Members should note that these Rules are at all times to be read
subject to the Associations Incorporation Act (Victoria) 1981 and the
Regulations thereto, as amended from time to time.
NAME
The name of the incorporated association is The National
Association of Research Fellows of NHMRC Incorporated (in these rules
called "the Association").
INTERPRETATION
(1) In these rules, unless the contrary intention
appears:-
"Association" means the incorporated association.
"Committee" means the committee of management of the
Association.
"Member" means a member of the Association.
"Ordinary Member of the Committee" means a State or
Territory Representative elected as provided in Rule 26.
"General Meeting" means a general meeting of members
convened in accordance with Rule 12.
"Financial Year" means the year ending on 30 June.
"Calendar Year" means the year ending on 31 December.
"The Act" means the Associations Incorporation
Act(Victoria) 1981, as amended from time to time.
"The Regulations" means Regulations under the Act.
"The Unincorporated Association" means the
unincorporated National Association of Research Fellows of NHMRC.
"NHMRC" means the National Health and Medical Research
Council of Australia.
(2) In these Rules, a reference to the Secretary of an
Association is a reference:-
(a) where a person holds office under these Rules as
Secretary of the Association - to that person; and
(b) in any other case, to the Public Officer of the
Association.
(3) Words or expressions contained in these Rules shall be
interpreted in accordance with the provisions of the Interpretation
of Legislation Act (Victoria) 1984 and the Act as in force from time to
time.
OBJECTS OF THE ASSOCIATION
The objects of the Association are:-
(1) To promote the professional interests of, and
communication between, appointees to the Research Fellowships Schemes of
NHMRC.
(2) To promote the study and application of health and medical
research in all its aspects.
(3) To uphold the highest principles of practice and ethics
in biomedical research.
MEMBERSHIP
(1) There shall be various grades of membership:
(a) Ordinary Membership. This is by subscription,
and is open to all persons who hold an appointment to any one of the Research
Fellowships Schemes of NHMRC, and who are admitted to ordinary membership
pursuant to these Rules.
(b) Associate Membership. This is by subscription,
and is open to all persons interested in the Objects of the Association and
who are admitted to associate membership pursuant to these Rules. Associate
members shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of ordinary membership
excepting that they do not have voting rights and may not hold office as
provided in Rule 25(1)(a) and (b).
(c) Honorary Membership. The Committee may elect to
honorary membership any person who, in its opinion, has rendered distinguished
service to any of the Objects of the Association. Honorary members shall
enjoy all the right and privileges of ordinary membership, excepting
that they do not have voting rights and may not hold office as provided
in Rule 25(1)(a) and (b). Honorary members shall not be required to pay
entrance fees or annual subscription fees. At the discretion of the
Committee, honorary membership may be conferred for a period or for life.
(d) Such other grades of membership as may be
provided for in these Rules.
(2) The entrance fees, annual subscription fees and voting rights
applicable to each grade of membership may differ.
All persons who are members of the unincorporated association shall
automatically be members of the Association upon its incorporation.
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP
(1) A natural person who is approved for membership as provided in
these Rules is eligible to be a member of the Association on payment of
the entrance fee and annual subscription payable under these Rules.
(2) A person who is not a member of the unincorporated association at
the time of the incorporation of the Association (or who was such a member
at that time but has ceased to be a member) shall not be admitted to
membership unless his or her admission as a member is approved by the
Committee.
(3) An application of a person for membership of the Association:-
(a) shall be made in writing in the form set out in
Appendix 1; and
(b) shall be accompanied by the sum payable under
these Rules as the entrance fee and the first year's annual subscription;
and
(c) shall be lodged with the Treasurer/Registrar of
the Association.
(4) As soon as is practicable after the receipt of an application, the
Treasurer/Registrar shall refer the application to the Committee.
(5) Upon the application being referred to the Committee, the
Committee shall determine whether to approve or to reject the application.
(6) Upon an application being approved by the Committee, the
Treasurer/Registrar shall notify the applicant in writing that he or she
is approved for membership of the Association, and shall enter the
applicant's name in the register of members kept by him or her. Upon the
name being so entered, the applicant becomes a member of the Association.
(7) In the event of the Committee rejecting the application, the
applicant shall have the right of appeal by notice in writing to the
Committee. Upon receipt of such notice the Committee shall cause the
allowance or rejection of the application to be determined at the next
general meeting of the Association.
