Charter and By-laws
High Energy Density Science Association
HEDSA

Purposes
Provide an organization to enable University and Small Business scientists who are working on high energy density research to:
Advocate a broad-based High Energy Density Science research program based in universities and small businesses as well as in national laboratories and large companies;
Advocate new initiatives to maintain the health of high energy density science and the related workforce in the United States, including the formation of a High Energy Density Science Users Program; and
Facilitate increased collaboration and communication opportunities among its members.
Provide, in addition, a Point of Contact (individual) through whom university and small business high energy density research scientists can communicate with government agencies responsible for sponsoring such
research in order to facilitate the flow of information in both directions.

Governance and Committee Structure
The governance will be based upon a Steering Committee to be elected by the membership. The Chair of the Steering Committee and other officers will be elected by the members of the Steering Committee.
Officers must be members of the Steering Committee at the time of their election. Procedures for governance (terms of office, number of members on the steering committee, etc.) are detailed in the By-Laws. Activities will be organized and carried out by committees, both Standing and Ad Hoc. Procedures for formation of committees are detailed in the By-Laws.

High Energy Density Science Users Program - HEDSUP
HEDSUP will advocate and facilitate the initiation and development of funded user programs on high energy density (HED) science facilities for HEDSA members and their collaborators. Initial efforts will be directed
toward intermediate scale facilities of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) (e.g., Trident at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Jupiter at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Z-Beamlet at Sandia
National Laboratories, and Nike at the Naval Research Laboratory). The ultimate goal is to involve all HED science facilities in this program including the National Ignition Facility, OMEGA EP and the upgraded Zmachine when they are completed, as well as such university facilities as COBRA at Cornell and the Petawatt at the University of Texas. By mutual agreement with National Laser User Facility management at the Laboratory of Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, OMEGA could
also be included.
HEDSUP will encourage the formation of collaborations among HEDSA members to obtain funding for use of HED science facilities, including seeking participation by women and minorities.
There will be a standing committee within HEDSA for HEDSUP. The chair of this subcommittee will also serve as HEDSA Point of Contact with potential funding agencies.
HEDSUP-sponsored research activities will be presented at HEDSA organized workshops that are expected to be held annually in the Spring.

Advocacy Activities
HEDSA will advocate a strengthening and expansion of high energy density research based in universities and small businesses. The association may sponsor or co-sponsor such activities as information sessions with Congressional staffers on plasma science, high energy density physics and fusion.
There will be a standing committee within HEDSA for this purpose.

Sharing of information
Workshops will be organized, a website maintained and e-mail newsletters sent to members for the purpose of sharing information within HEDSA about the opportunities for collaborative research exploiting high energy density science facilities of the members as well as at the major laboratories. The web site and newsletters will also summarize the activities of the various committees of HEDSA for the benefit of the membership. There will be a standing committee within HEDSA that will organize workshops as well as one regular meeting a year at the Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics.
HEDSA is not intended to be a single voice for the diverse community of researchers in high energy density science, but rather to be an organization that enables all the members to advance their aims, express their concerns and communicate their needs to other members, to government agencies and to the legislative branch of government. The web site and e-mail to members of the steering committee will provide two mechanisms for individual members to communicate individual views to the membership as a whole and to the steering committee, respectively. The steering committee will be responsible for summarizing the views of the membership, including majority and minority opinion, to government agencies.
There will be a standing committee within HEDSA for the purpose of maintaining the web site, preparing one or more newsletters per year for the membership, and other such activities.

Other Standing Committees as described in the Bylaws will be responsible for the normal activities of the association.

Ad hoc committees to address/promote current needs/interests of the membership will be formed as needed.
Current examples:
1. Committee to develop a proposal for a computer cluster, the purchase and maintenance of which will be a part of the NNSA’s Stockpile Stewardship Academic Alliances program.
2. Committee to advocate development of university/small business diagnostic programs as part of the development of the major facilities.

