RULES OF PROCEDURE OF INOV’S SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL
(Proposal approved by the Plenary of the Scientific Council on March 7th,
2024, and ratified by INOV’s General Assembly on April 17th, 2024)
Article 1
Composition
INOV’s Scientific Council -, hereinafter referred to as INOVSC, is composed of all INOV researchers qualified with a Ph.D. degree or equivalent, or who are part of the research career in a category equal to or higher than that of Project Manager. Associate and junior researchers, as well as scholarship recipients, are not members of the Council.
Article 2
Competences
1. The Scientific Council is responsible for monitoring INOV’ scientific and technical activities.
2. The Scientific Council is specifically responsible for:
3. Electing its Chair and the members of the Scientific Council Board;
4. Preparing and approving its Rules of Procedure and submitting them to INOV’s General Assembly ratification;
5. Issuing an opinion on INOV’s budget, plan and annual activities report;
6. Issuing an opinion on any matters that INOV’s Board of Administration or INOV’s Executive Committee, when constituted, may submit for consideration;
7. Providing input on INOV’s scientific activities’ organization;
8. Analyzing and discussing INOV’s scientific policy and making proposals to the Board of Administration in this regard;
9. Monitoring scientific activity and production, and making proposals to the Board of Administration in this regard;
10. Submitting proposals to the Board of Administration and/or the Executive Committee, when constituted, on any aspects, within the scope of its duties, related to INOV’s activities;
11. Performing other scientific management functions entrusted to it by either INOV’s Board of Administration or its General Assembly.
Article 3
Coordinating Committee
1. The Scientific Council may function in plenary or as a Coordinating Committee.
2. The Coordinating Committee is composed of the Scientific Council Board, all integrated researchers and representatives of the business areas in which INOV’s activity focuses.
3. The Coordinating Committee may perform all functions within the competence of the Scientific Council, except for electing its President and approving proposals for amendments to the Scientific Council’s Rules of Procedure.
4. The plenary of the Scientific Council serves as an appeal body in relation to the Coordinating Committee’s decisions.
5. The representative of each business area is chosen by the members of INOVSC who belongs to the operational units that make up that business area.
Article 4
President
1. The President is a Ph.D. member of INOVSC, elected by the Council members through a secret ballot, by more than half of the votes validly cast.
2. The President’s term of office shall be two years.
3. The President’s term of office may be terminated by a decision of the Council, by secret ballot, with more than half of the votes validly cast; a new President shall then be elected for a term of two years.
4. In the President’s absence or impediment, the President shall be replaced by a Council member appointed by the President or, in the absence of such a designation, by the member with the highest seniority in the institution.
Article 5
Composition and Functions of the Scientific Council Board
1. The Board of INOVSC is composed of the President and two other Members.
2. The Members shall be chosen by the President from the Council members with a Ph.D. and shall be submitted for ratification to the Council by secret ballot.
3. The Board shall conduct the meetings of the Council, draw up the minutes, and address all issues relating to the operation of INOVSC.
4. The Board shall prepare the election of the President in accordance with the provisions of these Rules of Procedure.
5. The Board shall remain in office until a new Board is elected.
Article 6
Election of the President
1. Between 75 and 60 days before the end of the current term, the Board shall inform the Council members that they may apply for President, within 15 days, and that the candidature must be accompanied by an action plan.
2. No later than 30 days before the end of the current term, the Board shall send the list of candidates and their respective plans to the Council members and set the date of the election.
3. If there are no candidates, the vote shall be taken among the Council members who hold a Ph.D., provided they do not declare their unavailability.
4. The candidate, or, if there are no candidates, the member of the Council who obtains an absolute majority of the votes cast, shall be elected. If there is no absolute majority, a second round will take place a week later, with the two leading candidates in the first round.
5. The date of the election must be announced at least seven days in advance.
6. Voting by ballot box shall take place for a period of at least eight hours.
7. The opening of the ballot box and the counting of votes may be witnessed by any member of the Council; at least two members, in addition to a Board member, must be present, with the Board member responsible for drawing up the minutes and informing the Council of the result of the vote.
Article 7
Meetings
1. The Plenary and Coordinating Committee’s meetings shall be convened by the President, on his own initiative, or at the written request of 1/5 of the Council’s members or 1/2 of the Coordinating Committee’s members.
2. The President may invite individuals of recognized competence to participate in the meetings, without voting rights, regardless of whether they are employees of INOV, who can contribute to the work.
3. The Council may only deliberate validly with a quorum of at least half of the members actively serving. For quorum purposes in the case of a plenary, members of the Council who have justified absences, or who are known to be unable to attend, are not considered.
4. Minutes of the meetings shall be drawn up, including the attendance list, decisions taken, voting results and explanations of votes.