(8) In the event of an application for membership being rejected
pursuant to these Rules, all moneys tendered by the applicant as set out
in sub-clause (3)(b) shall be refunded to the applicant forthwith.
(9) A right, privilege or obligation of a person by reason of his
or her membership of the Association:-
(a) is not capable of being transferred or
transmitted to another person; and
(b) terminates upon the cessation of his or her
membership whether by death or resignation or otherwise.
ENTRANCE FEE AND ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION
(1) The entrance fee will be decided upon from time to time at a
general meeting.
(2) The annual subscription will be decided upon from time to time
at a general meeting. The annual subscription falls due on the 1st day of
January and is payable by the 30th day of June in each year.
REGISTER OF MEMBERS
The Treasurer/Registrar shall keep and maintain a register of members
in which shall be entered the full name, address, telecommunications numbers,
current appointment in the Research Fellowships Schemes of NHMRC (ordinary
members) or other professional appointment (associate and honorary members),
discipline of biomedical research, and date of entry of the name of each
member. The register shall be available for inspection by members upon
reasonable notice being given to the Treasurer/Registrar.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
(1) The Association shall in each calendar year convene an Annual
General Meeting of its members.
(2) The Annual General Meeting shall be held on such day as the
Committee determines.
(3) The Annual General Meeting shall be specified as such in the
notice convening it.
(4) The ordinary business of the Annual General Meeting shall
be:-
(a) to confirm the minutes of the last preceding
Annual General Meeting and of any general meeting held since that meeting;
and
(b) to receive from the Committee reports upon the
transactions of the Association since the last preceding Annual General
Meeting; and
(c) to receive and consider the financial statement
submitted by the Association in accordance with Section 30(3) of the Act;
and
(d) to set the entrance fee and annual subscription
fee, providing these have not already been set at a general meeting;
and
(e) to take decisions on how best to pursue the
objects of the Association.
(5) The Annual General Meeting shall be in addition to any other
general meetings that may be held in the same year.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
All general meetings other than the Annual General Meeting shall be
called special general meetings.
(1) The Committee may, whenever it thinks fit, convene a special
general meeting of the Association and, where, but for this sub-clause, more
than 15 months would elapse between Annual General Meetings, shall convene
a special general meeting before the expiration of that period.
(2) The Committee shall, on the requisition in writing of ordinary
members representing not less than 5% of the total number of ordinary members,
convene a special general meeting of the Association.
(3) The requisition for a special general meeting shall state the
objects of the meeting and shall be signed by the members making the
requisition and be sent to the address of the Secretary and may consist of
several documents in a like form, each signed by one or more of the members
making the requisition.
(4) If the Committee does not cause a special general meeting to
be held within 6 weeks after the date on which the requisition was sent to
the address of the Secretary, the members making the requisition, or any of
them, may convene a special general meeting to be held not later than 3
months after that date.
(5) A special general meeting convened by members in pursuance of
these Rules shall be convened in the same manner as nearly as possible as
that in which those meetings are convened by the Committee and all reasonable
expenses incurred in convening the meeting shall be refunded by the
Association to the person incurring the expenses.
NOTICE OF MEETING
(1) The Secretary of the Association shall, at least 21 days
before the date fixed for holding a general meeting of the Association,
cause to be sent to each member of the Association at his or her address
appearing in the register of members, a notice by pre-paid post stating the
place, date and time of the meeting and the nature of the business to be
transacted at the meeting.
(2) A member desiring to bring any business before a meeting
should give notice of that business in writing to the Secretary, who shall
include that business in the notice calling the next general meeting after
the receipt of the notice.
(3) Any business whatsoever may be discussed and/or transacted
at a general meeting of the Association.
PROCEEDINGS AT MEETINGS
(1) All business that is transacted at a special general
meeting and all business that is transacted at the Annual General Meeting
with the exception of that specially referred to in these Rules as being
the ordinary business of the Annual General Meeting shall be deemed to
be special business.
(2) No item of business shall be transacted at a general meeting
unless a quorum of members entitled under these Rules to vote is present
during the time when the meeting is considering that item.
(3) 12 members personally present (being members entitled under
these Rules to vote at a general meeting) constitute a quorum for the
transaction of the business of a general meeting.
(4) If within half an hour after the appointed time for the
commencement of a general meeting, a quorum is not present, the meeting if
convened upon the requisition of members shall be dissolved and in any
other case shall stand adjourned to the next day at the same place and at
the same time (unless another place and/or time is specified by the Chairman
at the time of the adjournment). If at the adjourned meeting a quorum is not
present within half an hour after the time appointed for the commencement
of the meeting, the members personally present (being not less than 8)
shall be deemed to be a quorum.
