Statutes
I – The Academy and its Purposes
Art. 1 – The Brazilian Academy of Sciences, founded on May 3rd 1916 under the name of Brazilian Society of Sciences, is a non-profit association of private law, constituted for an undetermined period of time, with its headquarters and forum in the city of Rio de Janeiro, with the objective to contribute to the development of science and technology, education and social wellbeing of the Country..
§ 1 – In compliance with its objectives, the Academy will promote solemn sessions, seminars and meetings; will issue publications and establish agreements to enable the execution of projects, including those of scientific exchange with public, private, national, foreign or international entities that holds common interests.
§ 2 – The solemn sessions will be dedicated to the induction of new members of the Academy, to the celebration of important milestones in the evolution of knowledge and to pay tribute to prominent figures of science.
§ 3 – The activities developed by the Academy will be carried out with faithful observance of the principles of legality, impersonality, morality and economy, with wide publicity of its acts, projects and mission.
Art. 2 – The Academy will act in the following specialized fields of knowledge:
a) Mathematical Sciences;
b) Physical Sciences;
c) Chemical Sciences;
d) Earth Sciences;
e) Biological Sciences;
f) Biomedical Sciences;
g) Health Sciences;
h) Agricultural Sciences;
i) Engineering Sciences;
j) Social Sciences.
Sole paragraph – The Board of Directors, after consultation with the Selection Commission, will define the subjects that integrate each of the specialized areas.
Art. 3 – In order to facilitate the development of its activities, the Academy will be organized in decentralized units, which will operate by express delegation of powers from the Board of Directors. Considering the dimension of the respective scientific communities of the country, the following regions are established:
a) North;
b) Northeast and Espírito-Santo;
c) Minas Gerais and Midwest;
d) Rio de Janeiro;
e) São Paulo;
f) South.
II – Of the Associates
Art. 4 – The Academy will have on its board of associates, individual persons in the following categories:
a) Full Members;
b) Corresponding Members;
c) Collaborating Members;
d) Affiliated Members.
Sole paragraph – In the first three categories, Academics shall be elected on a permanent basis, unlimited in number.
Art. 5 – Full Members shall be Brazilian scientists, native or naturalized, or foreign scientists based in Brazil for more than 10 (ten) years, with outstanding scientific performance.
Art. 6 – Corresponding Members shall be scientists of recognized scientific merit, residing abroad for more than 10 (ten) year, who have provided relevant collaboration to the development of science in Brazil.
Art. 7 – Collaborating Members shall be personalities who have provided relevant services to the Academy or to national scientific development.
Art. 8 – Affiliate Members shall be promising young researchers, based in the regions listed in art. 3, indicated by a Full Member of any region. Affiliated members of each region will be elected by Full Members of the respective region.
§ 1 – The Board of Directors will be responsible for designating and inducting the Affiliated Members, up to 5 (five) per region, per year.
§ 2º – Affiliated Members will be entitled to participate in the Academy’s activities for a non-renewable period of 5 (five) years.
Art. 9 – The Academy, through the decision of the Board of Directors, may grant the title of Associate Institutional Member to legal entities interested in the development of science and technology, that are willing to financially contribute to the performance of activities of mutual interest.
Sole paragraph – The title of Associated Institutional Member will be temporary, and must be validated annually by the Board of Directors.
Art. 10 – It is the duty of all Members of any category:
a) observe the provisions of this Statute and the decisions of the General Assembly and the Board of Directors;
b) contribute to the achievement of the Academy’s objectives, defend its interests and patrimony;
c) honor the Academy, individually or collectively, seeking to collaborate, as Academics, for the scientific, technological and social development of the Country.
Sole paragraph – Full Members and Associated Institutional Members shall contribute financially to the maintenance of the Academy’s activities. The Board of Directors, by delegation of powers from the General Assembly, will periodically establish the amount of the respective annuitie.
Art. 11 – Any associated person may request exclusion from the Brazilian Academy of Sciences through a letter sent to the Board of Directors.
