About

ASB Bylaws

Article 1: Name
The name of this society shall be the American Society of Biomechanics.

Article 2: History
The American Society of Biomechanics is a non-profit organization founded on the eighteenth day of October, 1977, in Iowa City, Iowa and incorporated on the 20th day of February, 1981, in the state of Delaware pursuant to and in conformity with the corporate laws of that state.

Article 3: Purpose
The purpose of the Society is to stimulate and foster research, discussion, and the exchange of ideas among Society members working in the various areas of biomechanics.

Article 4: Membership
Section 1. The categories of membership in the Society shall be defined as follows:

• Regular Members shall be individuals with an established professional reputation in biomechanics. Early Career Members are considered Regular Members who are within five (5) working years of their terminal degree. Retired Members are considered Regular Members who have retired from professional employment.
• Charter Members shall be those members of the Society who participated in the first regular meeting of the Society.
• Student Members shall be those College and University students with a demonstrated interest in biomechanics.
• Honorary Members shall be those individuals who have been so designated by the Executive Board of the Society in recognition of their significant contributions to biomechanics.
• Emeritus Members shall be those members of the Society who are designated Emeritus Members by the Executive Board of the Society.
• Sustaining Members shall be organizations or individuals with a concerned interest in and demonstrated support of the activities of the Society.

Section 2. Application for membership in the Society must be made in writing, via the online platform. After dues are paid, member applications may be subject to periodic review by the Membership Committee.

Section 3. Only Regular and Student Members in good standing and Emeritus Members shall be allowed to vote.

Section 4. Membership dues shall be paid annually by all Regular Members, Student Members, and Sustaining Members of the Society in the amount determined by the Executive Board.

Section 5. Any member desiring to resign from the Society shall submit their resignation in writing to the Secretary, who shall present it to the Executive Board for action.

Section 6. Membership in the Society will automatically lapse for non-payment of dues at the end of the ninety days after being billed twice for the current year. Any member of the Society may be suspended if a majority of the Executive Board deem that suspension is in the best interests of the Society. Expulsion from the Society shall be only as a result of a majority affirmative vote of the voting members of the Society.

Article 5: Officers
Section 1. The officers of the Society shall be a President, Past-President, President-Elect, Treasurer, Treasurer-Elect (only in the third year of the Treasurer’s term), Secretary, Meeting Chairperson, Program Chairperson, Program Chairperson-Elect, Education Chairperson, Communication Chairperson, Diversity Chairperson, Awards Chairperson, Student Representative and Newsletter Editor. These officers shall perform the duties described by these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Society.

Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall be composed of the Past-President as Chairperson and two members elected by majority vote of the Society for a term of one year. The Committee shall nominate at least two candidates for President-elect, Program Chairperson-Elect, Nominating Committee, and, on occasion, the Secretary and Treasurer, for the coming year. The Committee shall ensure that each candidate is a member of the Society and is qualified, able, and willing to serve in the office concerned. The Nominating Committee should assemble a slate of candidates that is representative of the ASB membership and its values, while fostering interdisciplinary cooperation among the Society. 

Section 3. The Nominating Committee shall assemble a slate of candidates which shall be communicated electronically to all Regular and Student Members in good standing and to Emeritus Members. When appropriate, the student representative will assemble a slate of candidates which shall be communicated electronically to all Student Members in good standing. Elections shall be conducted via a secure electronic mechanism. Voting must be open for at least 3 weeks and the election results must be communicated to the membership at least 3 weeks prior to the start of the annual meeting. In the event of a tie for any office, a second vote of the current president, president-elect and past-president shall determine the winner of the election.

Section 3a. Once the site of an annual meeting has been approved by the Executive Board, the Meeting Chairperson for the corresponding year shall be appointed by the Executive Board. In the event of a joint conference with another biomechanics society, if the Meeting Chairperson of the conference is not an ASB member, then no Meeting Chairperson shall serve on the Executive Board for that year.

Section 3b. The Education Chairperson, Communication Chairperson, Diversity Chairperson, Awards Chairperson and the Newsletter Editor shall be appointed by the Executive Board.

Section 4. The terms of office shall begin at the close of the business session at the annual meeting.

