Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is the primary governing body of PREDICT. The Executive Committee will consist of 8 positions elected from the membership.  The membership will elect the Executive group then the Executive group will appoint a Chair and a Vice Chair. A Past Chair will be an ex-officio member of the Executive for a 2 year period after ceasing to be the committee Chair. There will also be two additional positions appointed by the Executive after a formal expression of interest: Research Assistant representative, and Higher Degree enrolled representative.

Positions on the Executive Committee are held for 2 year terms. The Chair position can be held for a maximum 4 year term.  Once a Chair has stepped down they will serve as Past Chair for 2 years.

Elected Positions
Executive Committee members are nominated and then elected by the Membership by secret ballot (majority vote) every second year (being years ending in even numbers).

A call for nominations will be sent out electronically to all members at least 2 months prior to the scheduled annual members meeting on election years. The period of nominations will remain open for a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 weeks. Nominations can be made by any member who can nominate themselves or another member. In cases of another member being nominated an acceptance of this nomination is needed from the nominated member. Voting will be done electronically following this and remain open for 2 weeks to 4 weeks. The results of this will be made known formally at the Members annual meeting.

Appointed Positions
Appointed positions are made by the Executive Committee after a formal expression of interest (EOI) issued within 6 weeks of the announcement of the Executive Committee elections. The EOI will remain open for 2 – 4 weeks and the decision be made at the following Executive Committee meeting.

The Executive Committee retains the right to coopt further members from the membership or outside persons in a non-voting role to assist with its business. These individuals will have core skills related to PREDICTs mission, or hold a position that is closely aligned with the functions of the Executive Committee (for example, Chief Investigator in a Centre of Research Excellence based on PREDICTs research).

The Network coordinator will assist the Executive Committee, present operational information and be a non-voting member of the Executive Committee.

Removal from office
Executive Committee members can be removed from office by a vote of two-thirds of the Membership. Alternatively, Executive members may choose to leave.  In both situations the Executive member will be replaced following a request for nominations and a vote by the membership.

Role of a PREDICT Executive member

Roles in the PREDICT Executive do not differ except for that of the Chair and Vice Chair.

The role involves:

• Attending meetings as per the yearly agenda (face-to-face and teleconferences).
• Previewing the executive agenda then actively participating in meetings to give an independent opinion, advice and decision making.
• Make decisions that are in the best interest of the Network as a whole.
• Bringing issues of importance to the network, to the meeting agenda for discussion.
• Reviewing and commenting on new studies when presented to the Executive.
• Act as an executive sponsor for approved projects maintaining oversite of study progress through the project principal investigator and steering committee
• Following up on actions deemed necessary at the meetings.
• Reviewing and commenting on issues via email / telephone in between meetings as required.
• Reinforcing PREDICT research guidelines and policy with members locally.
• Maintaining confidentiality in relation to sensitive issues discussed.
• Chairing sessions at the PREDICT members meeting upon request.

Executive Committee meetings are held at least on an annual basis in person and otherwise as often as needed to conduct business in person or by electronic means.

        The Executive Committee responsibilities are:

• • Keeping accurate minutes of Executive Committee and Membership Meetings.
  • Developing regulations and guidelines.
  • Developing the general research agenda of the network.

• Administering any funds that come into PREDICT directly and provide an annual audited financial report.
• Setting the agenda of meetings of the Membership Group.
• Communication with members via emails and updates of the website.
• Maintaining membership lists (email address list) and updating the membership list as required or on a biannual basis.
• Reviewing new proposed studies within the Executive Committee or via two reviewers appointed by the Executive Committee (see New Project Application Process).
• Reviewing proposals for publication or presentations based on data collected or to be collected as part of PREDICT (Guidelines for Authorship and Publications).
• Reviewing PREDICT studies in process on a biannual basis.

The Executive Committee will have formal communication with its membership at large at least twice each calendar year.

The Executive Committee may establish topic specific working groups (e.g. Research Education Working Group) comprised of members at large, and others as seen fit, as the need arises.