as Chair and the final year as Past Chair. The Past Chair shall not be eligible for the office of Vice Chair in the year following their term of office.

6. Terms of Office: The terms of the Officers and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall begin at the close of the Regular Meeting of the Division following their election. The tenure of a Member-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall terminate in the event of their assumption of a post as an elected Officer of the Division, and the unexpired portion of their term shall be filled as hereinafter provided for a vacancy.

   The term of the Division Councilor shall begin at the beginning of the calendar year following their election. The Division Councilor shall serve for a term of four years and may not serve more than two consecutive terms unless otherwise specified by the Council.

   The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve for a term of three years. If no other candidate accepts a nomination, the service can be extended by at most one additional three-year term without an election by decision of the full Executive Committee. Additional terms are allowed only following an election including at least two candidates.

7. Vacancies in Offices: If a vacancy occurs in the office of the Chair, the Chair-Elect shall succeed and complete the term and shall serve as the Chair also in the following year. The Vice Chair shall serve simultaneously as Chair-Elect during the remainder of the term and shall continue to serve as Chair-Elect in the following term.

   If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair-Elect, the Vice Chair shall become Chair-Elect. In this case, and also if the office of Vice Chair becomes vacant for other reasons, the office of Vice Chair shall remain vacant for the remainder of the term. In the next scheduled election, candidates for both Chair-Elect and Vice Chair shall be nominated.

   Vacancies in any other elected office shall be filled (or left unfilled) by the Executive Committee until such time as the vacancy can be filled by regular election procedures. If left unfilled, the duties of that office may be assigned to one or more other individuals by the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VIII - APPOINTED COMMITTEES

1. Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee shall consist of four members appointed by the Chair to staggered two-year terms and one member appointed by the APS for a one-year term. The Secretary/Treasurer at the direction of the Chair shall ascertain through the Corporate Secretary of the Society the identity of this member. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a slate of candidates for the positions of Vice Chair, Secretary/Treasurer, Councilor, and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee according to Article VII.3 of these Bylaws.

2. Program Committee: The Program Committee shall consist of the Chair, the Chair-Elect, the Vice Chair, the Secretary/Treasurer, the Past Chair, and a minimum of ten at-large members to staggered two-year terms. The Officer who will serve as Chair-Elect at the beginning of the meeting shall serve as Chair of the Program Committee to organize that meeting and appoint the members. Terms of Program Committee members shall begin two months prior to the beginning of the term of the incoming Chair.

   The Program Committee shall have the responsibility of assisting the Director of Meetings for the Society or their designee in arranging the meetings of the Society. This activity shall include the scheduling of contributed papers within the area of interest of the Division, as well as the arranging, in cooperation with the Director of Meetings for the Society or designate, of symposia and sessions of invited papers sponsored by the Division.

   For meetings of the Division, including the Regular Meeting, the Program Committee shall be responsible for the solicitation and selection of invited and review papers and, in collaboration with the Executive Committee, shall be responsible for the arrangement of the programs of such meetings.

3. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee: The DEI Committee shall consist of a Chair, Vice Chair, and Past Chair and at least six other members, serving staggered, two-year terms. The Vice Chair is appointed annually by the DEI Committee membership from amongst the committee members and serves in that office for one (1) year, then as Chair for one (1) year, then as Past Chair for one (1) year.  All committee members are appointed by the DNP Chair and approved by the DNP Executive Committee, in consultation with the DNP Allies Program Chair. The DNP Allies Program Chair is appointed every three years by the DNP Chair. All committee members shall undergo annual DEI training. The members shall include a member of the DNP Executive Committee, the Chair of the DNP Allies Program, at least three senior scientists with a record in DEI activities, and at least one early career scientist, one graduate student representative, and one undergraduate student representative. The undergraduate can serve a one or two-year term, as appropriate. 

   The committee shall undertake activities related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the DNP as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee in consultation with the members of the DEI Committee, including the DNP Allies Program.