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Bylaws for HEDSA
  1. Association Name: High Energy Density Science Association, acronym HEDSA
  2. Purposes: The purposes shall be as described in the Charter.
  3. Membership
    A. Membership in HEDSA will be open to all researchers at universities and small businesses who are presently working in the general area of high energy density science (HEDS) or have worked in this field within the past 10 years.
    B. Regular membership is open to any staff scientist carrying out HEDS or closely related research at a university or small business in the United States. U.S. citizens working on HED research in niversities outside of the United States may also be regular members. It is intended that people desiring to be members will determine for themselves if they fit within these criteria, except that “principal” or “permanent” employer will determine eligibility rather than temporary employment location. Thus, a university professor or a research associate at a university who is working at a national laboratory is eligible for HEDSA membership, while a national laboratory scientist working on assignment in a university laboratory is not, except possibly as a “guest member” (see 3.D).
    C. Graduate students working in HEDS laboratories are eligible for HEDSA Student Membership.
    D. Guest membership may be extended by the Steering Committee, upon recommendation of at least 5 regular HEDSA members, to individuals who are otherwise ineligible for HEDSA membership, such as employees of U.S. government laboratories or foreign citizens working outside the U.S. To be eligible for guest membership, an individual must be actively engaged in HED or closely related research. Guest members will be invited to take part in HEDSA activities, but they will not pay dues and will not have voting rights (see Sec. 5). Guest membership will be renewable annually by the current Steering Committee if it deems such renewal beneficial to HEDSA.
    E. In the event of a dispute, the Steering Committee will be the final arbiter of eligibility for regular membership.
  4. Steering Committee
    A. The Steering Committee (SC) will be the executive committee of HEDSA. It is expected to meet twice during each year, once before the HEDSA Annual Meeting at the Annual Meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics of the American Physical Society (DPP) and once at the Spring Workshop of HEDSUP (see Sec. 6.B). Business may be transacted by conference calls and by electronic mail in between those meetings B. The SC will consist of six members who will be elected by the membership for staggered three-year terms after a first election cycle in which all members will be elected.
    1. In the initial cycle, two members will be elected for the first year only, two for two years and two for three years. The initial election will take place approximately 11 months after the first annual meeting of HEDSA, which is anticipated to be at the 2006 Annual DPP Meeting and will be scheduled after the Charter and By-Laws are accepted by at least 20 individuals who are eligible to be regular members.
    2. Regular elections will be held approximately one month before the Annual Meeting of HEDSA at DPP meetings. New members of the SC will take office at the end of the SC meeting held at each DPP meeting, but will be invited to attend that SC meeting as non-voting participants.
    3. Members may be re-elected to the SC after a break of at least one year.
    4. Principal Investigator status at a university or small business is required for nomination to serve on the Steering Committee (as well as for submission as a principal investigator of a proposal as part of HEDSUP).
    5. HEDSA members who are part of the senior management team at a national laboratory or of one of the major government sponsored laboratories at a university (such as LLE) will not be eligible for election to the steering committee.
    6. Members nominated to serve on the SC should not be from the same institutions as continuing SC members.
    C. The Chair of the Steering Committee will be elected by the members of the Steering Committee for a one-year term at the regular meeting. It is expected that the Vice-chair for the previous year will assume the office of Chair, subject to the vote of the Steering Committee. The Chair will be a member of the Steering Committee at the time of his/her election. If the Chair-elect’s term on the Steering Committee ends in less than two years from the time of his/her election, he/she will
    continue as an Ex Officio member of the Steering Committee for an extra year in the role of Past Chair, voting on issues only in case of a tie. The Chair may not be re-elected for consecutive terms, but may be re-elected Chair after a break of at least two years assuming he/she is re-elected to
    the Steering Committee.
    D. The Vice-Chair of the Steering Committee will be elected by the members of the Steering Committee for a one-year term for the purpose of stepping in for the Chair as required in the event that the Chair is not able to carry out his/her duties at a meeting or between meetings. The
    Vice-Chair should be chosen from among members of the Steering Committee who have at least two years left of their 3-year terms because it is expected that the Vice Chair will assume the office of Chair the following year, subject to the vote of the Steering Committee.
