Collegium Internationale Activitatis Nervosae Superioris

(amended in 1988 and accepted by postal ballot in 1989)


Article 1

The name of the organization is CIANS, International Association of Integrative Nervous Functions: Neurobiology of Behaviour and Psychosomatics. The central office of CIANS will be located at the residence of the Secretary General.
Article 2

CIANS, organized in 1958 and formally founded in 1960, is the oldest international society in the field of behavioural neuroscience, integrative physiology and psychosomatic medicine.

Its purpose is to foster the interdisciplinary studies on problems of practical importance to neuroscience, psychology and biomedical science, and to the education of social and health care professionals. It emphasizes integrative approaches to these problems in order to understand how and through which mechanisms psychosocial factors and stress impact on behaviour, homeostasis and health.

The integrative approach is also evident in its further goal of supporting the development of health care measures designed to act as adjuncts with other available modalities to decrease death and disability from disease.

In order to fulfill the above goals CIANS will

a) organize scientific conferences, work­shops, and courses of continuing education and cooperate in such activities with other societies;

b) publish proceedings of such meetings and co-sponsor publications of its official organ "Homeostasis" (formerly Activitas Nervosa Superior), an international journal devoted to regulatory mechanisms ranging from molecular to systemic processes with emphasis on the integrative role of central nervous system in health and disease.

Article 3

There shall be individual and collective memberships. Individual membership includes full, honorary and emeritus status; collective membership includes affiliate and sustaining members.

(a) Full membership

In order to become full members, scientists and health professionals active in the area of CIANS interests must submit a membership application (proposed by two sponsors, members of CIANS) and be accepted for membership by the Executive Committee.

(b) Honorary and emeritus members

A scientist of health professional who has made a distinguished contribution to CIANS goals and was an active member of CIANS, shall be admitted to honorary membership after proposal by three members, approval by the Executive Committee and election by the Council. The President may, with the Executive Committee′s approval appoint emeritus members on their retirement from professional activity after a minimum of 10 years of full membership.

(c) Affiliate membership

Is open to any scientific society or professional organization pursuing interests relevant to CIANS objectives.

(d) Sustaining and corporate membership

May be extended to any organization, society, industry, or enterprise. Sustaining membership does not confer on members of the organization the same rights enjoyed by individual members. Article 4

The General Meeting is the supreme governing body of CIANS and approves the constitution, amendments thereto, administrative matters such as election of officers, members of the Council and reports by its Executive Committee. Membership approval may be arranged through a postal ballot.

CIANS shall hold a General Meeting every fourth year, mainly in connection with CIANS Conferences. During the interval between the general meetings, CIANS may organize meetings devoted to scientific topics.

Article 5

The Council of CIANS is empowered to implement the purposes defined in this constitution.

The CIANS Council shall consist of elected officers and council members representing individual or collective members (affiliated societies). The Editor-in-Chief of Homeostasis will be will be ex-officio member and chairpersons of scientific committees will be members ex-officio in an advisory capacity.

The election shall be by postal ballot from a slate proposed by a nominating committee (appointed by the Executive Committee) with the aim of representing as far as possible a balanced geographical and professional distribution of CIANS membership.

The Council shall meet at least once in a quadriennium and at any other time which the President may consider necessary. A special meeting of the CIANS Council will also be convened at the request of a majority of its members.

Article 6

The business of CIANS will be conducted by an Executive Committee consisting of the President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary General, Secretary Treasurer, and members of the Executive Committee. The Vice-Presidents shall be the immediate Past President and the President Elect. The Executive Committee shall meet at least annually.

Article 7

All members of the CIANS Council shall be elected for a period of four years, with the possibility of re-election for a total of two successive periods of four years in the same position, except for the President and Vice-Presidents who shall hold office for two years only and except for both secretaries whose stay in office may exceed the above time limit for the sake of continuity. The CIANS council shall have the power to replace any unforeseen vacancy among the executive officers either from the other members of the Council or from the full or honorary members of CIANS.

