Rules of Procedure of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities

Updated by the plenum of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities on October 26, 2024.

I. Direction and administration of the Academy

§ 1 Direction of the Academy

The board directs the Academy. The president is authorized to make external statements and give internal instructions. The same applies to the secretaries with regard to the tasks of their class.

§ 2 Administration of the Academy

  1. The Executive Director is appointed by the Board; he is subject to the supervision of the President.
  2. The administration of the Academy is the responsibility of the Executive Director, in accordance with the instructions of the Board.

§ 3 Duties of the Executive Director

  1. The Executive Director has the tasks and powers necessary for the proper administration of the Academy (the office and research institutes). These particularly include:
    1. The support of the Board, particularly the preparation of Board meetings and the implementation of Board resolutions;
    2. The management of the office;
    3. Collaboration with government agencies and with the Academy's legal counsel;
    4. Financial matters (planning, preparation of the draft and implementation of the budget, management of budget funds including third-party funds);
    5. The coordination and oversight of the administrative tasks of the research institutes.
  2. The Board may issue general or specific instructions or authorizations to the Executive Director for the exercise of administrative powers. The management of funds for the research institutes may be regulated by guidelines from the Board in agreement with the Executive Director.
  3. The Executive Director informs the President about his activities and the financial situation of the Academy.

§ 4 Approval of expenditures

  1. The Executive Director may approve expenditures up to €2,500, and expenditures between €2,500 and €5,000 with the approval of a Board member.
  2. Expenditures over €5,000 require approval by the Board.

§ 5 Expense reimbursement

The President and the Secretaries receive an annual service allowance, the amount of which is determined by the plenary.

II. Elections and resolutions

§ 6 Quorum

  1. The plenary is quorate if 40 ordinary members are present, and the classes are quorate if 20 ordinary members are present, or if the lack of quorum is not raised. If a vote cannot take place or a resolution cannot be passed due to lack of quorum, the quorum will no longer be checked in the following meeting.
  2. Elections and resolutions that must be conducted in secret are carried out for the members present in writing and in a manner that ensures confidentiality. For members attending electronically, voting may be conducted electronically, provided that confidentiality is ensured through the use of a verified electronic system.

§ 7 Election of Regular Members

  1. Regular members are elected by the plenary with a two-thirds majority of the members present.
  2. All regular members have the right to make proposals within their class. The proposal must be substantiated in writing and supported by at least two other regular members. The proposals are initially reviewed by the selection committee of the relevant class. If the committee supports the proposal, it will be presented to the class. If the committee does not forward the proposal, the proposer can present it to the class themselves.
  3. In the invitation to the class meeting, where the proposal is to be discussed and voted on, the field of expertise of the nominee must be mentioned. Their name and place of employment will not be disclosed. The class decides with a majority of two-thirds of those present. If a regular member present requests to postpone the decision to a subsequent meeting, the Secretary must grant this request. A proposal that has not been accepted may only be resubmitted after six months.
  4. Each proposal, before being presented to the class, must be communicated to the President and the Secretary of the other class.
  5. An ordinary member can, upon request and with the consent of both classes, transfer from one class to the other. In the same way, a co-optation of a member by the other class is possible.

§ 8 Election of Corresponding Members

  1. Corresponding members are elected by the relevant class with a 2/3 majority of the members present.
  2. Proposals for the election of a corresponding member can be made by any regular member of the class. These proposals must be submitted in writing, with justification, to the class secretary at least 14 days before the election meeting. The nomination commission should be consulted.
  3. The election result must be communicated to the secretary of the other class.
  4. Only the board may propose motions to grant a corresponding member the rights of a full member.

§ 9 Election of Honorary Members

Honorary members are elected by the plenary with a two-thirds majority of the members present. Any regular member may propose the election of an honorary member. If the class to which the proposer belongs agrees, the secretary will forward the proposal to the president. After a preliminary discussion in a prior meeting, the president will bring the decision of the plenary to a conclusion.

§ 10 Election of Junior Members

Junior members are elected by the relevant class with the majority of members present. Any regular member has the right to propose candidates. The proposal must be substantiated in writing. The class may seek an advisory opinion from another member.

§ 11 Election of the President and the Secretaries

  1. For the preparation of a nomination proposal for the office of secretary, the nominating committee of the respective class is convened. This committee consists of four regular members from the relevant class. The term of office of the nominating committee is limited to three years. A single re-election is permitted.
  2. For the preparation of a nomination proposal for the office of president, which is typically filled alternately from the circle of regular members of both classes, a joint nominating committee is formed. This committee consists of the members of the nominating committees from both classes.
  3. Nominations for the office of secretary and its deputy are first discussed within the respective class, while the nomination for the office of president is discussed in the plenary.