Section 5. The terms of office and specific duties of the officers shall be as follows:

• The President shall serve a one-year term and shall be the chief officer of the Society. They shall preside at all Executive Board and annual meetings of the Society, shall be an ex officio member of all committees excepting the Nominating Committee, and shall perform any other duties usually pertaining to the office.
• The Past-President shall serve a one-year term and shall chair the Nominating Committee.
• The President-Elect shall serve a one-year term and shall become President upon the expiration of the term or the resignation or incapacity of the current President. In the absence of the President, the President-Elect shall act as President until the regular President returns to the position.
• The Treasurer shall serve a three-year term. In their absence, a Treasurer pro-tempore shall be designated by the President. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all administrative matters including collection of dues. They shall give a report at the annual meeting of the financial status of the Society. The annual financial report of the Treasurer shall be audited by two members of the Society appointed for that purpose by the Executive Board.
• The Treasurer-Elect shall serve a one-year term and shall become the Treasurer upon the expiration of the term or the resignation or incapacity of the current Treasurer.
• The Meeting Chairperson shall serve a one-year term preceding the annual meeting they chair. They shall chair the Meeting Committee the year of their annual meeting.
• The Program Chairperson shall serve a one-year term. They shall chair the Program Committee.
• The Program Chairperson-Elect shall serve a one-year term and shall become Program Chairperson upon the expiration of the term. They shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Program Committee.
• The Secretary shall serve a three-year term. The Secretary shall keep minutes of meetings of the Society and of the Executive Board, administer society memberships and membership applications, conduct the Society’s elections, and will be responsible for sending of official meeting notices to members. They shall chair the Membership Committee.
• The Education Chairperson shall serve at the discretion of the Executive Board but a maximum of a three-year term. They shall chair the Education Committee.
• The Communication Chairperson shall serve at the discretion of the Executive Board but a maximum of a three-year term. They shall chair the Communication Committee.
• The Diversity Chairperson shall serve at the discretion of the Executive Board but a maximum of a three-year term. They shall chair the Diversity Committee.
• The Awards Chairperson shall serve at the discretion of the Executive Board but a maximum of a three-year term. They shall chair the Awards Committee and oversee the selection and distribution of all Society awards.
• The Student Representative shall be elected by the student members of the Society, to serve a two-year term.
• The Newsletter Editor shall serve at the discretion of the Executive Board for a three-year term. At the discretion of the board this term can be renewed. The Newsletter Editor is responsible for the preparation of the society newsletter.

Section 6. No Member shall hold more than one office at a time, and no Member shall be eligible to serve two consecutive terms in the same office except for the newsletter editor who may serve additional terms at the discretion of the Executive Board.

Article 6: Meetings
Section 1. An annual meeting shall be held for the dissemination of information and ideas among the members of the Society; for the receipt of reports from Officers and Committees; and for any other business that may lawfully come before the meeting.

Section 2. The annual meeting of the Society may be held in conjunction with a meeting of any other Society.

Section 3. The official program of each annual meeting shall contain an announcement of the time and place of the next annual meeting. This information shall also be included in the next general mailing.

Article 7: Executive Board
Section 1. The affairs of the Society shall be governed by an Executive Board consisting of the eight (nine when during the third year of the Treasurer’s term when a Treasurer-Elect is in place) elected and six appointed officers of the Society (five when a Meeting Chairperson is not an ASB member).

Section 2. Meetings of the Executive Board shall be held in conjunction with the annual meeting. Special meetings of the Executive Board may be called by the President or upon the written request of three members of the Executive Board.

Section 3. Any vacancy on the Executive Board shall be filled, for the balance of the unexpired term, by appointment of the President of the Society.

Section 4. Five members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.

Section 5. Action on matters brought before the Executive Board shall be taken upon a majority vote of the Executive Board members present.

Article 8: Committees
Section 1. The Committees of the Society shall be the Nominating Committee, Meeting Committee, Program Committee, Membership Committee, Education Committee, Awards Committee, Communication Committee, Diversity Committee, Student Committee, and such other committees as shall from time to time be appointed by the President or the Executive Board.

Section 2. The composition and duties of the Nominating Committee are described in Article 5, Sections 3 and 4.

Section 3. The Meeting Committee shall be composed of the Meeting Chairperson and any other members of the Society appointed by the Executive Board for a term of one year. The Committee shall be responsible for the arrangements for the next annual meeting.