Article 8

The President shall have the authority to approve foundation of scientific committees and of ad-hoc advisory commissions or panels. Each commission will conduct its program and elect its own chairman, compatible with CIANS Statutes.

In order to facilitate CIANS activities, CIANS members may organize themselves on a national or regional basis (corresponding to areas of WHO Regional Offices). They may nominate, with approval of the President, National Secretaries or Regional Secretaries.

Article 9

The Executive Committee shall formulate and enact by-laws essential for the efficient application of the Constitution.

Article 10

These statutes may not be changed except at a General Meeting or a special meeting of CIANS called for that purpose. The proposed changes shall be submitted in writing to the President at least eight weeks before any such General Meeting and circulated first to the members of CIANS together with the agenda for the General Meeting. A two thirds vote of members present will be required to effect such changes.

Article 11

Dissolution of CIANS may be requested by a majority of the ordinary members of CIANS. The request must be sent to the President in writing at least ten weeks in advance of a General Meeting, discussed by the CIANS Council and circulated to the members of CIANS, together with the proposed agenda for the General Meeting. No change shall be made unless two thirds of the members present vote in favor of the dissolution. In case of dissolution of CIANS, the funds remaining in the Treasury shall be given to an international organization for neurosciences.

Article 1

The By-Law is based on the Collegium Internationale Activitatis Nervosae Superioris (hereinafter referred to as CIANS) Statutes for putting into effect its Article 9.

Article 2

Its goal is to realize the purposes of CIANS, that are:

to promote the interdisciplinary scientific meetings in the field of cognitive and behavioural sciences, physiology, psychology, pathology, pharmacology, biomedical sciences and other disciplines concerned with health and disease, emphasizing the role of integrative Higher Nervous Functions.

to foster collaborative studies, both experimental and clinical, concerned with the development and integration of biological, psychological and social sciences relevant to treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of disease and disability, and to promotion of health and quality of life.

to spread knowledge of the impact of cognitive, behaviour, life style, the stressful life events and other psychosomatic factors on health and health related quality of life.

to enhance the education of social and health professionals, and other people engaged in the field of practical application of the relevant knowledge, emphasizing integrative approaches to health.

Article 3
CIANS membership

Membership of CIANS shall be open to all interested persons, societies, institutions, organizations or groups either medically or scientifically qualified in pursuing interests relevant to or helping the CIANS goals.
Individual membership

Full members (scientists and health professionals active in the area of CIANS interests)

Honorary and Emeritus members (scientists or health professionals who have made a distinguished contribution to CIANS goals)

Collective membership

Affiliate members (any scientific society, professional organization, national or regional organized groups pursuing to CIANS objectives)

Sustaining members (any other organization, society, industry or enterprise, helping the CIANS purpose). Article 4
The governing body

The General Meeting is the supreme governing body of CIANS which consists of individual members and a representative from each affiliate member. CIANS shall hold a General Meeting every fourth year, mostly in connection with CIANS Congresses. During the interval between two General Meetings, CIANS may organize conferences and/or symposia, meetings, courses, lectures, discussions or seminars devoted to CIANS topics or interest which may be connected with the General Meeting of CIANS members.

The CIANS Council consists of members elected by the General Meeting and of a delegate from each affiliate member. The Editor-in-Chief of "Homeostasis in Health and Disease", the official journal of CIANS (hereinafter referred to as "Homeostasis") will be ex-officio member and chairpersons of scientific committees will be members ex-officio in an advisory capacity. Nomination of members for election to the Council shall be made by two members and submitted by them jointly in writing with the consent of the nominee and his curriculum vitae to the Secretary two calendar months prior to the General Meeting. For the avoidance of doubt, it is acknowledged that the Council Members are to be elected as individuals or as representatives of a particular region or an affiliate member.