(1) The President shall preside as Chairman at each general
meeting of the Association.
(2) If the President is absent from a general meeting, the
members present shall elect one of their number to preside as Chairman at
the meeting.
(1) The Chairman of a general meeting at which a quorum is
present may, with the consent of the meeting, adjourn the meeting from time
to time and place to place, but no business shall be transacted at an
adjourned meeting other than the business left unfinished at the meeting at
which the adjournment took place.
(2) Where a meeting is adjourned for 14 days or more, a like
notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given as in the case of the
general meeting.
(3) Except as provided in sub-clause (2), it is not necessary to
give notice of an adjournment or of the business to be transacted at an
adjourned meeting.
A question arising at a general meeting of the Association shall be
determined on a show of hands and unless before or on the declaration of
the show of hands a poll is demanded, a declaration by the Chairman that a
resolution has, on a show of hands, been carried or carried unanimously or
carried by a particular majority or lost, and an entry to that effect in
the Minute book of the Association is evidence of the fact, without proof
of the number or proportion of the votes recorded in favour of, or against,
that resolution.
(1) Upon any question arising at a general meeting of the
Association, a member has one vote only.
(2) All votes shall be given personally or by proxy.
(3) In the case of an equality of voting on a question, the
Chairman of the meeting is entitled to exercise a second or casting vote.
(1) If at a meeting a poll on any question is demanded by
not less than three ordinary members, it shall be taken at that meeting in
such manner as the Chairman may direct and the resolution of the poll shall
be deemed to be a resolution of the meeting on that question.
(2) A poll that is demanded on the election of a Chairman or on a
question of an adjournment shall be taken forthwith and a poll that is
demanded on any other question shall be taken at such time before the close
of the meeting as the Chairman may direct.
Upon any question arising at a general meeting of the Association, a
postal vote may be called for, providing the motion to conduct a postal vote
is called for and carried by a majority of members present and is called for
and carried prior to the motion in question being voted on at the meeting.
Subject to these Rules, where the postal vote then takes place, the vote on
the question is decided by a simple majority of the members who vote in the
postal vote.
A member is not entitled to vote at any general meeting or on any
postal ballot unless and until all moneys due and payable by him or her to
the Association have been paid, other than the amount of the annual
subscription payable in respect of the current calendar year.
(1) Each member shall be entitled to appoint another member as
proxy by notice given to the Secretary no later than 24 hours before the
time of the meeting in respect of which the proxy is appointed.
(2) The notice appointing the proxy shall be in the form set out in
Appendix 2.
THE PUBLIC OFFICER
A Public Officer of the Association shall be appointed in accordance
with Part V of the Act. He or she shall be a resident of the State of
Victoria and shall have attained the age of 18 years and have not attained
the age of 72 years. The first Public Officer shall be the person upon
whose application the Association was incorporated under the Act, and shall
be the Representative of the State of Victoria on the Committee of Management
of the Association as specified in Rule 25(1)(b) at the time of the
Incorporation of the Association. Thereafter the Public Officer of the
Association shall be appointed by the Committee in accordance with the Act.
The Public Officer may hold any other office in the Association.
COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT
(1) The affairs of the Association shall be managed by a
Committee of Management constituted as provided in Rules 24 and
25.
(2) The Committee:-
(a) shall control and manage the business and
affairs of the Association;
(b) may, subject to these Rules, the Regulations
and the Act, exercise all such powers and functions as may be exercised by
the Association other than those powers and functions that are required
by these Rules to be exercised by general meetings of the members of the
Association; and
(c) subject to these Rules, the Regulations and the
Act, has power to perform all such acts and things as appear to the Committee
to be essential for the proper management of the business and affairs of the
Association.
MEMBERSHIP OF THE COMMITTEE
The officers of the Association shall be:-
(a) a President; and
(a) the Immediate Past President; and
(b) a Secretary; and
(c) a Treasurer/Registrar.
(1) Subject to Section 23 of the Act, the Committee shall
consist of:-
(a) the officers of the Association; and
(b) the ordinary members of the Committee, being;
one representative of each State of Australia and one representative of
the Northern Territory and one representative of the Australian Capital
Territory where such representatives have been elected as set out in
Rule 26; and
(c) the representative of any sub-committee which
was initiated by a direct request of the Committee (including any
sub-committee so initiated by the unincorporated association prior to
incorporation); and
(d) the representative of any association which has
been formally recognized by the Association by virtue of shared interests
(including any associations so recognized by the unincorporated association
prior to incorporation).