Section 4. The Program Committee shall be composed of the Program Chairperson, the Chairperson-Elect, and at least two other members of the Society appointed by the Executive Board for a term of one year. The Committee shall be responsible for the scientific program at the next annual meeting, including the solicitation, review, selection, and programming of papers to be presented. The Committee shall also be responsible for selecting and inviting any special speakers.

Section 5. The Membership Committee shall be composed of the Secretary and any other members of the Society appointed by the Executive Board. The Committee shall be responsible for soliciting and approving new members, and for communicating with the Executive Board on behalf of the members.

Section 6. The Education Committee shall be composed of the Education Committee Chairperson and any other members of the Society appointed by the Executive Board. The Committee shall be responsible for providing educational services for members.

Section 7. The Awards Committee shall be composed of the Awards Committee Chairperson (non-voting member) and any other members of the Society appointed by the Chairperson and the Executive Board. The Committee shall be responsible for selecting the Society award recipients.

Section 8. The Communication Committee shall be composed of the Communication Committee Chairperson, the Newsletter Editor and any other members of the Society appointed by the Executive Board. The Committee shall be responsible for maintaining Society communication with members and the general community, primarily through the Society website and Newsletter.

Section 9. The Diversity Committee shall be composed of the Diversity Committee Chairperson and any other members of the Society appointed by the Executive Board. The Committee shall be responsible for promoting diversity within the Society.

Section 10. The Student Committee shall be composed of the Student representative, and any other student members of the Society appointed by the Executive Board. The Committee shall be responsible for facilitating student involvement in the Society and communicating with the Executive Board on behalf of the student members.

Article 9: Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Society in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Society may adopt.

Article 10: Amendment of the Bylaws
The Executive Board of the Society, or any six members in good standing, may propose, by written petition to the Secretary, an amendment to the Bylaws. A copy of such proposals shall then be distributed to all voting members in good standing within thirty days of receipt. Balloting on the proposal shall close not less than thirty days nor more than forty-five days after the proposal is distributed to members. An amendment shall be approved and adopted by a two-thirds affirmative vote of all voting members. The results of such balloting shall be communicated to the membership.

Last modified 2024

The American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) code of conduct briefly addresses Conflict of Interest (COI). This statement elaborates the ASB position on COI.

As a starting point, we begin with a definition of COI:

 “A conflict of interest is a set of circumstances that creates a risk that professional judgment or actions regarding a primary interest will be unduly influenced by a secondary interest.”[1]

COI policies and statements are about managing and mitigating risks. Disclosure is an integral part of managing risks that arise in conflicted situations. The American Society of Biomechanics expects every presentation at its annual meeting to disclose all relevant COI.

Additionally, the American Society of Biomechanics expects that members will

• Disclose all relevant COI in presentations, publications, and activities of the American Society Biomechanics.
• Recuse themselves from ASB business decisions when they have a COI.
• Remain cognizant that when a COI exists their duty is to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.

[1]Lo, B. and Field, M.J., Eds. (2009) Conflict of Interest in Medical Research, Education, and Practice. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, p. 46.

Respecting the privacy of our members and of the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) itself is a basic value of the ASB. Diversity-related information is confidential and will not be disclosed to or discussed with anyone without authorization from the ASB executive board or as otherwise required by law. Information will be collected for use in documentation of membership demographics, support for grant proposal preparation and progress reporting, eligibility determination for relevant awards, and related purposes. All reporting of information outside of the executive board will be done in aggregate to protect individual member’s descriptors. Care will also be taken to prevent unauthorized individuals from overhearing discussions of diversity information and to prevent documents containing confidential information from being left in the open or inadvertently shared. Board and committee members of ASB may be exposed to information which is confidential and/or privileged and proprietary in nature. It is the policy of ASB that such information will be kept confidential both during and after active ASB membership, unless required to be disclosed by law. Staff and volunteers, including board members, will be expected to return materials containing privileged or confidential information at the time of expiration of service.

Membership in professional societies, including the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB), has implied expectations for ethical behavior in research, teaching, and service to all segments of society.

