SPring-8 Users Community (SPRUC) By-Laws

(Objectives)
Article 2
As a nationwide user organization, SPRUC shall aim to facilitate the sophistication and optimization of the use of SPring-8 and SACLA and the development of science and technology by building bridges between SPring-8/SACLA and academia/industry. SPRUC shall also aim to ensure the development and expansion of synchrotron radiation science and quantum beam science through interaction between SPRUC members.

(Activities)
Article 3
In order to achieve the objectives, SPRUC shall transact the following business:
     a. Matters regarding the system of using SPring-8 and SACLA facilities,
     b. Matters regarding the sophistication of SPring-8 and SACLA facilities and their use,
     c. Matters regarding information exchange for a. and b. and request gathering,
     d. Planning and implementation of symposia and scientific meetings, and
     e. Other matters deemed necessary to achieve the objectives of SPRUC.

Chapter 2 Membership

(Membership Requirements)
Article 4
4.1   The SPRUC membership consists of all those who use SPring-8 or SACLA. All SPring-8 and SACLA users shall become members of SPRUC upon completion of user registration.
4.2   The membership is valid for three years from the last day of SPring-8 or SACLA use. Any member who has not used SPring-8 or SACLA for three years shall be deemed to have withdrawn their SPRUC membership effective at the end of the fiscal year three years after their last use of SPring-8 or SACLA and to have forfeited their membership. For student users, membership is valid for one year.
4.3   Among the members, as defined in 4.1 of this article, RIKEN beamline users who do not require user registration shall maintain their membership status to the end of the fiscal year three years after leaving RIKEN.

(Fees)
Article 5
No membership fee is charged. SPRUC members, however, will be responsible for their own expenses incurred in SPRUC activities.

(Rights)
Article 6
SPRUC members are entitled to attend the General Assembly Meeting, to elect/be elected as Councilors, to receive PR information, and to participate in the business of SPRUC.

Chapter 3 Chair, Councilors, Secretaries, Auditor Secretaries, Advisors, and Representatives

(Representing Organizations and Their Representatives)
Article 7
7.1   SPRUC shall have Representing Organizations and their Representatives from which SPRUC seeks advice on the management policies of SPRUC.
7.2   The Representing Organizations shall be nominated, on the recommendations from the Registered Institution for Facilities Use Promotion and the facility provider, by the Board of Councilors from among the universities, research institutes, and companies with which many users are affiliated, and be elected with the approval at the General Assembly Meeting.
7.3   Users affiliated with the Representing Organizations shall select their Representative through discussions from among expert colleagues who can put together the opinions of on-site researchers from the users' perspective.

(Councilors)
Article 8
8.1   SPRUC shall have 30 Councilors with half being elected every year.
8.2   The Representatives of Representing Organizations shall nominate candidate councilors from among SPRUC members.
8.3   SPRUC members shall elect Councilors from among the candidate councilors.

(Chair)
Article 9
9.1   SPRUC shall have a Chair. The Chair shall be determined by the Board of Councilors.
9.2   The Chair shall represent SPRUC, preside over the affairs of SPRUC, and convene the Board of Representing Organizations Meetings, General Assembly Meetings, Board of Councilors Meetings, and Board of Secretaries Meetings.
9.3   Board of Councilors Meetings shall support the Chair and manage the ordinary affairs of SPRUC.
9.4   The Chair shall be entitled to select up to three Vice Chairs with the approval of the Board of Councilors.
9.5   The Vice Chairs shall support the Chair and conduct the affairs of SPRUC.

(Secretaries)
Article 10
10.1   SPRUC shall have Secretaries.
10.2   The Secretaries shall be nominated by the Chair from among SPRUC members and approved by the Board of Councilors.
10.3   The Secretaries shall be responsible for general affairs, finance, events, editing, use, external affairs, and other affairs of SPRUC, and conduct business based on the decisions of the Board of Councilors.
10.4   The Secretaries shall attend the Board of Councilors Meeting and report on their activities.
10.5   The Secretaries shall report their activities at the General Assembly Meeting.

(Auditor Secretaries)
Article 11
11.1   SPRUC shall have Auditor secretaries.
11.2   The Auditor secretaries shall be nominated by the Chair and approved by the Board of Councilors.
11.3   The Auditor secretaries shall oversee the affairs of SPRUC, audit the correctness of their management, and provide opinions as necessary.