(2) In the first instance after the incorporation of the
Association, the persons holding the offices referred to in sub-clauses
(1)(a) and (1)(b) in the unincorporated
association shall be the persons holding those offices in the incorporated
Association, and they shall complete the terms of office begun in the
unincorporated association. Thereafter these offices shall be filled by
election as set out in these Rules.
(3) The provisions of Rule 26, so far as they are applicable with
the necessary modifications, apply to and in relation to the election of
persons to any of the offices referred to in sub-clauses (1)(a) and
(1)(b) herein.
(4) Each person elected to any one of the offices referred to in
sub-clauses (1)(a) and (1)(b) herein shall hold office until
the second Annual General Meeting after the Annual General Meeting at which
the election was declared, but is eligible for re-election.
(5) Each person newly elected to any one of the offices referred
to in sub-clauses (1)(a) and (1)(b) herein shall take up his
or her office immediately after the Annual General Meeting at which the
election was declared, saving that a person elected to fill a casual
vacancy as set out in sub-clause (6) shall take office immediately.
(6)
(a) In the event of a casual vacancy occurring in
any office referred to in sub-clauses (1)(a) and (1)(b)
herein, which occurs within 6 months of the expiration of the term of
office, the Committee may appoint a replacement from the members of the
Association to the vacant office and the member so appointed may continue
in office for the remainder of the term of office; and the period thereafter
will be filled in the normal manner described in sub-clause (3)
herein.
(b) In the event of a casual vacancy occurring
when the remainder of the term of office is 6 months or more, a special
election shall be held forthwith but in the same manner as set out in
Rule 26.
ELECTION OF COMMITTEE AND VACANCY
(1) Candidates for election as officers of the Association
or State or Territory Representatives must hold ordinary membership in
the Association.
(2) Nominations of candidates for election as officers of the
Association or as State or Territory Representatives:-
(a) shall be made in writing, signed by two members of the
Association and accompanied by the written consent of the candidate (which
may be endorsed on the form of nomination); and
(b) shall be delivered to the Secretary of the Association at
least 6 weeks before the date of a scheduled Annual General Meeting in
respect of which the specified term of office of the incumbent officer of
the Association or State or Territory Representative is expiring.
(3) If insufficient nominations are received to fill all vacancies
on the Committee, the candidates nominated shall be deemed to be elected,
and further nominations shall then be called for the unfilled positions.
(4) If the number of nominations received is equal to the number of
vacancies to be filled, the candidates nominated shall be deemed to be
elected.
(5) If the number of nominations exceeds the number of vacancies
to be filled, a postal ballot shall be held.
(6) A postal ballot for the election of officers of the
Association and State or Territory Representatives shall be conducted, in
such usual and proper manner as the Committee may direct, during the 6 week
period immediately preceding the Annual General Meeting at which the
elections will be declared.
(7) A nomination of a candidate for election under this clause is
not valid if that candidate has been nominated for another office for
election at the same election.
(8) Nomination of and voting for candidates for election as
officers of the Association is open to all ordinary members of the
Association.
(9) Nomination of and voting for candidates for election as State
or Territory Representatives is restricted to ordinary members who are
resident in the relevant State or Territory.
For the purposes of these Rules, the office of an officer of the
Association or of a State or Territory Representative becomes vacant if
the officer or representative:-
(a) ceases to be a member of the Association; or
(b) resigns his or her office by notice in writing
given to the Secretary; or
(c) is removed from office by the Association
pursuant to these Rules.
PROCEEDINGS OF COMMITTEE
(1) The Committee shall meet by personal presence at least
once in each calendar year at such place and such time as the Committee
may determine and/or shall meet at least once in each calendar year by
means of telecommunications conference at such time
as the Committee may determine. For the purposes of these Rules, a
meeting of the Committee by means of telecommunications conference shall
be deemed to be equivalent to a meeting by means of personal presence.
(2) Special meetings of the Committee may be convened by the
President or by any five of the members of the Committee.
(3) Notice shall be given to members of the Committee of any special
meeting specifying the general nature of the business to be transacted. Other
business which is not on the notice paper may be transacted at such a
meeting.
(4) A quorum for meetings of the Committee shall consist of not
less than five members of the Committee, one of whom should be the
President.
