In This Section

Articles I and II

Article I: Membership

Section 1

The Association shall consist of seven classes of members: active, associate, student, affiliate, emeritus, honorary, and sustaining.

Section 2

(a) Active membership shall be open to qualified scientists of any nation who have established a record of scholarly activity resulting in original, peer-reviewed publications relevant to cancer and biomedical research. The Board of Directors may invite into active membership other individuals who have made substantial contributions to cancer research in an administrative or educational capacity.

(b) Associate membership shall be open to graduate students, medical students and residents, clinical fellows in related subspecialties, and postdoctoral fellows who are enrolled in educational or training programs that could lead to careers in cancer research. Associate members are not eligible to vote or to hold office.

(c) Student membership shall be open to persons who have manifested an interest in cancer and related biomedical science and who are enrolled in a program leading to a high school diploma or bachelor’s degree. Student members are not eligible to vote or hold office.

(d) Affiliate membership shall be open to qualified individuals who are health professionals working in support of cancer and biomedical research, survivors and advocates who are members of organizations whose mission includes the advancement of cancer research, and educators or other professionals who are interested in and/or make substantial contributions to the cancer field. Affiliate members are not eligible to vote or hold office.

(e) Emeritus membership shall be open to active members who have attained the age of 70 years. In case of the disability of an active member or under circumstances deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors, the requirement of an age of 70 years for transfer to emeritus status may be waived. Emeritus members shall retain all rights and privileges of active membership except the holding of office.

(f) Honorary membership shall be open to distinguished individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of cancer research either through outstanding personal scientific activity or through exceptional leadership in cancer research. Honorary members shall have all the rights and privileges of active membership.

(g) Sustaining membership shall be open to organizations in recognition of annual payment of dues and other substantial contributions in support of the purposes and activities of the Association. Employees of sustaining member organizations are not eligible to vote, hold office, or nominate new members unless they are also individual members of the Association with such rights.

Section 3

(a) Applicants for active membership having been nominated by two members in good standing (except associate, student, affiliate, and sustaining members), and recommended for membership after review of their qualifications, shall be eligible for election by majority vote of the members of the Board of Directors. The President and President-Elect acting together may invite distinguished scientists working in the field of cancer research to become active members of the Association without submission to the usual nomination and election process.

(b) Applicants for associate and affiliate membership, having been nominated by one member of the Association in good standing (except an associate, student, affiliate, or sustaining member), shall be granted associate or affiliate membership status after review of their qualifications by the Chief Executive Officer.

(c) Applicants for student membership who submit satisfactory evidence of their eligibility shall be granted student membership status by the Chief Executive Officer.

(d) The report of the committee on membership dealing with nominations for honorary membership shall be submitted to the Board of Directors. The election of honorary members shall be conducted by secret ballot of the members of the Board of Directors and shall require a two-thirds favorable vote.

(e) Applicants for sustaining membership after review of their qualifications shall be eligible for election by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Section 4

Memberships shall be transferred from one class to another by action of the Board of Directors.

Section 5

Upon petition from a member to the President concerning the action of another member considered to be inimical to the best interests of the Association, the President shall request the Officers to consider the allegations. If the Officers vote to recommend termination of membership, the member shall be requested to testify before the Board of Directors, which can vote expulsion from the Association, or a lesser disciplinary action, by a two-thirds vote of those Directors present and voting.

Article II: Board of Directors

Section 1

The Association shall have a Board of Directors composed of fifteen active or honorary members duly elected as such and certain ex officio members. Each elected member shall serve a term of three years. Five members shall be elected annually to replace the retiring Directors. The newly elected members of the Board shall assume office during the annual business meeting of members and shall retire three years later during the annual business meeting. No member of the Board elected for a full three-year term may be re-elected without at least two years intervening between terms of office. The President, President-Elect, Past President, Treasurer, and Chief Executive Officer shall be ex officio members of the Board of Directors. Regular and ex officio members of the Board shall have voting privileges unless otherwise specified. The Chief Executive Officer shall be an ex officio member of the Board of Directors without vote.

Section 2

Election of Board members shall be by ballot distributed by mail or, to the extent permitted by law, by email, Internet-assisted ballot, or any other method approved by the Board of Directors that permits participation in such voting by each member entitled to vote. The ballot shall contain the names of eight candidates for the Board of Directors proposed by the Nominating Committee. Provision shall be made on the ballot for Directors to permit write-in nominations by the members.

Section 3

The Nominating Committee shall consist of eight active or honorary members of the Association whose term of service shall be two years. No Officer or Director of the Association may be a member of the Committee, and no member of the Committee may stand for election as an Officer or Director while serving on the Committee. Four members of the Committee shall be elected annually to replace four retiring members. The Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee shall each select four candidates for the succeeding Nominating Committee. Additional candidates may be proposed by the membership of the Association in the form of a petition signed by fifteen active members in good standing. The final slate of eight or more candidates, reflecting the scientific and geographic diversity of the Association, shall be distributed either by physical or electronic mail to the voting members of the Association. Those four individuals who receive the highest number of votes and who are affiliated with different institutions shall be elected to the Nominating Committee. The candidate on the slate for the Nominating Committee for the current year who received the next highest number of votes from the members and who is affiliated with an institution different from those already represented on the Committee shall be considered the alternate for a member unable to complete a term of office. Decisions of the Nominating Committee shall require a majority vote plus one. The Chairperson shall be selected by the members of the Committee. No member of the Nominating Committee elected for a full two-year term may be re-elected without at least two years intervening between terms of office.

Section 4

Duties and responsibilities of the Board of Directors shall be to:

(a) Set general policy for the Association and oversee its activities, representatives, and employees.
(b) Adopt an annual budget prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, and authorize agreements, contracts, and expenditures.
(c) Elect new active, sustaining, and honorary members to the Association.
(d) Confirm the election of the President, President-Elect, Treasurer, and the Nominating Committee as conducted by the membership of the Association.
(e) Appoint the Chief Executive Officer and the Editors-in-Chief of the journals and other publications of the Association.
(f) Fill interim vacancies occurring in the Board and among the Officers.

Section 5

Any Director who has failed to attend three consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors shall be considered to have resigned. Reinstatement will be considered by the Board upon receipt of a written petition from that Director.