Biophysical Society Bulletin | October 2021

President’s Message

Be excellent to each other

At the Biophysical Society (BPS) Spring Council meeting in early June, and in accordance with Article VIII of the BPS Bylaws, the BPS Council passed a motion to amend the By- laws (https:/www.biophysics.org/ About-BPS/Governance/Bylaws). The main purpose of the amend- ments is to codify the authority of the Council to establish and en-

BPS members should demonstrate respect for each other and exhibit appropriate professional conduct in their interactions with all individuals they encounter in connection with their professional roles, including colleagues, students, research- ers, support staff, grantors, administrators, and others in the academic or research community. Non-members of BPS in- volved in BPS activities must also exhibit professional conduct in connection with those activities. Although there is a Code of Conduct (https:/www.biophysics. org/code-of-conduct), which includes reporting of violations with respect to inappropriate behavior at BPS meetings and BPS-sponsored activities, we do not have Ethics Guidelines in place. At present, Council has convened a task force that is moving forward with the policy work. Once the Ethics Guide- lines are completed, this task force will tackle a Revocation Policy to allow for action against award recipients and fellows who fail to meet BPS’s expectations for professional conduct. All BPS Award recipients and Fellows are expected to adhere to commonly held standards of professional ethics and sci- entific integrity. In the very rare case in which these expecta- tions are not met, BPS needs to set up guidelines and pro- cedures to be followed to request revocation of a previously bestowed honor. In August, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Board Chair Claire Fraser sent an all-member email announcing the AAAS revocation policy (https:/www.aaas.org/aaas-awards/revocation-process) and reminding us that: “While not the only interest that is critical for excellence in the STEMM enterprise and is considered by AAAS in deciding who should be granted an Award, profes- sional ethics is an important such interest.” As scientists, we are constantly reminded of the need for excellence in research but sometimes forget to apply the same standards in our interactions with one another. I see kindness as a strength, and there is no need to be rude when criticizing the work of our colleagues. I am sure many of us, like myself, feel devastated when our papers or grants are rejected, but this is compounded when the reviewer is disre- spectful. I ask that all BPS members treat one another with respect and, in the words of Bill and Ted from the movie Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure : “Be excellent to each other!” Ethics Guidelines together with a draft of a Revocation Policy for awards and fellows is proposed to be sent to BPS Council for our Fall meeting. Please let me know if you have other policy priorities or concerns at fs@unimelb.edu.au. — Frances Separovic , President

Frances Separovic

force policies and procedures for eligibility for membership and other BPS roles, and to underscore that members must comply with the Society’s policies and procedures. I’m pleased to report that 96% of the BPS members voting on the Bylaws change voted in favor. Hence, Article III and Article XV will be amended to read as follows (additions in italics): ARTICLE III: Membership in the Biophysical Society shall be open to scientists who share the stated purpose of the Soci- ety, who have educational, research, or practical experience in biophysics or in an allied scientific field, and who comply with the policies and procedures of the Biophysical Society . ARTICLE XV now includes an extra sentence: The Council may establish and enforce policies and procedures for eligibility for membership, volunteer leader positions, and awards, for the con- duct of members, volunteers, Committee members, officers, and Council members, for disciplinary action, suspension, or revocation of membership or awards, and for removal of an officer, volunteer, Committee member, or Council member. In addition, the amendments add headings to Article XIV (Committees and Task Forces) and Article XIX (Subgroups). A comparison of the pre-existing to the amended Bylaws is available at https:/ bit.ly/3kbb9OI. The revised Bylaws will aid BPS in fulfilling our mission of supporting biophysicists across the world. The Society aspires to adhere to high ethical standards and expects ethical be- havior from all our members. As members, we commit to the BPS values set forth as part of the Society’s Mission & Vision (https:/www.biophysics.org/about-bps/mission-vision): • Scientific excellence, • Integrity and transparency, • Diversity, equity and inclusion; and • Community building

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