All members of and/or participants in ASB events shall:

• Honor and respect the field of biomechanics by conducting oneself responsibly, ethically, and lawfully.
• Participate in respectful scientific debate.
• Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.
• Provide truthful, accurate, relevant, and evidence-based information based upon competence in the subject matter and knowledge of the facts and disseminate without deception.
• Abide by the basic principles of respect of persons, beneficence, and justice and comply with regulations in accordance with each person’s institutional review board.
• Endeavor to increase the knowledge in the discipline and within reasonable limits of time and finance, shall make available that knowledge, skill, and training to the public for the benefit of all.
• Disclose any conflicts of interest and review the professional work of others fairly and in confidence.
• Recognize the contributions of others and not associate or allow the use of their name on enterprise known to be illegal, fraudulent or of questionable character.
• Participate in activities contributing to the improvement of the biomechanics community.

The ASB is committed to fostering open dialogue and the exchange of scientific ideas, with mutual trust based upon honesty, integrity, and respect for all persons. It is the policy of the ASB that all participants attending both in-person and virtual ASB-sponsored activities (video meeting attendees or social media contributors) including attendees, vendors, ASB representatives, volunteers, and all other stakeholders will conduct themselves in a professional manner that is welcoming to all and free from any form of discrimination, intimidation, harassment, or retaliation. Creating a supportive environment to enable discourse is the responsibility of all members and all participants at ASB activities.

Inappropriate actions, statements, or conduct based on individual characteristics such as age, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, nationality, political affiliation, ability status, educational background, or any other personal characteristic, or other disruptive or harassing behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. The ASB has a reporting system with both anonymous and non-anonymous option. All reports will be investigated and sanctions up to and including expulsion from the ASB may be imposed, as detailed in the Investigations Policy.

If a crime is being committed or you fear for your immediate safety, please contact the local authorities or 9-1-1.

All members and participants at ASB activities are expected to be familiar with and positively accept the full ASB Code of Conduct as a condition of participation.

DOWNLOAD THE FULL CODE OF CONDUCT

DOWNLOAD THE INVESTIGATION POLICY

DOWNLOAD THE HONORS AND AWARD POLICY

DOWNLOAD THE GLOSSARY OF TERMS

THE ASB HAS A REPORTING SYSTEM WITH BOTH ANONYMOUS AND NON-ANONYMOUS OPTION. 

Introduction: Many independent non-profit organizations may wish to affiliate with the American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) for certain benefits vis a vis ASB activities and events and in contacting its membership. The ASB wishes to support non-profit organizations whose mission in promoting biomechanics and supporting biomechanists are in alignment with the ASB mission. Thus, the aim of this policy is to establish the process for attaining and maintaining status as a Non-Profit Partner (NPP) of ASB.

Policy Statement: The support of the ASB will increase the visibility and impact the effectiveness of the NPP, and the NPP provides valuable services to ASB members and the biomechanics community that may go beyond what ASB can provide. This proposed policy will require that:

1. ASB NPP status is contingent on alignment with the ASB mission, priorities and values and can be granted or withdrawn by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board.
2. If an NPP has an individual membership category, membership must be open to all ASB members in good standing.
3. ASB will list its NPP on a designated page within its website. That listing can include a short description and a link to the NPP’s own website and/or social media handles.
4. NPP’s are encouraged to establish regular communication with one member of the Executive Board to represent their interests in Executive Board meetings, discussions, and deliberations. NPP’s are responsible for designating the Executive Board member to represent them and for initiating and maintaining that communication with the Executive Board member to make sure their concerns are heard.
5. Communications
1. ASB will publicize programming by NPP’s being held in conjunction with ASB-organized national and international meetings within the conference program.
2. ASB will promote Non-Profit Partner activities and events through ASB social media, including Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts. This promotion will occur only through retweeting, quoting, and liking NPP social media posts.
3. NPP’s may provide one complimentary listing per year that will be distributed by ASB to its membership within a regularly scheduled monthly eBlast.
1. ASB reserves the right to label any advertisement as such, with attribution to the advertiser.
4. ASB reserves the right to decline any advertisement or communication that is not consistent with the ASB mission. If ASB declines, a written explanation will be delivered to the NPP.
5. NPP’s must agree to send one promotional communication to its members per year encouraging membership in ASB. The text of this communication will be written by ASB, but must conform to the rules of and be consistent with the mission of the NPP.
6. Programming at ASB-organized events
1. On a space-available basis, ASB may provide meeting space for the NPP within the ASB-organized meeting as long as that space does not incur any additional cost to ASB.
2. If NPP’s wish to include additional components of an event within an ASB-organized meeting that incur additional costs beyond the scope of the ASB’s contract with the facility, these costs must be borne by the NPP. These may include but are not limited to: space rental, audiovisual services, food & beverage, and speaker fees or honoraria.
3. Requests for meeting space within an ASB-organized meeting by an NPP must be received in writing by the Executive Board (see section 4) at least 3 months before the meeting.
7. Requests for financial support of conferences hosted by NPPs will be reviewed by the Executive Board.