(Advisory Board and Advisors)
Article 12
12.1  The Chair shall have an Advisory Board as an advisory body.
12.2  The Advisory Board shall provide opinions regarding the execution and management of the general affairs of SPRUC as requested by the Chair.
12.3  The Advisory Board consists of approximately 10 Advisors.
12.4  The Advisors shall be nominated by the Chair and the names of Advisors shall be reported to the Board of Councilors.
12.5  12.4   (Term of Office)

Article 13
13.1 The term of office of the Chair, Vice Chairs, Auditor Secretaries, Representatives, Advisors, Councilors, and Secretaries shall be two years. The Chair, however, may be re-appointed only once.
13.2 Should any vacancy occur for any reason among the Chair, Vice Chairs, Auditor Secretaries, Representatives, Advisors, Councilors, and Secretaries, the successor shall hold office for the reminder of the term of office of the member s/he has replaced.
(Committees, Research Groups)

Article 14
SPRUC may establish various committees and research groups. Details shall be set out in SPRUC Regulations.

Chapter 4 Board of Representing Organizations, General Assembly, Board of Councilors and Board of Secretaries

(Board of Representing Organizations)
Article 15
The Board of Representing Organizations Meeting shall be held once a year as a general rule to nominate candidate councilors and seek expert advice on the business of SPRUC.

(General Assembly)
Article 16
16.1   The General Assembly Meeting open to all SPRUC members shall be held once a year as a general rule.
16.2   The basic policies on the SPRUC management shall be decided and the Representing Organizations shall be approved at the General Assembly Meeting.
16.3   The agenda for the General Assembly Meeting shall be presented by the Chair.
16.4   Decisions shall be made by a majority of votes cast by those present at the General Assembly Meeting.

(Board of Councilors Meeting)
Article 17
17.1 The Board of Councilors Meeting shall be held occasionally at the call of the Chair to decide the management policies of SPRUC based on the basic policies decided at the General Assembly Meeting, and entrust the task of implementing the policies shall be entrusted to the Chair and the Secretaries.
17.2 A quorum shall exist when the number of the Councilors present at any Board of Councilors Meeting constitutes a simple majority. A member, however, is considered present if a proxy is received prior to the meeting.

(Board of Secretaries Meeting)
Article 18
A Board of Secretaries Meeting may be called when the Chair finds it necessary for the management of SPRUC.

(Observers)
Article 19
The General Assembly Meeting, Board of Councilors Meeting and Board of Secretaries Meeting may request the attendance of observers from the Registered Institution for Facilities Use Promotion that is operating the facility and the facility provider.

Chapter 5 Finance

(Fiscal Year)
Article 20
The fiscal year of SPRUC shall begin on the first day of April and shall end on the last day of March of the following year.

(Settlement of Accounts)
Article 21
The settlement of accounts of SPRUC shall be approved at the Board of Councilors Meeting and be disclosed at the General Assembly Meeting.

Chapter 6 Other

(Secretariat)
Article 22
SPRUC shall have a Secretariat in the Registered Institution for Facilities Use Promotion to manage the smooth conduct of the business of SPRUC.

(Protection of Personal Information)
Article 23
SPRUC shall take all reasonable measures to protect the personal data of its members obtained during the course of business.

(Change of By-Laws)
Article 24
Any change to the By-Laws require the deliberation of the Board of Councilors and a vote at the General Assembly Meeting.

(Other)
Article 25
In addition to the provisions set out in the By-Laws, other matters deemed necessary for the business of SPRUC shall be specified separately in SPRUC Regulations by the Board of Councilors and be reported at the General Assembly Meeting.

Supplementary Provision:

The By-Laws shall come into effect on April 1, 2012.
When the By-Laws come into effect, the property, rights, and duties owned by the SPring-8 Users Society, which is to be disbanded on the day preceding the day on which the By-Laws come into effect (hereinafter referred to as the "Effective Date"), shall be taken over by SPRUC.
Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2 of Article 7, the first Representing Organizations shall be selected based on the opinions of the Registered Institution for Facilities Use Promotion and the facility provider at the SPring-8 Users Society's Board of Councilors Meeting held in FY2011.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 8, the first Councilors shall be chosen by election by SPRUC members from among the candidates nominated by the SPring-8 Users Society's Councilors for FY2011 and the Representatives assigned by the above-mentioned Representing Organizations.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 9 and 10, until the Chair and the Secretaries described therein are elected, the Chair and the Secretaries of the SPring-8 Users Society at the time of disbandment shall act as SPRUC Chair and Secretaries.

Supplementary Provision:

The By-Laws shall come into effect on September 14, 2014.

Supplementary Provision:

The By-Laws shall come into effect on August 29, 2016.

Supplementary Provision:

The By-Laws shall come into effect on August 26, 2018. When the By-Laws come into effect, a grace period of up to March 31, 2019, shall be placed to develop a system such that all SACLA users have SPRUC membership.

Supplementary Provision:

The By-Laws shall come into effect on August 30, 2019.

