Awards criteria

Rules and regulations for running the PASPCR

In addition to the Bylaws, the following are rules and regulations for running the society. This includes how to be nominated for consideration for Society awards.

Rule I: Amendments to the Bylaws

Amendments to the Bylaws may be initiated by a vote of 2/3 of the Council or may be proposed to the Council in writing by any member with the written support of three (3) other members. In the latter case, the Secretary-Treasurer, will transmit the proposed amendment to a committee of three members of the Council selected by the President. This committee shall convene promptly and report, usually within six (6) weeks from the start of its deliberations, its recommendation for endorsement, revision or disapproval of the proposed amendment. The committee’s final recommendation will be reviewed from the entire Council with a favorable vote of 2/3 of its members required for endorsement of the proposed change in the Bylaws. The sponsors of an amendment that fails to gain endorsement may, in writing, request the Council to reconsider their unaltered proposal based on new clarifying information. The second vote of the Council on a proposed change in the Bylaws shall be final. Amendments revised and resubmitted following disapproval by the Council shall be considered new proposals and reviewed accordingly. All proposed amendments to the Bylaws initiated by the Council or endorsed by it will be transmitted for consideration to the general membership. As an alternative procedure, a proposed change in the Bylaws may be submitted to the Council by petition of one-tenth of the total active membership and will be transmitted directly to the general membership for its consideration. Each proposed amendment to the Bylaws distributed to the general membership will be accompanied by commentary/recommendations from the Council. Sponsors of an amendment other thn the Council shall have the option of providing a similar statement for distribution. Voting by the membership will take place at an annual or special meeting of the Society (See Article X, Section 10.01 of the Bylaws) if it falls within six (6) months of the date that a proposed amendment to the Bylaws is received by the Secretary-Treasurer from either the Council or one-tenth of the total active general membership. If not, voting on the amendment will be carried out by a ballot mailed to each active member of the Society by the Secretary-Treasurer. In either case, approval by two-thirds (2/3) of the members voting will be required for adoption of the proposed amendment.

Rule II: Travel Awards

Travel awards will be provided for each annual meeting. No a priori limit will be placed on the amount or number of PASPCR sponsored travel awards distributed to support meeting attendance. For each meeting, the individual amount and maximum number of travel awards will be recommended by the PASPCR Secretary-Treasurer after reviewing available funds, and agreed upon by PASPCR Council vote.

The criteria for receiving a travel award will be as follows:

1. Must be a member of the PASPCR.

2. Must be included as an author on an abstract submitted for the meeting.

3. Must be in one of the following three groups:

(a) Graduate Student

(b) Postdoctoral fellow

4. Must not hold terminal doctoral degree for more than 5 years.

Rule III: Schedule for Elections

The Nominating Committee will start the nominating process for officers and council positions in the spring, and the vote will be held in the fall of each year. The starting date for new officers and council members will be January 1 of the next calendar year.

Rule IV: Young Investigator Awards

The PASPCR will establish three young investigator awards to include a plaque and $250. These awards will be given at the annual meeting of the PASPCR. Guidelines of the awards will suggest that one award be given for each of the three categories: pre-doctoral student, post-doctoral fellow and a young faculty person.

To facilitate the selection of the Young Investigator Awards for each annual meeting:

1. A notice of Young Investigator Awards will be included in the call for abstracts for the annual meeting.

2. Nominations for an award will be made at the time of abstract submission. Candidates will submit a letter of nomination from their departmental

chairman and a curriculum vitae with a copy of their abstract.

3. Nominees must present their abstract at the annual meeting to be eligible for an award.

4. Selection of awardees will be made by an anonymous committee appointed annually by the Secretary-Treasurer.

Eligibility is limited to those individuals who have been nominated.

5. The Young Investigator Awards will be announced at the Membership Business Meeting of the PASPCR held during the annual meeting.