III. Meetings

§ 12 Invitation to Meetings

  1. Class and plenary meetings generally take place in person. The board is authorized, when convening class and plenary meetings, to determine that they may instead be held entirely virtually or as a hybrid meeting.
  2. Members of the academy shall be invited to the meetings in writing, with the agenda provided. The invitation must be sent at least eight days prior to the meeting. Elections and preliminary discussions regarding elections according to §§ 8 and 10 of the statutes, as well as resolutions according to §§ 17 and 18 of the statutes, cannot be added to the agenda after the invitation has been sent.
  3. In the meetings, members present on topics from their areas of expertise.

IV. Publications

§ 13 Yearbook

The Academy publishes an annual yearbook with reports on its meetings and other scientific activities. The President's annual accountability report (§ 11 of the statutes) is published in full.

§ 14 Publications of the Academy members

(1) All full members can submit their own writings or those of third parties for publication by the Academy.
(2) Writings are presented in a session of the responsible class. The class obtains at least one written review for this purpose. After the class's approval, the writings are published.
(3) The Board decides on the financing by the Academy within the framework of the economic plan guidelines.

§ 15 Notification of Members

All members of the Academy are regularly informed about the publications of the Academy. They receive the publications free of charge upon request.

§ 16 Designation of Members

In the publications of the Academy, members are only mentioned by name and place of residence. In the membership directory of the yearbook, the official title is added. In business proceedings, members are referred to only by their name.

V. Commissions

§ 17 Appointment

  1. The Plenum and each class may establish commissions to accomplish specific tasks within the framework of the purposes of the Academy (§ 1 of the statutes). In urgent cases, the Board is responsible.
  2. Each commission is accountable to the Plenum or a class according to its mandate. The President and the secretaries have the right to participate in the commission meetings.

§ 18 Term of Office

  1. The chairperson and members of each commission are elected by the body to which the commission is accountable for a limited term of office (usually three years). Re-election is permitted.
  2. Die Wahl ist nicht auf ordentliche und korrespondierende Mitglieder der Akademie beschränkt. Der Vorsitzende soll ordentliches Mitglied der Akademie sein.

§ 19 Reporting Duty

The chairperson reports to the class or the Plenum upon completion of the task, and for long-term tasks, at least every two years.

§ 20 Election Commission

Each class forms an election commission with six members from among its full members. The secretary assumes the chair. The term of office is three years. Members of the election commission can only be re-elected once.

VI. Research Projects

§ 21 Scientific Persuits of the Academy

Research projects are undertaken as scientific enterprises of the Academy based on a decision by the competent class or, if the fields of both classes are concerned, by the Plenum. The approval of the Board is required. Before the decision, the responsible class or the Plenum obtains at least one written review.

§ 22 Applications for the Academy Program

For the selection of projects to be proposed to the Union for the Academy Program, the Academy forms a commission primarily composed of members of the Philosophical-Historical Class. The chair of the commission is a member of this class. The commission reviews all submitted applications and makes recommendations for forwarding the applications to the Scientific Commission of the Union. The decision lies with the Board.

§ 23 Research Commissions

  1. A commission is formed for each research project.
  2. The commission promotes the research project through advice and control. It supports the Academy in the execution of the project.
  3. Außer ordentlichen und korrespondierenden Mitgliedern der Akademie sollen insbesondere in- oder ausländische Gelehrte gewählt werden, die eine Verbindung zu den für das Vorhaben wichtigen nationalen und internationalen Forschungsaktivitäten herstellen können. In addition to full and corresponding members of the Academy, particularly domestic or foreign scholars who can establish connections to important national and international research activities for the project should be elected.
  4. The chair of the commission and at least two other commission members should be full members of the Academy.
  5. The head and the staff of a research center are not members of the commission responsible for them. The head usually participates in the meetings in an advisory capacity. The staff may be involved; they are heard upon their request.
  6. The chair convenes the commission as needed, but at least once a year for a meeting. The proceedings and results of the meetings must be recorded in minutes.

§ 24 Research Centers

  1. The chair of the commission advises the head of the research center, reviews the progress of the project within the framework of research and budget planning. The board issues instructions if necessary.

  2. The head of the research center submits an annual activity report to the commission, which, along with the chairperson's statement, is presented to the class secretary and the president.

  3. The board issues guidelines for the work of the research centers and for other research projects of the Academy.