    E. The Secretary/Treasurer (S/T) of HEDSA will be elected by the members of the Steering Committee for a two year term. The Secretary/Treasurer will be a member of the Steering Committee at the time of his/her initial election. If the S/T-elect’s term on the Steering Committee ends in less than two years from the time of his/her election, he/she will continue to be a non-voting ex-officio member of the Steering Committee until his/her term as S/T ends, voting on issues only if the Chair is not present to break a tie vote. The S/T may be re-elected for up to three consecutive terms, but then may not be re-elected until after a break of at least two years. The S/T will continue to be an Ex Officio member of the Steering Committee if re-elected.
    F. At least one member of the Steering Committee will be a member of each standing committee and each ad hoc committee, and may be its chair.
  5. Dues and voting rights
    Dues will be set for each year by the Steering Committee, but with the default amount being $20 for regular members; students will not be required to pay dues. The S/T will be responsible for collecting the dues and for assuring that those who vote for Steering Committee members
    are current in their dues. Guest members will not pay dues and will be ineligible to vote for Steering Committee members.
  6. Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees
    A. The activities of HEDSA will be organized and carried out by standing and Ad Hoc Committees. Standing Committees will ordinarily be responsible for activities that are continuously needed by the
    membership. Ad Hoc Committees will be for activities that are expected to be “one time” or of limited duration.
    B. The Chair of each committee will be appointed by the Chair of the Steering Committee with the approval of the Steering Committee and in accordance with restrictions, if any, in these By-Laws concerning each specific committee. Co-chairs may be appointed if appropriate.
    C. Membership on each committee will be nominated by the Chair of that committee and appointed by the Chair of the Steering Committee with the approval of the Steering Committee. All members of HEDSA may be appointed to standing and ad hoc committees, as appropriate to the purpose of the committee, except when specific restrictions apply. At least one member of the Steering Committee will be on each standing and ad hoc committee, and may be its chair.
    D. Standing Committees
    1. Standing Committee on Nominations and Elections (3 members) This committee will be responsible for nomination of a slate of at least two candidates for each Steering Committee opening and for carrying out the election process. Elections will be held starting on or about October 1 with voting by electronic ballot on the HEDSA web site the preferred option. HEDSA members may cast paper ballots instead of electronic ballots if requested at least two weeks ahead from the Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee. Balloting will remain open for approximately 3 weeks. The S/T will be a member of this committee and will be responsible for sending notices to the membership. All regular members who have paid their dues will be eligible to vote.
    2. Standing Committee for HEDSUP (5)
    a.) This committee will be responsible for working with government agencies to develop funded user programs for HEDSA members on high energy density science (HEDS) research facilities. Initially, this committee will address use of intermediate scale facilities at the National Laboratories, as well as OMEGA EP when it is ready, working with NNSA and other interested government agencies, such as DOE’s Office of Science, to arrange this. The eventual goal is to include the smaller scale facilities at HEDSA member laboratories that are suitable as user facilities and, when they are ready, the use of the large-scale HEDS facilities ZR and the NIF. By mutual agreement with National Laser User Facility
    management at the Laboratory of Laser Energetics, University of Rochester, OMEGA could also be included.
    b.) HEDSUP recognizes that the long term health of HEDP research crucially depends on the initiation and facilitation of new comers to the world of HEDP research at existing facilities. As such, it is also part of the mission of HEDSUP to promote the participation of new university and small business scientists in HEDP research funded as part of HEDSUP by pairing such scientists with HEDSA members who have previous experience in HEDP research at the national labs and other HEDS facilities and encouraging them to submit joint proposals.
    c.) The Chair of HEDSUP will be a member of the Steering Committee and will serve as the Point of Contact for working with government agency officials regarding the promotion of HEDS government funded research and obtaining new funding channels for user programs. The Chair of HEDSUP will normally continue as a member of the HEDSUP committee for at least one year after he/she stops being Chair in order to provide continuity and assistance for the new Chair. Members of this committee must be regular members of HEDSA.