Introduction: The purpose of an ASB Affinity Group is to foster connections among members who have a shared identity and their allies, and to provide service to the Society in better understanding, appreciating, and supporting individuals with such identity. This purpose aligns with the Diversity Mission of the ASB. Affinity Groups facilitate leadership skills and mentorship, forge new friendships, and foster new collaborative opportunities among like individuals. Thus, the aim of this policy is to establish the process for forming and supporting ASB Affinity Groups.

Policy Statement: The support of the ASB Executive Board will increase the visibility and improve the effectiveness of Affinity Groups. This proposed policy will require that:

1. ASB Affinity Group status is contingent on alignment with the ASB mission, priorities and values and can be granted or withdrawn by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board.
2. ASB considers Affinity Groups to be part of the Society. Therefore, all Affinity Groups must adhere to the Code of Conduct and other rules that govern all ASB activities and events. As such, Affinity Groups must include “ASB” in their name.
3. Membership to an Affinity Group must be open to all ASB members in good standing.
4. Leaders of the Affinity Group must be ASB members in good standing.
5. ASB Affinity Groups are not legal entities on their own, and therefore are restricted in directly soliciting funds or donations.
6. ASB will provide in-kind support for Affinity Group programming at ASB-organized national and international meetings. This support includes providing space for the Affinity Group to meet within the ASB’s venue contract, and contact information for the Affinity Group to reach out to corporate partners, non-profit partners, and vendors to collaborate on events within national and international meetings.
1. In-kind support by ASB for Affinity Group events is limited to providing space when it incurs no additional costs for the meeting. Any additional costs (including but not limited to space/venue fees, audio-visual support, catering) are the responsibility of the Affinity Group.
2. In some cases, external sponsors may support catering or other expenses for Affinity Group events. All sponsorships (including in-kind donations) and events conducted in collaboration with a corporate partner must be coordinated in advance with and approved by ASB.
7. Current Affinity Groups are listed on the ASB website, and each Affinity Group may have its own page within the ASB website.
1. Affinity Groups may submit content to the ASB Communications Chair to post on its page on the ASB website
2. The ASB Communications Chair will ensure that content provides a consistent look-and-feel with the rest of the ASB website.
3. All content must be approved by the ASB Communications Chair to ensure appropriateness with the mission of ASB and feasibility.
8. All ASB Affinity Groups must agree to adhere to ASB branding policies. As such, any logos created for the group, merchandise created by the group, or other materials bearing the ASB name or logo must be approved by the ASB Communications Chair.
9. ASB will promote Affinity Group activities and events through ASB social media, including Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts.
10. ASB will support recruitment of new members to the Affinity Group through text advertising in regular ASB communications such as monthly eBlasts and the newsletter, and by providing an opportunity for ASB members to declare interest in an Affinity Group when renewing membership.
11. The Affinity Group can designate an ASB Executive Board member who best aligns with their interests to represent them in Executive Board meetings and discussions.
1. The Affinity Group is responsible for maintaining active communication with the designated Executive Board member to assure that their concerns are represented.
2. The designated Executive Board member may include messages regarding the Affinity Group within their column of the newsletter at their discretion when such messages align with the role of that Board member.
12. Affinity Groups must submit an annual registration form to maintain ASB Affinity Group status. This form serves as both an application for new groups and a renewal for existing groups. The form requires the following information:
1. Mission statement and overall goals of the group
2. Description of leadership structure
3. Description of leader selection process
4. Description of activities in the previous 12 months
5. Description of planned activities in the upcoming 12 months
6. Anticipated space requests for upcoming ASB-organized meetings in the upcoming 12 months
7. Designated Executive Board liaison/representative
8. Contact information for the group
9. All social media accounts, email addresses, and websites used by the group