4. Education Committee: The Education Committee shall consist of a Chair and at least seven other members serving staggered, two-year terms, appointed by the Chair in consultation with the Executive Committee. The members shall include a member of the DNP Executive Committee, the Director of the Conference Experience for Undergraduates (CEU) Program, one graduate student representative, one undergraduate representative, and at least three other scientists with a record in educational activities. The Director of the Conference Experience for Undergraduates (CEU) Program, for the period that the agency grant shall exist to support this activity, shall be a member of the committee. The Chair should aim to appoint members of the Education Committee who collectively have expertise in the education of undergraduate, graduate, postdoc, and traditionally underrepresented populations as well as outreach to the broader population. The Education Committee membership should include representation from a national laboratory, have expertise in tracking students, and be as diverse as possible.

   The Education Committee shall undertake activities related to the education of young scientists in nuclear physics, as deemed necessary by the DNP Executive Committee, in consultation with the members of the Education Committee.

5. The National Nuclear Physics Summer School Steering Committee: For the period that the agency grant shall exist to support this activity, the committee shall consist of eight members of the Division, four experimentalists and four theorists, appointed by the Chair of the Division in consultation with the Executive Committee to staggered four-year terms. The holder of the grant, which supports the operation of the summer school, shall be a ninth member of the committee. The terms of the new appointees will begin in January.

6. Fellowship Committee: The membership of the Fellowship Committee shall consist of a Chair, a Vice Chair, and four other members appointed by the Division Chair, upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, to staggered two-year terms. The Vice Chair shall be appointed by the Division Chair, upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, and shall serve one year as Vice Chair, followed by one year as Chair.  The committee shall promote the nomination of candidates for Fellowship, shall review the qualifications of such candidates, and shall report its recommendations to the Executive Committee for approval before submission is made to the Honors Program Manager of the Society.

7. Distinguished Service Award Committee: The membership of the Distinguished Service Award Committee shall consist of the Division Chair, who shall serve as Chair of the committee; the Division Chair-Elect, who shall serve as Vice Chair of the committee; and the Division’s Vice Chair, Past Chair and Secretary/Treasurer, serving at the time that the call for nominations is made. 

8. Dissertation Award Committee: The membership of the Dissertation Award Committee shall consist of a Chair, a Vice Chair, and four other members appointed by the Division Chair, upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, to staggered two-year terms. The Vice Chair shall be appointed by the Division Chair, upon recommendation of the Executive Committee, and shall serve one year as Vice chair, followed by one year as Chair.

9. Mentoring Award Committee: The membership of the Mentoring Award Committee shall consist of the Division Past Chair, who shall serve as Chair of the committee; the Division Chair, who shall serve as Vice Chair of the committee; and three members appointed by the Chair of the Division, in consultation with the Executive Committee, to one-year terms.  

10. Bethe Prize Committee: The Bethe Prize Committee shall consist of at least six members, three from the Division of Astrophysics (DAP) and three from the Division of Nuclear Physics (DNP). The DNP members shall be nominated by the Executive Committee and appointed according to Society policies to staggered two-year terms. Each year, each Division shall nominate one new member for appointment.  In alternate years, the DAP or DNP shall nominate an additional member for appointment who will serve as Vice Chair of the committee, and this member will chair the committee the following year.

11. Bonner Prize Committee: The Bonner Prize Committee shall consist of at least six members of the Division, nominated by the Executive Committee and appointed according to Society policies to staggered two-year terms. One of the newly appointed members shall be designated to serve as Vice Chair of the committee, and this member shall Chair the committee the following year.

12. Feshbach Prize Committee: The Feshbach Prize Committee shall consist of at least six members of the Division, nominated by the Executive Committee and appointed according to Society policies to staggered two-year terms. One of the newly appointed members shall be designated to serve as Vice Chair of the committee and this member shall chair the committee the following year.