Rule V: IFPCS Council Membership

Representation of PASPCR on the IFPCS Council will include the PASPCR President and PASPCR Secretary-Treasurer as stipulated in IFPCS Article IV, “Council of Federation”, Section 4.2. The PASPCR member-at-large will be proposed by the President, PASPCR, with input from the PASPCR Awards & Nominations Committee, and approved by majority vote of the PASPCR Council. The President has the authority to appoint the alternate to the member-at-large to the IFPCS Council with the recommendation that the President select the President-Elect, a member of the council or a member-at-large as seems appropriate for the situation at the time.

Rule VI: Honorary Members

Honorary Members will be elected as follows:

1. The honorary members will be nominated and elected by the PASPCR Council.

2. The elected honorary member should be invited to attend the subsequent meeting of the PASPCR to personally accept the honorary membership award.

3. The Society should present a plaque or other suitable memento at the meeting or send it to that member after the meeting if he/she is unable or

declines to attend.

4. A photograph and a brief summary of the honorary member’s achievements in pigment biology should be published in Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research.

Rule VII: PanAmerican Society for Pigment Cell Research - Career Achievement Award

The Council approves the establishment of the PanAmerican Society for Pigment Cell Research Career Achievement Award, which is the Society’s most prestigious award, to be given to an individual(s) for outstanding and distinguished contributions to pigment cell research and/or the Society. The receipt of the award and the unique medal without a monetary honorarium are to be considered to be recognition of the distinction achieved by the accomplishments of the recipient’s career by membership at large and the officers.

The award and its method of selection are as follows:

1. The name of the award will be the PanAmerican Society for Pigment Cell Research Career Achievement Award.

2. The recipient will be a senior investigator generally with an academic rank of professor or its equivalent for those in industry or government service.

3. The recipient shall be a member of the society except in those very rare situations in which an individual in another discipline makes such

discoveries and contributions that the field of pigment cell research clearly advances to the benefit of all investigators.

4. The Society shall have a special plaque designed that is unique to this award and upon which are inscribed the name of the Society; the logo of the

Society; the name of the award; the name of the awardee; and the year in which it was presented along with any other appropriate information.

5. The award will be present at the annual meeting of the Society.

6. The Nominating Committee of the Society shall initiate immediately following each annual meeting the preparation of a slate of three candidates

with a short statement indicating the reason for nomination of each, which will be presented to the Council no later than January of the following

calendar year. This slate is confidential information for the committee and Council only.

7. Additional nominations may be made from the membership at large. Such nominations will require that five members at large write letters of support

for the nominee, and each letter must indicate the reason for the nomination.

8. The council shall vote by secret ballot for one or several candidates. A majority of votes shall be required for election. If necessary at least the two

candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be voted on by a second secret ballot.

9. In general only one such award will be given per year except in rare instances where two or more individuals have worked as a team or made such

outstanding accomplishments to be deserving equally of the award. It is not required that an award be given annually.

Rule VIII: PASPCR Special Lectureship

The Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. has generously provided support for a special lectureship for the annual meeting of the PanAmerican Society for Pigment Cell Research. The award is intended to acknowledge outstanding contributors to the field of pigment cell research.

1. The lecture shall be known as follows: The Aaron B. Lerner/PASPCR Special Lectureship sponsored by the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies,

Incorporated.

2. A Selection Committee consisting of the officers of the PASPCR, the PASPCR Nominations Committee, a representative of the Johnson & Johnson

Consumer Companies, Inc., and the organizer(s) of the next PASPCR annual meeting will be responsible for selection of the lecturer.

3. The lecturer will be an active and outstanding researcher who is currently making a significant impact on the field of pigment cell research.

4. The lecturer does not need to be a member of the PASPCR or any other pigment cell society.

5. Each lecturer will be given a plaque of recognition following presentation of his/her lecture at the annual meeting.

6. An officer of the PASPCR and a representative of the Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies, Inc. will present the plaque to the lecturer and will

deliver to the membership in attendance a synopsis of the accomplishments of the lecturer that lead to his/her selection for this honor.

7. An annual amount of $5000 is being provided by J&J. Allocation of this amount is as follows [1] a $1000 honorarium for the speaker, [2] travel,

lodging and registration for the speaker, and [3] any remaining amount be allocated to meeting expenses.