April 1, 2012
January 14, 2013 Revised
September 14, 2014 Revised
August 26, 2018 Revised
August 30, 2019 Revised

SPRUC Regulations

(Election of Councilors)

Article 1
The Councilors shall be elected as follows:
a.   Establish the Board of Elections consisting of three members appointed by the Chair.
b.   Choose fifteen or more candidate Councilors from among a) those recommended by the Representative, b) Councilors who will retire from office because of the end of their term at the time of election, and c) those recommended by the Chair (within five candidates), excluding those who turn down the recommendation.
c.   Hold an election and the top 10 vote-getters from the academic research institutes and the top five vote-getters from the industrial organizations will be chosen as the Councilors by SPRUC members. In case of a tie, decisions will be made by the Board of Councilors.
d.   Hold a confidence vote when the number of the candidates is the same as the number referred to in the preceding paragraph. If the no-confidence vote fails to reach a majority, the candidates are appointed as the Councilors.

(Scientific Meetings)

Article 2
SPRUC shall provide support to the following scientific meetings while holding its own scientific meetings.
a.   Meetings where facility personnel and users discuss and exchange ideas on the construction, sophistication, and use of the experimental stations with a view to contributing to the development of SPring-8 research activities and the facilitation of shared use of SPring-8.
b.   Lecture meetings to keep SPRUC members updated on new synchrotron radiation technologies and achievements.
c.   Research group meetings, lectures, colloquia, and study tours contributing to the promotion and development of synchrotron radiation science research.
d.   Other scientific meetings deemed necessary by the Board of Councilors.

(Committees)

Article 3
3.1   SPRUC may establish several committees such as the Event Committee, Editorial Committee, Board of Elections, SPring-8 Utilization Committee, SACLA Utilization Committee, and Project Committee, and Utilization Advisory Committee. The Chair shall appoint a chair of each committee. The members of the committees shall be nominated by each committee chair from among SPRUC members and expert colleagues as necessary, and then appointed by the Chair.
3.2   Each committee shall have a vice chair. The vice chair of each committee shall be nominated by the committee chair and appointed by the Chair. The vice chair of each committee shall support the committee chair and shall act as the committee chair as necessary.
3.3   The Event Committee shall hold all matters relating to the holding of SPring-8 symposia and other scientific meetings.
3.4   The Editorial Committee shall strive to participate in the editing of PR magazines while facilitating the exchange of information among SPRUC members.
3.5   The Board of Elections shall supervise the Councilor elections.
3.6   The SPring-8 Utilization Committee and SACLA Utilization Committee shall carry out the following activities regarding the shared use and future plans in cooperation with the Research Groups:
a.   Gather opinions and requests from SPRUC members on the use and future plans of SPring-8 and SACLA.
b.   Discuss measures to facilitate the use of SPring-8 and SACLA.
c.   Participate in the publication and issuance of research results obtained through the use of SPring-8 and SACLA.
d.   Carry out activities to promote the use of SPring-8 and SACLA and contribute to future plans for realizing the sophistication of the facilities.
3.7 The Project Committee shall plan and discuss issues that should be addressed by SPRUC, and establish working groups as necessary.

(Research Groups)

Article 4
4.1   The Research Groups, consisting of SPRUC members, shall aim to help develop the science and experimental techniques using SPring-8 and SACLA and to encourage the promotion of the use of SPring-8 and SACLA from the users' side.
4.2   The Research Groups shall be formed by registering the research area, a representative, and at least four members with the SPring-8 Utilization Committee and SACLA Utilization Committee.
4.3   The Research Groups shall hold the research group meetings and lectures with a view to the development of particular research areas using SPring-8 and SACLA.
4.4   The Research Groups shall re-register every two years. Re-registration requires the registration of the representative and four or more members.
4.5   The Research Groups shall have Advisors under the SPring-8 Utilization Committee.
4.6   The Advisors shall be recommended by the SPring-8 Utilization Committee and appointed by the Chair.
4.7   The Advisors shall attend the SPring-8 Utilization Committee Meetings and provide opinions as necessary.

Supplementary Provision

1.  The By-Laws shall come into effect on April 1, 2012.
2.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 1, the first Councilors shall be elected as follows:
a.  Thirty or more candidates for the first Councilors shall be nominated by the SPring-8 Users Society's Councilors for FY2011 and the Representatives.
b.  An election shall be held and the top 30 vote-getters shall be chosen as the first Councilors by SPRUC members from among the above-mentioned candidates. In case of a tie, however, decisions will be made by the Board of Councilors.
c.  Among the first Councilors, the top 15 vote-getters shall serve a two-year term and the other 15 Councilors shall serve a one-year term.

Supplementary Provision

The By-Laws shall come into effect on January 14, 2013.

Supplementary Provision

The By-Laws shall come into effect on September 14, 2014.

Supplementary Provision

The By-Laws shall come into effect on August 30, 2019.

April 1, 2012
July 1, 2013 Revised

Rules Regarding Travel Expenses for SPRUC

These rules shall stipulate matters regarding transportation and travel expenses incurred by SPRUC members and other persons appointed by the Chair to attend various meetings held by SPRUC.