13. Freedman Award Committee: The Freedman Award Committee shall consist of at least six members of the Division, nominated by the Executive Committee and appointed according to Society policies to staggered two-year terms. One of the newly appointed members shall be designated to serve as Vice Chair of the committee and this member shall chair the committee the following year.

14. Terms of Office of Appointed Committee Members: The terms of committee members appointed or recommended by an incoming Chair shall commence at the beginning of the period in which they assume office, unless otherwise specified in the Bylaws establishing the appointed committee.

15. Ad Hoc Committees: The Chair shall appoint other ad hoc committees as necessary, which shall serve only during their term as Chair.

16. Honors Policies & Procedures:  All APS Society and APS Unit Honors, including prizes, awards, and fellowship, and the selection committees established to determine recipients of these honors are overseen by the Council and governed by a set of honors policies & procedures.  All committee members involved with the selection of recipients for honors should make themselves familiar with and follow the Council-approved policies & procedures, including rules related to limits, canvassing, promotion, reporting, nominations, committee composition, committee onboarding, and conflict of interest.

ARTICLE IX - MEETINGS

1. Regular Meeting. A meeting of the Division to be known as the Regular Meeting shall be held each year at such time and place as shall be ordered by the Executive Committee, subject to coordination with the Director of Meetings for the Society. Whenever it shall be feasible, and not to the disadvantage of the members of the Division, the Executive Committee may order this or any other meeting to be held jointly with a Meeting of the Society.

2. Annual Business Session. Each year the Division shall hold a Business Session that shall be part of the Regular Meeting. This Business Session shall be devoted to the reports of officers and committees, election results, items of interest to Division members, and to the transaction of business affairs. No scientific program shall be presented simultaneously with the Business Session. A majority vote of those Division members present at the Business Session shall be sufficient for approval of actions. The Secretary/Treasurer shall notify the Division members of the time and location for the Business Session no later than three weeks prior to that session.

3. Other Meetings. Meetings of the Division, other than the Regular Meeting, may be scheduled by the Executive Committee, subject to coordination with the Director of Meetings of the Society. Special conferences may be sponsored in whole or in part by the Division, subject to the rules and regulations specified in the Society Constitution and Bylaws and associated Policies and Procedures.

4. Papers at Meetings. Programs of meetings of the Division may provide for the inclusion of both invited and contributed papers. When a meeting of the Division is held in conjunction with a meeting of the Society, the rules of the Society shall apply to submitted papers. When a meeting of the Division is not held in conjunction with a meeting of the Society, eth Executive Committee shall prescribe the subject and character of the meeting, which may include limitations on the subject matter of submitted papers.

   The Secretary/Treasurer shall fix the deadline date for receipt of titles and abstracts, in consultation with the Director of Meetings of the Society and shall designate the place to which they should be sent. The amount of time to be allowed for the presentation of a paper at the Regular Meeting shall be determined by the Program Committee, except as otherwise directed by the Executive Committee. These allotments of time shall be consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Society and associated Policies and Procedures.

ARTICLE X - DUES

Dues for maintenance of membership in the Division shall be established by the Board of the Society.

ARTICLE XI - OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

Official announcements shall be made in appropriate publications of the American Physical Society, such as on the Division website, in the APS News (at the discretion of the APS News Editor), in the Division Newsletter, and in such other publications as the Executive Committee may direct.

ARTICLE XII - PROCEDURE FOR AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

Proposal of an Amendment to these bylaws may be made by the Council of the Society, by the Society Governance Committee, by the Executive Committee, or by a petition to the Chair signed by not less than ten percent of the members of the Division. However, an Amendment is initiated, it must be reviewed by the Society Governance Committee and approved by Council before further action can be taken. Following Council approval, the Secretary/Treasurer shall distribute copies of the proposed amendment to all members of the Division not less than three weeks before the Regular Meeting, and opportunity shall be given for discussion during the Business Session. The Secretary/Treasurer shall incorporate a vote of the Division membership on the Amendment in the next regular election. Adoption of the Amendment shall require the affirmative votes of not less than two-thirds of the members voting.