About HARP

HARP BYLAWS THE HEARTLAND ASSOCIATION OF RESEARCH PROFESSIONALS (HARP)  BYLAWS 

(Last Revision: 07-19-2018; 7-20-2011)

 ARTICLE 1: NAME & LOGO 

       The name of the organization will be The Heartland Association of Research Professionals (i.e., HARP), hereinafter referred to as the Association. The logo utilized is pictured in Appendix A. 

ARTICLE 2: PURPOSE 

       The Association was formed to promote the dissemination of information, the exchange of ideas, and the development of educational experiences for the career growth of health professionals in the field of clinical research. 

ARTICLE 3: BOARD OF OFFICERS 

           A. General Responsibilities: The Board of Officers will have the authority to determine administrative policies, approve appropriations, and otherwise manage and direct the operations of the Association. Each year the Board of Officers will conduct a review of the Association’s finances, following the close of the books for the previous fiscal year (January – December). 

           B. Composition  The government of the Association will be vested in a Board of Officers elected by the general membership and installed at the Biennial Fall Conference hosted by the Association. The Board consists of: 

               1. Five Officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations Officer. The terms of the aforementioned positions will be two years, with the option to be re-elected for a consecutive term. After serving one year, a board member may take leave, opening the position for members of the Association to be nominated and voted in by the other members of the Association.  Each term starts at the beginning of the even calendar year (January) and terminates at the end of the odd calendar year (December).  a. From here on out, the Historian position will be known as the Public Relations Officer position.  

              2. Quorum: A quorum for any Board Meeting will be a majority of the Board of Officers then serving. All five Board Officers have voting rights. Any member of the Board may designate a proxy (an Association member in good standing) in their place for an upcoming Board meeting by notifying another Officer prior to the meeting.  A proxy, so designated prior to calling a meeting to order, will be counted for a quorum.  

             3. Elections and Vacancies: Prior to the Biennial Association Vote:  Up to 5 active members (members in good standing) of HARP may be nominated for each office.  A member may only be nominated to one position per general election.  Notification of the date of the general election and the due date for nominations will be sent out to all active members electronically (via email, Facebook, LinkedIn, or other means) at least 30 days prior to the date of the general election.  Nominations for offices will be open to all active members at least 30 days prior to the general election, and must be submitted to the designated HARP Officer (the name and contact information of this person will be noted in the electronic notification of the election) at least 14 days prior to the general election (at which point nominations will be closed).  

 The general election will be held during the HARP Annual Fall Conference of the corresponding voting year, the date varying based on scheduling of the event.  In the event that the Annual Fall Conference is not able to be held, the general election can be held electronically via email voting, with an announcement regarding nominations being sent out to all active members at least 30 days prior to the date of the election.  On the date of the general election (this date to be determined by the Officers as either the date of the Annual Fall Conference or a date in October or November of the odd numbered year if no conference is able to be held that year), the nominees receiving the highest vote count in each position during the general election will be elected.  No individual may serve in a given position for more than two consecutive terms.  Mid-term vacancies in the offices of Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Public Relations Officer may be filled for the remainder of the term by appointment of the President, with written approval of a majority of the Board of Officers then serving.  If the office of President should become vacant, the Vice President will automatically assume the office of President for the remainder of that term. 

C. Meetings 

        1. General HARP Meetings: These meetings will occur at least quarterly throughout the year, but can occur on a more frequent basis as determined by the Board of Officers.  The Association may also sponsor additional meetings or regional workshops during the year as deemed appropriate by the Board of Officers.                                                                                    

        2. Board Meetings: The Board of Officers will hold one biennial meeting in December (odd calendar years)/January (even calendar years) at which time business of the Association will be conducted as well as the transfer of duties to the newly elected Board of Officers. The Board of Officers shall also meet during, or immediately after, each Association meeting, as deemed necessary by the President. The Board may also meet from time to time between biennial meetings or such times and places as designated by the President upon sufficient prior notice to the Board of Officers. The Board of Officers may also transact business, when appropriate, by telephone, mail, e-mail or other means. The Chairperson for each active committee may also attend meetings held by the Board of Officers, but they will have no voting rights in regards to business conducted, and/or the final decision process on any issue(s). (Committee Responsibilities are listed in Appendix B.)  

         3. The Board of Officers will review any budgets and/or proposed expenditures submitted by any of the organization’s committees or the Treasurer. The Committee Chair for each committee submitting a proposed budget may present information to the Board at the meeting where their specific budget will be reviewed. 

D. Duties 

         1. President: The President serves as the Chief Executive Officer of HARP, chairs all meetings of the Board of Officers, and serves as an ex-officio member of all committees. The President will have authority to appoint committee chairpersons.  

        2. Vice President: The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President during the absence or inability of the President to discharge such duties, and acts as the chair for the Communications Committee. The Vice President is chair of the Education Committee. This position will be responsible for the overall planning and execution of the Annual Conference.  