Rule IX: Guidelines for PASPCR Sponsorship of Outside Scientific Meetings

The PASPCR is willing to sponsor and promote scientific meetings outside of its annual meeting and the International Pigment Cell Conference, provided that the organizers of such meetings petition the PASPCR Council for such sponsorship well in advance of the meeting and are able to supply the following evidence as a minimum:

1. That the meeting under consideration is in full accordance with the aims and scope of the PASPCR and that it is intended to foster scientific goals.

2. That the meeting is a bona fide scientific meeting with an independent program committee composed of qualified scientists in the appropriate

disciplines.

3. That the meeting will be held at a satisfactory venue and date and that it is not in competition with other PASPCR sponsored events.

4. That the meeting organizers have sufficient financial resources to host the meeting as planned.

Rule X: Emeritus Membership

Members may apply to the Secretary-Treasurer for Emeritus Membership in the PASPCR.

The stipulations for Emeritus Membership are as follows:

1. A member is eligible for Emeritus Membership if he/she is fully retired and was an active regular member of the PASPCR for the preceding five years.

2. Application must be submitted to and approved by the Council.

3. Emeritus Members will have full voting rights and will be eligible for elected office and the various appropriate PASPCR awards.

4. Emeritus Members will pay annual dues that represent 25% of the regular annual dues.

Rule XI: Tie Vote in Election

In the event of a tie vote for election of an officer or a council member, the members of the Council at the time of the election will vote by written ballot to resolve the tie. The ballots will be prepared, distributed and counted by the secretary.

Rule XII: Standing Committees

Membership of Standing Committees of the Council, as specified in Article IV, Section 4.07-e, shall consist of three members of the Council, representing at a minimum two different Council terms, initially appointed by the President; and two members of the Society at large, initially appointed by the President. The Secretary/Treasurer shall verify that the appointees are members in good standing both for the current and for the prior membership year. Following constitution of the Committee by the current President, the outgoing President shall appoint two new Council members and one new member-at-large for the Standing Committee(s). The current President shall appoint the other new Council member and the other member-at-large at the midpoint of the President’s term. The term of service on each Standing Committee of the Council shall be limited to three years.

Rule XIII: The Medrano Young Investigator Award

The selection of the Medrano Young Investigator Award will be by a three member committee, the ‘Medrano Award Committee’. This committee shall be distinct from the PASPCR Awards & Nominations Committee. Members of the Medrano Award Committee will be appointed by the PASPCR President in accordance with Article V, Section 5.03 of the PASPCR By-Laws. Members have no fixed term and their continued service is at the discretion of the PASPCR President. Candidates eligible for the Medrano Young Investigator Award are early career scientists, within twelve years of their terminal doctoral degree. The Medrano Young Investigator Award shall be associated with each domestic PASPCR Meeting. There is no requirement to name a Medrano Young Investigator Award during years when there is no domestic PASPCR meeting, but a Medrano Young Investigator awardee may be named during these years following a majority vote of the PASPCR Council.

The selection process for the Medrano Young Investigator Award shall be as follows:

1. Candidates for the award will self-identify candidate status on meeting abstract submission form and submit an NIH biosketch to the PASPCR secretary/treasurer.

2. Members of the Medrano Award Committee will confirm applicant eligibility. Members of the Medrano Award Committee will evaluate and rank abstracts submitted by eligible investigator prior to the PASPCR meeting.

3. Members of the Medrano Award Committee will score candidates independently based upon their meeting presentation and career potential in pigment cell biology, then utilize the Hare System of Proportional Representation to determine the candidate with the highest score.

4. The recipient of the Medrano Young Investigator Award will be announced after departure from the PASPCR meeting to the PASPCR membership using appropriate Society communication methods.

5. The Medrano Young Investigator Award shall consist of:

(a) Recognition of the awardee on the PASPCR website.

(b) A plaque, certificate, or official Society letter of congratulations.

(d) Reimbursement of registration fee for either the current or the subsequent domestic PASPCR meeting.