SICB Policies






Policy on Establishing Named Funds

Background
A number of named funds exist currently and these funds have specific purposes. This policy establishes procedures that must be used by individuals, groups of individuals, divisions, or other organizations for the purpose of establishing new programs requiring a funding base.

Rules:
  1. A new program must state clearly its intended purpose.
  2. New programs will normally require a minimum of $25,000 to establish an endowment whose earnings will be used to support the proposed activities according to the formula specified below.
  3. Normally, 4% of the trailing 5 year average of the value of the fund will be available for expenditure on an annual basis for the designated purpose of the fund. However, in no case will expenditures be allowed to invade the principle of the fund. Exceptions to these rules must be granted by the SICB Finance Committee. For funds with less than a 5 year history, the SICB Finance Committee will determine the amount available.
  4. Mechanisms for the disbursement of the funds consistent with the stated purpose of the program must be clearly established. If a committee determines how funds are to be disbursed, e.g., determines award recipient(s), what is the composition of the committee, how will the committee be formed, and how often will membership on the committee be changed? An example is the DCPB Bartholomew Award in which the procedures are spelled out in the DCPB Bylaws, Article XIII, B.
  5. Programs may be discontinued by the SICB Executive Committee provided proper legal issues associated with the disbursement of remaining funds are resolved.
  6. The SICB Finance Committee will oversee the activities of the program to insure adherence to the stated purpose of the program and adherence to all financial procedures governing income, investment, and disbursement of the associated fund.


Procedures:
  1. Proposals for new programs must be submitted to the SICB Executive Director, who will forward the proposal to the SICB Finance Committee. The Finance Committee will review the proposal and it may recommend modifications of the proposal to the individual, group of individuals, division or organization making the proposal.
  2. The SICB Finance Committee will make a recommendation to the SICB Executive Committee for approval or disapproval of the proposal.
  3. The SICB Executive Committee must approve the proposal.


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Symposium Speaker Registration Policy


Individuals presenting a paper as part of a symposium at the Annual Meeting are eligible for reimbursement of their registration fee, if the symposium organizer has applied for external funding for the symposium.

adopted January 2000

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Integrative and Comparative Biology Copyright Policy

Requests to reprint material copyrighted by Integrative and Comparative Biology should provide complete information regarding the intended use of the material. Permission entitles the grantee to non-exclusive world rights in all languages for the present edition only of the document for which the material is requested (i.e., one-time use). Permission must be granted anew for each subsequent edition. Full and proper credit should be given to Integrative and Comparative Biology and to the author(s) of the material. There is a fee of $75 for each figure reprinted from the journal. Integrative and Comparative Biology reserves the right to refuse to grant permission for use of copyrighted materials.

For each requested figure, please send a written request accompanied by $75 to: SICB, 1313 Dolley Madison Blvd., Suite 402, McLean, VA 22101. We would appreciate receiving a copy of the printed document for our reference.

adopted June 1997

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Manuscript Policy

The standard length of an article published in Integrative and Comparative Biology is twelve (12) printed pages. Authors will be assessed voluntary page charges for each of the first 12 pages, and mandatory charges for each additional page.

Policy became effective with 12/96 symposia.

BACKGROUND

This change in policy would restore the standard article length to where it was for many years, until it was reduced during the financial crisis of a few years ago. According to Milt Fingerman, the change from 12 pages to 10 pages was made by request of the Treasurer and Business Office to reduce any and all expenditures where possible. It's the impression of the current Editor (and personal experience) that it is very difficult for authors to do a credible mini-review/synthetic paper in 10 pages, and many are either unwilling or unable to afford the cost of publishing additional pages (at the current rate of $135 each). This has grown to an even bigger issue as outside funding has become harder to obtain. Allowing for 12 pages certainly wouldn't eliminate such problems, but they would ameliorate them somewhat. FYI, the journal Evolution, which is the same format as ours, recently adopted a standard article length of 12 pages. Five of the six Albuquerque symposia will be published in 1998. If the journal publishes the same number of pages that year as are budgeted for 1997 (ca. 910), then I estimate that this increase in article length will require no increase in the volume size or in the journal's publication budget (beyond the standard annual inflationary cost increase). This estimate makes provision for other regular journal articles, such as an Introduction to each symposium, book reviews, two or three mini-reviews, etc. Please also remember that this is a conservative cost estimate. If any of the five symposia receive an outside publication subsidy (e.g., from an NSF grant), then we will come in that much more under the annual budget.

adopted December 1996

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Divisional Fund Expense Policy

The purpose of this policy is to clarify the types of expenditures which are reimbursable for SICB divisions. Each division will be allocated an annual expense budget determined by the Finance Committee and approved at the Annual Meeting. This budget is allocated for a single fiscal year, and if the entire expense budget is not utilized in that timeframe, it cannot be deferred.

If, however, a Division Chair feels that additional funds will be required in the following fiscal year over and above the annual allocation, a written request must be submitted to the Finance Committee for consideration prior to the finalization of the next year's budget.

The following will be reimbursable upon written request and, if applicable, where a receipt is presented for any expense in excess of $25.00.

- Special Divisional Mailings
- Best Student Paper and Poster Awards
- Symposium Support
- Regional Meeting Support
- International Congress Support

adopted December 1996

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Membership Renewal Policy

When SICB meetings moved to January in 1998, there was a concern that members would attend the meetings without renewing for the year in which the meeting was held. This could result in a substantial revenue loss unless a mechanism is put in place to ensure that members are required to renew before being allowed to attend the Annual Meeting at the member rate.

Beginning with the 1998 renewal cycle, members have had to be renewed for the following year at the time they registered if they wanted to attend the January meeting at the member rate. If members have not renewed when they submit their registration, they will be informed that they need to remit membership dues before being allowed to register at the member rate.

Members who register on-site and who are not renewed/current will be directed to the membership booth where they can remit payment for their dues. They will receive a receipt which they can take to the registration desk to prove they are a current member in good standing of the Society.

adopted December 1996

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Endowment Policy


The cash reserves of the SICB will be referred to as the Endowment. It is the goal of the SICB to maintain an endowment of no less than 25% of an annual operating expense budget.

adopted January 1995

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Investment Policy

Cash reserves are to be invested in such a manner as to assure the membership of a reasonable rate of return and acceptable level of security consistent with the organizational cash flow needs. The responsibility for investment of said funds shall reside with the Treasurer, with the concurrence of the Finance Committee.

Acceptable avenues of investment shall include savings accounts, savings certificates, Treasury Bills, money market funds and other such investments as may be approved in advance by the Treasurer and Executive Director. Investments which are fixed term in nature shall have terms consistent with the projected cash requirements of the organization.

adopted January 1995


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Contingency Fund Policy

A contingency fund will be budgeted to cover any unforeseen or unbudgeted SICB expenses. These funds may be authorized for expenditure as outlined below:

1. The Treasurer or President may approve unbudgeted expense requests not to exceed $2,000.

2. The Treasurer and President may approve unbudgeted expense requests not to exceed $5,000.

3. The General Officers must approve any unbudgeted expenses in excess of $5,000.

adopted January 1995

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Symposia Contingency Fund Policy

An SICB symposium contingency expense allocation may be made during the annual budgeting process. These funds may be expended to support symposia upon request by the SICB Program Officer and in consultation with the SICB President and Treasurer.


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