1. When calculating transportation and travel expenses, the most economical and reasonable route and method shall be chosen.

2. In principle, the departure or arrival point shall be the main train station in the municipality closest to the member's work/business. In cases where there is not a train station in such municipality, the said point shall be the nearest bus station.

3. In principle, travel expenses shall not be provided in cases where commutation allowances are covered by the member's organization.

4. Any of the following forms of public transportation shall be deemed as means of transportation- train, bus, airplane and ship.

5. In cases where an airplane is used for travel, the actual cost of airfare shall be paid.

6. Claims for travel expenses incurred by a rental or personal car shall not be accepted.

7. Actual cost of a taxi shall be provided in the following cases and only when approved by the accounting secretary- no other public transportation is available, use of public transportation would result in great inconvenience, the member is traveling with a large amount of baggage, or under urgent and extenuating business circumstances.

8. In cases where travel allowances have or will be paid by another organization, such amount shall be deducted from the allowance provided by SPRUC.

9. Train Fare Calculation Standard

In principle, the use of limited express trains and reserved seating sections on a train shall be approved for trains covering a one-way distance of more than 100 km.
For travel on JR lines covering one way distances of more than 601 km, the cost of travel after a round-trip fare discount has been applied shall be provided as travel allowance.

10. A daily allowance shall not be provided.

11. Actual cost of a hotel shall be provided, up to 13,000 yen per night.

For cases which are not specifically mentioned above, or cases with exceptional circumstances, travel expenses shall be provided upon approval by the general affairs secretary and accounting secretary.

Supplementary Provision:

The By-Laws shall come into effect on April 1, 2012.

Supplementary Provision:

The By-Laws shall come into effect on July 1, 2013.

April 1, 2012
January 9, 2018 Revised

Rules Regarding Support for SPRUC Research Group Activities

1. Travel expenses for the meeting organized by the Research Group may be paid to the participant provided, in principle, that all the following circumstances apply:
1) The participant, whose travel expense is supported, is not a member of SPRUC, OR, if a member, that they have belonged to the Research Group concerned for less than one year.
2) It is the first time for the participant to attend the meeting organized by the Research Group concerned.
3) The participant must give a lecture at the meeting.

2. To invite a non-member researcher affiliated with an overseas organization as a speaker for a Research Group meeting during his/her stay in Japan, SPRUC may pay an honorarium of about 10,000 yen to the speaker regardless of whether the speaker is Japanese or not.

3. The Facility Use Promotion Committee shall decide both the approval and amount provided for the expenses referred to in the two preceding paragraphs taking into consideration the details provided in the application for holding a research group meeting.

4. The Research Group that received the travel expenses shall report to the Facility Use Promotion Committee on the impact of their research, as a result of the delivered lecture by the person(s) to whom travel expenses are paid.

5. SPRUC may provide a Research Group with the printing cost of up to 50,000 yen for materials prepared by the Research Group, which requires the Research Group to submit an original invoice made out by the printing company to the Secretariat.

January 8, 2023

Rules Regarding SPRUC Young Scientist Award

1. SPRUC Young Scientist Award shall be established as one of the academic awards stipulated by SPring-8 Users Community (SPRUC).

2. The award shall be granted to young researchers for their outstanding research results utilizing SPring-8/SACLA.

3. Award recipients must be individual members of SPRUC and under 36 years old as of April 1 of the award year. However, in the case of taking a leave for childbirth, childcare, nursing care etc, the period shall be excluded from an age limit regardless of gender.

4. The selection shall be made by a Selection Committee of SPRUC and the final decision shall be made by a Board of Councilors.

5. In principle, award recipients shall be no more than two individuals each year.

6. The award ceremony and winning lecture shall be held at SPring-8 Symposium.

April 1, 2012

Approval of SPRUC Research Groups' Cosponsorship

1. If the cosponsorship is under the name of "SPRUC" for form's sake, it shall be approved by the Chair.

2. If the cosponsorship is under the name of any "Research Group(s)" for form's sake, it shall be approved by the SPring-8 Utilization Committee Chair.

Note:
The wording "for form's sake" above means that SPRUC does not provide the participating Research Group(s) with additional support beyond what is provided as the activity expense budget for the fiscal year.

The Rules have been formulated by the Board of Secretaries. If any question arises, the Rules shall be revised by the Board of Secretaries.

April 1, 2012

Memorandum on SPRUC Activity Expenses

1. Unlike the SPring-8 Users Society, SPRUC shall not charge a membership fee to its members.

2. Therefore, the activity expenses of SPRUC shall come from other sources than the membership fee.

3. Depending on the amount collected for the activities of SPRUC, there may be financial limitations on its activities.

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