Last Revised 31-Aug-2015
- Name
1.1. The name of the group is “Association for Human Pharmacology in the Pharmaceutical Industry”. Members should have experience or those with an active interest in Clinical Pharmacology or Early Phase Clinical Research
- Purpose
2.1. The AHPPI provides a forum for discussion of current topics and delivers education and training in early phase clinical research. The association maintains visibility of early phase clinical research within the CRO and Pharmaceutical Industry. It represents early phase professionals as a stakeholder to regulatory agencies, other governmental bodies, trade associations and other national and international organisations such as the MHRA, HRA, EMA, and ABPI.
2.2. The group interfaces with European and international sister organisations such as BAPU, Club Phase I, AGAH etc. and jointly organises public meetings.
2.3. The group maintains membership of EUFEMED.
- Membership
3.1. Membership of the group will be open to anyone working in pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations or academia and others involved in early phase drug development and research.
3.2. There will be no restriction on the number of members per company or per organization.
3.3. The Association will levy an annual subscription, which will be agreed by the Managing Committee, and which will be payable on an annual basis. The subscription will be used for payment of the Association’s liabilities and expenses.
3.4. The Association will have no binding authority on its members.
3.5. Members may resign from the Association at any time.
3.6. The Managing Committee reserves the right not to award or to renew membership and to expel members at its discretion. The Committee shall not be obliged to provide its reasons.
3.7. As membership fees are low, it is not expected that these will be reimbursed in part or in full in the event a member resigns or is expelled.
3.8. The Managing Committee may move to dissolve the Association at any time and will give the members one months notice of its intention to do that.
- Managing Committee
4.1. The Managing Committee shall manage the Association’s affairs, promote and expand the membership and organize the functions and services of the Association and promote them to the membership and public.
4.2. The Committee shall also be responsible for the Constitution and organs of communication of the Association in the form of e-mail, its own website, written communications etc.
4.3. The Committee may establish a part time professional secretariat in order to promote the aims and functions of the Association and to transact the official business of the Association.
4.4. The secretariat shall be represented on the Managing Committee.
4.5. The secretariat shall be non-voting.
4.6. The Managing Committee shall include a Chair, a Chair-elect, a Treasurer and other ordinary Committee members to constitute at least five members in total.
4.7. It is hoped that the Past-Chair will stay on the Managing Committee as an ordinary Committee member after their tenure to provide continuity. They retain the designation as Past-Chair as long as they continue to serve on the Managing Committee.
4.8. Membership of the Managing Committee will be elected at an appropriate ballot held every two years. The Committee will aim to elect two (2) members every two years. In order to achieve this, assuming a Committee of 6 members, two existing members will stand down in rotation. These two committee members may offer themselves for re-election and also, other AHPPI members may also offer themselves for election:
4.9. Candidates should be members of AHPPI
4.10. Committee Members will remain on the Committee until due for re-election at which time they can stand down or be re-elected for a further period.
4.11. The chair and officers of the Association will be elected by the Organising Committee
4.12. Nominations for the Committee will be proposed and seconded by existing members of AHPPI
4.13. When the need arises, extra AHPPI members may be co-opted onto the committee for an agreed period of time
4.14. The Committee shall meet regularly using appropriate methods such as teleconference, web meeting or face to face. The frequency of meeting shall be no more than two monthly and, preferably, at least six weekly.
4.15. Committee meetings will have an appropriate Agenda and will be minuted.
4.16. Where finances allow, Committee Members may claim for travel to relevant committee or representative meetings but must keep all expenses to an absolute minimum by travelling pre-booked and off peak where possible.
- Financial
5.1. The Association is a non-profit or not-for-profit organization.
5.2. All income from membership fees and activities shall be invested in furthering the aims and objectives of the Association.
5.3. The Association’s operating expenses are not expected to include the purchase of capital equipment, property or leaseholds but are likely to include modest and proportionate expenses for marketing, IT services, software, printing, rental of facilities, office consumables, travel, telecommunications, professional services and other such expenses as might reasonably be expected in furtherance of its aims and objectives.
5.4. The Association will operate a bank account to support its aims and objectives.
5.5. The Association may use an approved overdraft at the discretion of the bank and after the approval of the Managing Committee.
5.6. The Association does not expect to use secured or un-secured loans, but reserves the right to do so in order to achieve its aims and objectives. The use of a loan would follow a special resolution raised by the Treasurer and passed unanimously by the Managing Committee.
5.7. The Treasurer and two other designated members of the Managing Committee or Secretariat shall act as signatories to the bank account.
5.8. Cheques will require the signature of one designated member.
5.9. Debit cards will be available to designated card holders in order to make in-person and on-line purchases to support the aims and objectives of the Association.
5.10. The Association’s finances shall be reviewed at each Managing Committee meeting and a summary statement of accounts provided quarterly.
5.11. Annual accounts shall be made available to the Association’s members.
5.12. The Association may enlist the services of a book-keeper and/or accountant to assist with the management of the accounts.
5.13. In the event that the Management Committee decides to dissolve the Association, any surplus monies after satisfying its liabilities and obligations shall be donated to a suitable non-profit or charitable body as designated by the Management Committee.
- General Meetings
6.1. There will be at least one public meeting per year (the Annual General Meeting, AGM) that will consist of structured presentations and discussions of a main topic with a sub-topic on procedural matters of the Association. The main topics will be decided by the Committee and will be representative of current concepts in the field of early phase research. An organizing sub-committee may be appointed.
6.2. Meetings will be held at a central venue that is most easily accessed by the majority of members.
6.3. Proceedings of the meetings will be published on the Association website subject to the agreement of the individual presenters.
- Constitution
7.1. This constitution will be reviewed by the Managing Committee periodically (no less than every two years) and revised and amended as appropriate in accordance with the aims and objectives of the Association.
7.2. This constitution will be made available to members.
- Other
8.1. The communication tools of the Association (e.g. website, e-mail, membership lists etc.) are not to be used by any members for promotional purposes.