(5) No business shall be transacted unless a quorum is present and
if within half an hour of the time appointed for the meeting a quorum is
not present the meeting shall stand adjourned to the same place and at
the same hour of the next day following (unless another time, place and/or
day is specified by the Chairman at the time of the adjournment). However
if the meeting was a special meeting it will lapse.
(6) At meetings of the Committee:-
(a) the President shall preside; or
(b) if the President is absent the Immediate Past President
shall preside.
(7) Questions arising at a meeting of the Committee or of any
sub-committee appointed by the Committee shall be determined on a show of
hands or voices or, if demanded by a member, by a poll taken in such manner
as the person presiding at the meeting may determine.
(8) Each member present at a meeting of the Committee or of any
sub-committee appointed by the Committee (including the person presiding at the
meeting) is entitled to one vote and, in the event of an equality of votes
on any question, the person presiding may exercise a second or casting
vote.
(9) Written notice of each Committee meeting shall be served on each
member of the Committee at a reasonable time being at least two business days
before the date of the meeting.
(10) Subject to sub-clause (4), the Committee may act notwithstanding
any vacancy on the Committee.
SECRETARY
(1) The Secretary of the Association shall keep minutes of the
resolutions and proceedings of each General Meeting and each Committee
meeting in books provided for that purpose together with a record of the
names of persons present at Committee meetings. Such minute books shall
be available for inspection by the members of the Association upon
reasonable notice being given to the Secretary.
(2) The Secretary of the Association may delegate the routine
functions of the office of Secretary to such person or persons as the
Committee deems expedient.
TREASURER/REGISTRAR
(1) The Treasurer/Registrar of the Association:-
(a) shall collect and receive all moneys due to the
Association and make all payments authorized by the Association; and
(b) shall keep correct accounts and books showing
the financial affairs of the Association with full details of all receipts
and expenditure connected with the activities of the Association; and
(c) shall keep and maintain the register of members
of the Association.
(2) The accounts and books referred to in sub-clause (1)
shall be available for inspection by members of the Association upon
reasonable notice being given to the Treasurer/Registrar.
(3) The Treasurer/Registrar of the Association may delegate
the routine functions of the office of Treasurer/Registrar to such person
or persons as the Committee deems expedient.
REMOVAL OF MEMBER OF COMMITTEE
(1) The Association in general meeting may by resolution
remove any member of the Committee before the expiration of his or her
term of office and appoint another member to hold that office until
the expiration of the term of the first-mentioned member.
(2) Where the member to whom a proposed resolution referred to in
sub-clause (1) makes representations in writing to the Secretary or
President of the Association (not exceeding a reasonable length) and
requests that they be notified to the members of the Association, the
Secretary or the President may send a copy of the representations to each
member of the Association or, if they are not so sent, the member may
require that they be read out at the meeting.
RESIGNATION AND EXPULSION OF MEMBER
(1) A member of the Association who has been paid all moneys
due and payable by him or her to the Association may resign from the
Association by first giving four weeks notice in writing to the Secretary
of intention to resign and upon the expiration of that period of notice,
the member shall cease to be a member.
(2) Upon the expiration of a notice given upon sub-clause
(1), the Treasurer/Registrar shall make in the register of members
an entry recording the date on which the member by whom the notice was
given ceased to be a member.
(3) Membership of the Association shall automatically cease upon a
member's subscription becoming more than two years in arrears. The financial
records kept by the Treasurer/Registrar shall, unless and until the
contrary is proved, be deemed to be true and correct with regard to whether
or not a member's subscription has been received by the Association.
(1) Subject to these Rules, the Committee may by
resolution:-
(a) expel a member from the Association; or
(b) suspend a member from membership of the Association
for a specified period;
if the Committee is of the opinion that the member -
(i) has refused or neglected to comply with these
rules; or
(ii) has been guilty of conduct unbecoming a member, or
prejudicial to the interests of the Association.
(2) A resolution of the Committee under sub-clause (1):-
(a) does not take effect unless and until the
Committee at its next meeting after service on the member of a notice
under sub-clause (3) confirms the resolution in accordance with
this clause; and
(b) where the member exercises a right of appeal
to the Association under this clause, does not take effect unless and
until the Association confirms the resolution in accordance with this
clause.