    d.) Representative from LLNL, LANL, SNL, U of R LLE and NRL will be invited to participate directly in HEDSUP committee meetings when HED facility related subjects are being discussed. Since the role of HEDSUP, in part, is to coordinate and promote the interactions between HED scientists outside the national lab system and national lab scientists and their facilities, such participation is essential for the proper functioning of HEDSUP. ICF program and/or facility managers of each laboratory will be asked to designate a representative to HEDSUP subject to acceptance by a majority of the 5 HEDSUP committee members. The appointments will be for two years and will be renewable.
    e.) Invitations will be extended to DOE OFES and NNSA officials to participate in HEDSUP meetings where their input on policy and funding issues will be of interest.
    3. Standing Committee for Advocacy (5)
    This committee will be responsible for facilitating contacts with legislative bodies and for developing positions that encourage more than one or two government agencies to sponsor research in HEDS that is appropriate to that agency’s mission.
    The Chair of this committee will normally be a member of the Steering Committee, but this is not a necessity.
    4. Standing Committee for Regular Meetings and Workshops (3)
    This Committee will be responsible for organizing one Steering Committee meeting and one Annual Meeting per year for HEDSA at the American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) meeting and one workshop and a second Steering Committee meeting per year approximately 6 months out of phase with DPP. The workshop should normally be collocated with another conference/symposium/workshop that is of interest to some fraction of our membership (e.g., High
    Temperature Plasma Diagnostics or the IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science). The Chair of the Steering Committee will be the Chair of this committee. The workshop will be organized together with the Chair of HEDSUP.
    5. Standing Committee on Information Sharing (3)
    This committee is responsible for the web site and the dissemination of 1 electronic newsletter per year. At least one member of the Steering Committee should be a member of this committee.
    6. Standing Committee for Graduate Students (3)
    This committee will promote the interests of HEDS graduate students and provide information to prospective undergraduates on opportunities in HEDS research. The HEDSA web site will be used for this purpose, and links will be provided to the web sites of all HEDSA member research programs if they desire to have that link. One member of the Steering Committee should co-chair this committee. Two of the members and the second co-chair should be graduate students from two different universities.
    7. Standing Committee for Diversity (3)
    This committee will encourage demographic and geographic diversity in HEDSA and especially in HEDSUP collaborations.
    E. Ad Hoc Committees
    Ad Hoc committees may be established by the Steering Committee at any time for any legitimate purpose of HEDSA. Membership questions for such committees (e.g., number of members, restrictions on membership, etc.) should be determined as part of the resolution that establishes the committee. Initial Ad hoc committees are as follows:
    1. Committee to establish a common massively parallel computing resource for HEDSA/HEDSUP. (3)
    2. Committee for stronger university/small business diagnostic programs (3)
    The intent of this committee is to advance the science and technology of HED diagnostics and at training graduate students in the application of this knowledge. Such activity might support diagnostic development for major facilities, or alternatively might support the diagnostic development
    for user experiments on some facility that would then become available to the community (perhaps as part of HEDSUP). Because of the comparatively long duration and high cost of some diagnostic projects, this area is best separated from grant programs, the principal purpose of
    which is HED science.
  7. Accepting and Amending the Charter and Bylaws
    A. Acceptance of the Charter and Bylaws for HEDSA requires approval by a majority of the Organizational Steering Committee followed by the approval of at least 20 Charter Members (who must be eligible to be regular members of HEDSA), which may include the 6 members of the
    Organizational Steering Committee. Charter members are those high energy density researchers who participated in the initial organizing activities of HEDSA in the Fall of 2005.
    B. Once the Bylaws are adopted by HEDSA, first by the Organizational Steering Committee and then by the Charter Members, it may be modified by the following procedure:
    1. The Steering Committee may suggest changes and submit them to the membership for a vote.
    2. Ten or more members may petition to change the Bylaws, in which case it will be submitted to the membership for a vote.
    3. The Nominations and Elections Committee will be responsible for submitting proposed amendments to the Bylaws to the membership for a vote.
    4. Amendments to the Bylaws will require a simple majority of voting members in favor to pass except for the proviso in the next item.
    5. Amendments to the Bylaws that substantially change the purpose of the organization from that stated in the Charter in the opinion of at least 2 members of the Steering Committee or 20% of the voting membership will require a 75% majority of all eligible HEDSA voting members to pass.