The Canadian Association for HIV Research (CAHR) is seeking nominations for general election of new Board Directors to take office for a two-year period commencing May 2021. Specifically, the following positions open for nomination are:
- President-elect
- Treasurer
- Social Science
- Epidemiology/Public Health
Additionally, the following positions in which current Board members will be standing for re-election, are also open for new nominations:
- Basic Science
- Clinical Science
- Community
- Secretary
General Qualifications
CAHR encourages nominees from members: who bring perspectives from across the country, from different research approaches, and from diverse backgrounds; that are able to think conceptually; that have a long-term perspective; and who welcome a diversity of opinions. CAHR also encourages nominations of candidates who are committed to its mandate, have the time to serve on an active Board (monthly teleconferences, face-to-face meetings, committee work and requirement to attend the annual CAHR Conference and AGM), show a willingness to work collaboratively, and have effective connections to the HIV community along with demonstrated leadership skills. Candidates seeking to serve on the Executive (President-elect, Treasurer and Secretary) should have served on the CAHR Board previously in some capacity.
CAHR is committed to equity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from diverse Indigenous, cultural and regional communities, across gender and sexuality spectrums and from people with disabilities.
Nomination Requirements
CAHR members in good standing are eligible to be nominated for the office of Director. For a nomination to be valid, the candidate must be nominated separately by at least two active voting CAHR members. (More information on membership can be found in the “Membership” section of this website.)
Nominations must include the nominee’s name, the position for which they are being nominated and full contact information for both the nominator and the nominee. Nominators much complete the nomination form (click here).
The nomination period will be open for approximately six weeks (deadline for nominations is March 5th, 2021). Nominations must be received by no later than 60 days before the AGM. A nomination is only valid if the form is submitted.
Voting
All active CAHR voting members may vote for candidates for the above-noted positions. Voting for CAHR Directors will open late March 2021, shortly after nominations close. Voting will continue for about one month, until the week before the Annual General Meeting/ CAHR 2021 Conference.
All CAHR Members will receive a ballot by e-mail to vote in the election of Directors to CAHR’s Board. The ballot will be provided in the form of a link to an online voting platform. Members will be provided with the following information:
- A description of the available board positions and their specific eligibility requirements
- A list of nominees for each vacant seat, with their bios and nominee information
- Links to CAHR’s Board Terms of Reference, current membership, and its Strategic Plan
- An individualized, secure link to a confidential web platform with detailed instructions to use the electronic voting process
- Contact details for further information and help, or to access alternative ways to vote
Tabulating the votes
The following process will be used to tabulate the ballots and identify the winners of the vote:
- Directors shall be elected by majority vote using Instant Runoff Voting (IRV), a method in which voters rank the candidates in order of preference. These preferences are used to conduct runoffs until one candidate has a majority of the vote.
- Voters can choose to rank all, some or none of the candidates.
- If a candidate receives a majority of the first-choice votes, that candidate has been elected.
- If no candidate receives a majority of the first-choice votes, the candidate with the least number of first-choice votes is eliminated. The votes for the eliminated candidate are transferred to the remaining candidates in accordance with the next choice indicated on each ballot. The ballots are recounted, and candidates are eliminated and votes transferred in this fashion until one candidate emerges with a majority of the vote.
Quorum and Results
Quorum for both the AGM and pre-AGM voting is 25 CAHR Members in good standing. Election results will become official when they are announced at the 2021 AGM and a motion to destroy ballots has been passed by the Membership.
Board Composition
CAHR is governed by a Board of ten that includes: the President, Past-president, President-elect, Treasurer, Secretary, a member representing each discipline (Basic Sciences; Clinical Sciences; Epidemiology/Public Health; and Social Sciences) and a Community Representative. A full list of current Board members can be found at: http://www.cahr-acrv.ca/directors/
Questions
If you have any questions about the nominations process, please send an e-mail to info@cahr-acrv.ca