        3. Secretary: The Secretary is responsible for the minutes and records of the meetings of the Board. Minutes will be taken at all meetings, including the biennial business meeting.  The Secretary will serve as custodian of records, both electronic and paper for the Association.  All meeting minutes will be placed on the website in a timely manner. The Secretary will confirm all mailings and may form a committee to assist with mail duties. The Association’s official address will be established in the Articles of Incorporation. Articles of Incorporation will be updated on an annual basis, or as needed. The Secretary is responsible for obtaining any necessary position-specific information from outgoing Board members and passing it on to the incumbent. The Secretary will also act in assistance to the Public Relations Officer.   

         4. Treasurer: The Treasurer is responsible for the management of all funds, for receiving and giving receipts for monies due to the Association, depositing all such monies in the name of the Association in banks or other depositories, and will perform other duties as directed by the Board. The Treasurer will prepare an annual budget, which will be presented to the Board for their approval at the annual Board meeting. The Treasurer will provide a budget summary at each Board meeting to keep the Board of Officers apprised of fiscal activity of the Association. The Treasurer will be responsible for filing any necessary tax paperwork annually on behalf of the Association.  

          5. Public Relations Officer: The Public Relations Officer is responsible for creating and establishing an on-going system for gathering and documenting the history of the organization, including scanned records and/or hardcopy examples of brochures, training materials, mailings, past business documents, financial documents and other items created by the Association in the process of meeting the purpose of the organization. Additionally, the Public Relations Officer will be responsible for documenting all socials, conferences, and other events hosted by the Association via pictures and other media. The Public Relations Officer will be responsible for maintaining all social media platforms utilized by the Association (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.) and the website. These items and record keeping system will be passed from the current Public Relations Officer to their successor to ensure a long-term, accurate history of the Association. The Public Relations Officer also acts as ex-officio of the Educational Committee.  

          6. Ex-Officio Members: The Board of Officers has the right to allow ex-officio members to serve in a capacity to assist the Association and conduct Association business. These individuals will not have voting privileges, but are allowed to attend Board meetings as necessary to carry out their business. 

ARTICLE 4: USE OF FUNDS 

           Source of funds for the organization are obtained from membership dues, conference registration fees, and grants. No part of the net earnings of the Association shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, officers, or other private persons, except that the Association shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and expenses incurred and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in ARTICLE 2, hereof. The Association will maintain 501(c)(3) non-profit tax status. 

ARTICLE 5: ORGANIZATION COMMUNICATIONS 

             A. The Association’s method of communication to its members is mainly by use of the Association’s website (i.e., www.harpkc.org) and general emails, augmented by program specific mailings, social media platforms, and during regularly scheduled meetings. 

            B. Editor: The primary editors for the Association’s communications will be the Secretary and Public Relations Officer.  Additionally, the Board may appoint, contract with, or employ a person (or persons) for performance of duties as editor, or publisher of any program materials, and/or specialized printings. 

ARTICLE 6: MEMBERSHIP 

           The voting membership of the Association will be comprised of active members in good standing. An “active member in good standing” is defined as a member who has paid the current annual dues. Membership will include, but is not restricted to, professionals, physicians, and students in the allied medical sciences engaged or interested in clinical research. 

ARTICLE 7: DUES 

          Dues for the Association are payable on a 12 month basis, and are typically included with the Annual Fall Conference registration fees, but can also be paid  in January of each year. If dues are not paid by April 1st, the active member will be moved to “non-member” status, and will have no rights to run or hold office, nor be appointed to a working committee. The Board of Officers will determine the amount of dues. Funds collected will be used to meet the expenses and obligations of the Association, as directed by the Board. Dues will not be prorated, should a membership request be received after April 1st. 

ARTICLE 8: COMMITTEES 

           The President, with approval of the Board, will appoint all Committee Chairpersons and can establish new committees. All committee expenditures are subject to Board approval prior to the expense being incurred. All committees must take meeting minutes, and supply a copy of those meeting minutes to the Secretary. Before the January meeting, all outgoing Board members will provide the Secretary with any position-specific information to be passed onto the new incumbents. All meeting minutes will be reviewed and approved by the Board members. Should there be a discrepancy or dispute, the President will have final approval. Final approved minutes will be posted to the website for members to review.  

ARTICLE 9: AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS 

          Proposed changes to the By-laws must be prepared by the Secretary prior to Board submission. Any proposed changes must be approved by two-thirds of the entire Board of Officers, prior to presentation to active members for final voting. The proposed changes to the By-laws will be adopted if two-thirds of the returned ballots from active members are in favor of the proposed changes. 

ARTICLE 10: POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT 

           The Association shall not lobby or otherwise attempt to influence legislation and shall not participate in or intervene in (including publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office. 

 APPENDIX A: LOGO  

 APPENDIX B: COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES 

            The Board of Officers may from time-to-time create, merge, and/or terminate committees. This appendix provides a description of committees that are currently active or have been active in the recent past. 

