Rules of the society

Approved at the General Meeting of December 1988;
Amended at the General Meeting of December 2001;
Amended at the General Meeting of May 2015;
Approved at the Annual General Meeting of July 2021.

This Society shall be called the ‘British Biophysical Society’.
The Society is instituted solely for the advancement of the science of biophysics and of education in this field.
Scientists who are, or have been, engaged in research or teaching connected with biophysics and related subjects, and other persons whose election the Committee shall consider would be in the interests of the Society, shall be eligible for election as Ordinary Members. Acceptance of membership implies agreement to abide by the rules of the Society.
The Committee may recommend for election as Honorary Members persons of distinction in science who have contributed to the advancement of biophysics. Honorary Members shall have all the privileges of Ordinary Members including voting rights, but shall not pay a subscription.
Persons who wish to become Ordinary Members of the Society shall apply via the process outlined on the Society’s webpage. The Committee shall be empowered to accept or reject such applications.
Each Ordinary Member shall pay an annual subscription at such rate as shall from time to time be determined by the Members at a General Meeting. The subscription is payable in advance, and becomes due on 1 January.
Persons studying for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree who possess the qualifications indicated in rule 3 shall be eligible for Student Membership; their election shall be governed by the procedure laid down in rule 5 for Ordinary Members. Student Members shall have all the rights of Ordinary Members. Student Membership shall be automatically convertible to Ordinary Membership on 1 January of the year following that in which the member obtains their degree.
A scientist who has been an Ordinary Member of the Society for more than five years and who retires from full-time employment may apply to the Committee to be elected a Member Emeritus. Such members shall not have voting rights, but shall remain on the mailing list of the Society and be eligible to attend scientific meetings. Members Emeritus shall not pay a subscription.
Any Ordinary Member whose subscription is two years in arrears and has been duly notified of the fact at the address last known to the Society shall, ipso facto, cease to be a member of the Society, but shall be eligible to re-apply for membership.
Companies and organisations involved with biophysics shall be eligible for corporate membership. Applications shall be made by an authorised representative of the company or organisation, via the process outlined on the society’s webpage. The Committee shall be empowered to accept or reject such applications. Corporate members shall pay an annual subscription at such rate as shall from time to time be determined by the Members at a General Meeting, and be entitled to benefits as determined by the Members at a General Meeting. The subscription is payable in advance, and becomes due on 1 January. Corporate membership is subject to annual review by the Committee.
The business of the Society shall be conducted by a Committee of Members consisting of the Officers and thirteen other Members (to be referred to as Ordinary Members of the Committee). The committee may co-opt up to four additional members, to include the nominated representatives of such other learned societies or bodies as may be appropriate.
The Officers shall be a Chair, Treasurer and two Secretaries. One of the Secretaries (the Meetings Secretary) shall deal with scientific meetings and the second (the Secretary) with other affairs of the Society. The Officers shall be nominated by the Committee and submitted for election at the Annual General Meeting each year, subject to the proviso that no Officer shall normally be eligible to continue in the same office for more than five consecutive years.
No Ordinary Member of the committee shall be eligible to serve as such for more than five consecutive years, a rotation being arranged so that no more than three Ordinary members normally retire each year. Nominations to vacancies may be made by the Committee or by no fewer than five Ordinary Members, for election at the Annual General Meeting.
Vacancies on the Committee, or among the Officers, occurring during the year may be filled by co-option until the next Annual General Meeting.
An Annual General Meeting shall be held each year.
Special General Meetings can be held whenever the Committee, or no fewer than five Ordinary Members, give notice that there is urgent business to transact outwith an Annual General Meeting.
The business to be transacted at the Annual General Meeting shall be to receive and consider Reports and Accounts presented by the Committee; to confirm or deal with any acts of the Committee which may require confirmation; to elect Honorary Members and the Officers and Committee of the Society, and any other business of which notice has been given in the circulated agenda of the meeting.
Any five members of the Society may request the Committee to place a particular item of business on the agenda of a General Meeting to be held at the next available opportunity.
Notification of the place, date, time and agenda of any Annual or Special General Meeting shall be circulated to all Society Members to arrive at least four weeks before the meeting.
Twelve Members shall constitute a quorum at any General Meeting. If by fifteen minutes after the published start time of a General Meeting fewer than twelve members are present, the number present shall constitute a quorum for the purpose only of transacting business that cannot be left to a subsequent General Meeting.
Each Ordinary Member shall have the right to vote upon all matters submitted to any General Meeting of the Society at which the Ordinary Member is present.
The income of the Society is to be used at the discretion of the Committee solely in furthering the interests of the Society and in pursuance of its general aims.
The assets of the Society shall be vested in four Trustees who shall normally be the Officers of the Society. The trustees shall hold the property on behalf of the Society and shall deal with the same as advised by the Committee.
In the event of the Society being wound up, any assets remaining after all outstanding accounts are paid shall be directed to objects conforming to the aims of the Society as directed by the Members.
No dividend, gift, division, or bonus in money shall be made to or between any Members of the Society provided that this need not prevent the payment to members of the Society or: (i) reasonable remuneration for goods, labour or power supplied, or services rendered; or (ii) reasonable interest for money lent; or (iii) reasonable rent for any premises; or (iv) reimbursement of expenses incurred with the approval of the Society.