The Executive Committee consists of eight members elected by the Council. The members are the President, President Elect, Past President, Secretary General, Secretary Treasurer, and three Counselors. Another Counselor can be co-opted by the Executive Committee as Congress Organizer. Article 5
Rules of management of CIANS

The General Meeting is the supreme governing boy of the CIANS. Its duty is provided for by Article 4 of CIANS Statutes. It shall meet every fourth year and shall elect the Council from a slate proposed by a nominating committee (appointed by the Executive Committee). Ex-officio members and delegates of affiliate members are automatically members of the Council.

The Council has the duty provided for by Article 5 of CIANS Statutes. It shall be elected for a period of four years, with the possibility of re-election. It shall meet at least once in a quadriennium and at any other time which the President may consider necessary. It shall elect every two years the President Elect and three Counselors and when necessary to fill the mid-term vacancy to elect also the Secretary General and the Secretary Treasurer.

The function of the Executive Committee shall be to ensure the efficient management of the business of the Council and the CIANS and generally to promote the work and aims of the CIANS between two consecutive CIANS Congresses. It shall meet at least annually. It appoints a nominating committee for Council election, co-opts a Congress Organizer, organizes congresses, conferences, courses and other scientific and promotional activities.

The President represents the CIANS and shall hold office for two years (after this period he shall become Past President) and succeed to his office from that of President Elect. He shall convene (ordinarily and whenever he considers necessary) and preside at meetings of the governing body. He shall have the authority to approve foundation of scientific committees and ad-hoc advisory commissions or panels and to approve National Secretaries or Regional Secretaries. Other duties are provided by Articles 10 and 11 of CIANS Statutes.

The President Elect shall be elected to serve during the two years of office of the President, so that the term of President Elect and subsequent presidency will be four years. The President Elect shall assist and deputize for the President in the event of absence.

The Past President shall hold office for two years, so that the term of President and subsequent Past Presidency will be four years. The Past President shall assist the President and the President Elect in ensuring continuity of the Executive Committee.

The Secretary General shall be elected for four years, with the possibility of reelec�tion, and his stay in office may exceed the above time limit for the sake of continuity. The central office of CIANS will be located at the residence of Secretary General. He shall take care of CIANS archives, shall compile the agenda and the minutes of all meetings, shall organize the meetings and the elections by postal ballot, shall be in contact with the Editor-in-Chief of Homeostasis, will maintain liaison with the members of CIANS and the governing body and provide assistance to the Secretary Treasurer as is necessary from time to time in the carrying of his duties.

The Secretary Treasurer shall be elected for four years with the possibility of re-elec�tion and his stay in office may exceed the above time limit for the sake of continuity. He shall be responsible for the financial administration of CIANS in close cooperation with the other officers, he shall make written and oral annual reports on financial status of CIANS to the Executive Committee, and in consultation with the President and the Secretary General shall prepare an annual budget for approval by the Executive Committee. He is charged with collecting the CIANS fees, finding other funds, and with promoting and advertising CIANS. He is also responsible for ordinary expenditure and when necessary for reasonable extraordinary expenditure within the limits of CIANS finances. The Secretary Treasurer shall present to the General Meeting of CIANS an audited Profit and Loss Account and Balance Sheet of CIANS.

The Congress Organizer is co-opted in the Executive Committee for organizing the next congress or conference. Article 6

Voting Each body shall pass its resolutions by simple majority of votes. In each case voting may be by postal ballot organized by the Secretary General.

Article 7

Compensation No member of CIANS shall receive compensation for his services, but the Executive Committee members, if possible, shall be paid reasonable expenses where these are incurred in carrying out their duties and they do not pay the registration fees for CIANS congresses and conferences.

Article 8

The means of realizing the goals of CIANS shall be through organizing congresses, conferences, courses, workshops and other types of scientific meetings and activities, through cooperating with other scientific societies, groups or institutes, through supporting the scientific work of CIANS members, through promoting the circulation of the official journal of CIANS "Homeostasis", through publishing Newsletters and spreading CIANS news by internet or other means.