(3) Where the Committee passes a resolution under sub-clause
(1), the Secretary shall cause to be served on the member a notice
in writing:-
(a) setting out the resolution of the Committee
and the grounds on which it is based; and
(b) stating that the member may address the
Committee at its next meeting; and
(c) stating the date, place and time of that
meeting; and
(d) informing the member that he or she may
do one or more of the following:-
(i) attend the meeting;
(ii) give to the Committee before the date of
the meeting a written statement seeking the revocation of the resolution;
(iii) not later than 24 hours before the date of
the meeting, lodge with the Secretary a notice to the effect that he or
she wishes to appeal to the Association against the resolution.
(4) At a meeting of the Committee held in accordance with
sub-clause (2), the Committee:-
(a) shall give to the member an opportunity to
be heard; and
(b) shall give due consideration to any
written statement submitted by the member; and
(c) shall by resolution determine whether to
confirm or to revoke the resolution.
(5) Where the Secretary receives a notice under sub-clause
(3)(d)(iii), he or she shall notify the Committee and place the
matter of the appeal against the resolution on the agenda for such next
general meeting of the Association.
(6) At such next general meeting of the Association:-
(a) the Committee may place before the meeting details
of the grounds for the resolution and the reasons for the passing of the
resolution; and
(b) the member shall be given an opportunity to be
heard and to call such witnesses as is reasonable; and
(c) the members present shall vote by secret ballot
on the question of whether the resolution should be confirmed or revoked.
(7) If at such general meeting:-
(a) at least two-thirds of the members present
vote in person or by proxy in favour of the confirmation of the
resolution, the resolution is confirmed; and
(b) in any other case, the resolution is revoked.
NOTICES
(1) A notice may be served by or on behalf of the Association
upon any member either personally or by sending it by post to the address,
or by facsimile transmission to the telecommunications number, shown in
the Register of Members.
(2) Where a document is properly addressed pre-paid and posted to a
person as a letter, the document shall, unless and until the contrary is
proved, be deemed to have been given to the person at the time at which
the letter would have been delivered in the ordinary course of post.
(3) Where a document is properly addressed and transmitted by
facsimile, the document shall, unless and until he contrary is proved, be
deemed to have been given to the person within two business days from the
time of the transmission.
FUNDS
The funds of the Association shall be derived from membership
entrance fees, annual subscriptions, donations and from such other sources
as the Committee determines.
CHEQUES
All cheques, drafts, bills of exchange, promissory notes and other
negotiable instruments shall be signed by two members of the Committee
who have been authorized by the Committee to sign on its behalf.
COMMON SEAL
(1) The Common Seal of the Association shall be kept in the
custody of the Secretary.
(2) The Common Seal shall not be affixed to any instrument except
by the authority of the Committee and the affixing of the Common Seal shall
be attested by the signatures either of two members of the Committee, or
of one member of the Committee and of the Public Officer of the
Association.
CUSTODY OF RECORDS
Except as otherwise provided in these Rules, the Secretary shall
keep in his or her custody or control all books, documents and securities
of the Association.
ALTERATION OF RULES AND STATEMENT OF PURPOSES
These Rules and the Statement of Purposes of the Association shall
not be altered except in accordance with the Act.
WINDING UP OR CANCELLATION
In the event of the winding up or the cancellation of the
incorporation of the Association, the assets of the Association shall
be disposed of as follows:
The Registrar of Incorporated Associations shall request the Australian
Academy of Science or any successor body thereto, to appoint Trustees
to disburse the assets of the Association as far as possible in keeping
with the objects of the Association.
These comments provide, where appropriate, an explanation of the
intention of the Rules for the National Association of Research Fellows
of NHMRC Incorporated and of the current operation of the Association,
and should be read in conjunction with the Rules. The Rules have
been formulated to provide a blueprint for sound working practices for
NARF without being overly prescriptive (on the basis that NARF will run on
the good sense of its members, rather than by strict adherence to an
inflexible document).
Rule 4 provides for various grades of membership notably ordinary,
associate and honorary members. (Prior to incorporation, associate members
were referred to as honorary members.)
It is noted that the classification of NHMRC Research Scientist will be
terminated by NHMRC by the end of 1993. The criterion for eligibility for
ordinary membership of NARF is simply stated [Rule 4(1)(a)] as
current appointment to any one of the Research Fellowships Schemes
of NHMRC. This umbrella criterion permits NARF to confer eligibility for
ordinary membership to new grades of NHMRC fellowship (as they may be created
by NHMRC from time to time) at a general meeting of NARF, without the
requirement for formal alteration to the Rules. Inclusion of non-NHMRC
research fellows as ordinary members will require formal changes to the
title of the Association and to the Rules governing membership