A. Membership Committee:  This committee receives all membership applications and dues for review and approval via the website, or by hardcopy received via mail and/or submitted at quarterly meetings. This committee is chaired by the Treasurer and Secretary. Responsibilities may include but are not necessarily limited to:  

         a. Prospect Mailings: The Secretary will maintain a mailing list of individuals involved with clinical trials as study monitors, study coordinators, administrators, and those individuals involved in study design, clinical quality assurance, regulatory affairs, research pharmacy, clinical data management and medical devices, and others fitting the purpose of the Association. This committee is responsible for expanding and reviewing the prospect file, which is maintained on a computer accessible to the Membership Chairperson. 

        b. The Secretary will post meeting notices on the Association’s website (i.e., www.harpkc.org), and announce at regularly scheduled meetings. 

       c. Membership Renewal: The Secretary will routinely update the database and report numbers to the Board. The Treasurer will prepare the annual renewal announcement and contact non-renewals.  

      d. Member Survey: The Secretary will manage and send a member survey on a biennial basis for keeping current with the interests of our membership, and for tracking the employment and professional affiliations, as well as academic degrees of our members. Periodically, this data should be analyzed and reported to the Association. 

     e. Responsible for developing and implementing membership dues. f. Responsible for updating the application form for recruiting new members.   

B. Communications Committee:  This committee will be chaired by the Public Relations Officer and may be organized to create general awareness and media exposure of the Association’s activities and accomplishments. Responsibilities may include but are not necessarily limited to: 

        a. The committee may wish to advertise in appropriate journals, publications, etc., and contact medical centers and research centers within the general area through mailings, postings, public media, etc. 

        b. The committee may maintain a list of other journals, publications, institutions, and research centers where the Association could be promoted. 

        c. The committee, with the assistance of the Treasurer, will maintain a budget for the Association’s website, and maintain the actual site, along with other social media platforms. The budget and/or proposed expenditures must be submitted to the Board for review and approval.   

C. Fundraising Committee  This committee is responsible for soliciting contributions from companies and other sources to assist in covering expenses of the organization. The Treasurer is the chair for this committee. Responsibilities may include but are not necessarily limited to:  

          a. Establishing a list of contacts accessible to the chairperson/organization.  

          b. Sending letters, e-mails, or making telephone calls requesting contributions. 

          c. Assuring that group members within the company from which funds have been requested are contacted and asked to assist, as much as possible, in obtaining a contribution from their company. 

         d. Assuring that contributors receive proper recognition. e. Any documentation for donations will be provided to the Board to review for tax purposes.  

D. Educational Committee  The Educational Committee is responsible for all educational programs delivered by the Association. This committee is chaired by the Vice President. Responsibilities may include but are not necessarily limited to: 

        a. Annual Conference: A working committee will be formed to handle the necessary responsibilities to carry out the Annual Conference. Feedback from the prior Association conference(s) and industry issues will be utilized to design the agenda. This committee should design a budget for expenditures. This will be presented to the Board prior to implementing expenditures.  

        b. Other educational opportunities as demeaned appropriate by the Board will be offered as necessary. Proposed sessions, as well as, a proposed expenditure list should be reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors prior to the event. 

        c. The committee will ensure the programs presented are relevant and of sufficient current interest.  

        d. If continuing education credits are sought for an educational program, the application and subsequent supporting documentation will be provided by these subgroups.  

E. Social Committee  The chair of this committee is the Public Relations Officer. The Board of Officers will function as members of the Social Committee as a way to meet new members, as well as present new Board Members to the Association. Association members may assist on this committee. Responsibilities may include but are not necessarily limited to: 

        a. Responsible for planning and executing an annual social event that can be designated as one of the quarterly meetings. 

        b. All proposed expenditures for the annual social event must be presented to the Board for review and approval.  

F. Finance Committee  The Board of Officers will function as the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee will have responsibility for the overall financial management of the Association. Responsibilities may include but are not necessarily limited to: 

       a. Oversight of funds received, expenditure of Association funds and compliance with federal/or other reporting requirements.  

       b. The Finance Committee will develop a general budget for the Association and review budgets presented by committee chairs for Association activities.  

       c. The Finance Committee will recommend expenditure of the Association’s funds based on availability of funds, whether the activity furthers the goals of the Association and whether the Association is receiving the best value for the funds committed.  

       d. The Finance Committee will meet in January to develop a general budget for the coming year. The committee will also meet as necessary during the year to address budget and other Association financial/legal issues.  

      e. The Finance Committee, as needed, may modify recommendations to the budget during the year. A simple majority of the Finance Committee will be required to modify the annual budget.  

      f. Any change in banking institutions currently used by the Association must be approved by the Finance Committee. Check writing privileges must include the signature of the President and/or Treasurer. Expenditures must be pre-approved by a quorum of the Board.