Art. 12 – It will be punishable an associate who commits an act that violates the Code of Ethics and Conduct for Members of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. The violation analysis process will be conducted by the Ethics Committee, that will provide a report following the rules established in the document “Procedures in the Case of Violations of the Code of Ethics and Conduct for Members of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences”. The Board, after considering the committee’s report, will decide whether the violation is punishable:
a) a warning to the person who has violated the Code of Ethics, indicating the violation committed;
b) an institutional manifestation of public nature, acknowledging the infraction and warning the member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences that has committed the infraction;
c) forward to the Brazilian Academy of Sciences Assembly of a proposal for expulsion of the offending person from the Academy.
Art. 13 – It is the right of all members, integrating any category:
a) to participate in the activities promoted by the Academy;
b) to appeal to the General Assembly against acts of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee.
III – Of the General Assembly
Art. 14 – The General Assembly, sovereign body of the Academy, is composed exclusively by Full Members of the Academy, gathered in a deliberative session, under the presidency of the President or Vice-President of the Academy. In the absence of the President and Vice-president, the members present shall elect the President of the General Assembly.
Art. 15 – The meetings of the General Assembly are ordinary or extraordinary.
Art. 16 – The Ordinary General Assembly will be summoned by the President, exclusively for the following purposes:
a) election of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee, to be held every three years, in the first trimester;
b) election of four members of the Selection Commission, in the process of renewing one third of its members, to be held annually, in the second trimester;
c) election of Full Members, Correspondents and Collaborators, to be held annually, beginning in the fourth trimester;
d) evaluation of the analisys from the Audit Committee on the financial report and general balance of the Academy in the previous financial year.
§ 1 – Will be considered elected:
a) the candidates on the slate most votes in the election of the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee;
b) the candidates with most votes for Members of the Selection Committee;
c) the candidates for Full Membership with most votes in each specialized area;
d) the candidates for Corresponding Members and Collaborators who obtain a majority of valid votes.
§ 2 – In case of a tie in the election referred to in the first two items, in the case of item a, will be considered elected the slate headed by the oldest member, if the tie persists, the eldest; and, in the case of item b, the eldest candidate.
Art. 17 – The quorum required for the opening of the Ordinary General Assembly is half of the total number of Full Members, both in the first call and in subsequent calls, which will be scheduled at intervals of a maximum of 20 (twenty) days.
§ 1 – In verifying the existence of a “quorum”, will be considered voters present and those who send their vote electronically or by post mail.
§ 2 – In case the “quorum” is not reached, votes received electronically or by post mail will not be discarded and will be considered in the subsequent call for the General Assembly.
Art. 18 – The Extraordinary General Assembly will be intended for any other purpose not specified in art. 16, including the exclusion of Members for non-compliance with the Code of Ethics and Conduct of the Academy, should take place at any time and will be convened on the initiative of the President or at the request of at least 20 (twenty) Members.
§ 1 – The agenda of the Extraordinary General Assembly must be clearly defined in its call.
§ 2 – The Extraordinary General Assembly can be called specially called:
a) to honor deserving personalities visiting Brazil, with the title of Corresponding Member or Collaborator;
b) to consider proposals to grant the title of President Emeritus to a former President who has provided relevant services to the Academy, subscribed by at least a quarter of the total of Full Members;
c) for the amendment of the Statute;
d) for the exclusion of a Member who has committed an act contrary to any ethical or conduct code within the scope of or applicable to the Academy;
e) for the dissolution of the institution.
§ 3 – The “quorum” for the meetings of the Extraordinary General Assembly, counting the votes received by electronic or postal mail, will be as follows:
a) for the amendment of the Statute, the dissolution of the institution, exclusion of Members or the granting of the title of President Emeritus, two-thirds of the total number of Full Members on the first call and half of the same total, in subsequent calls;
b) in other cases, half of the total number of Full Members in the first call, and one-third, in subsequent calls.
§ 4 – The interval between calls must be of a minimum of twenty and a maximum of forty days.
§ 5 – The maximum number of calls for the Extraordinary General Assembly to refer to the same agenda is three. If the minimum number to deliberate on a third call is not reached, it can only be called again in the following year, after at least six months.
§ 6 – When the agenda of an Extraordinary General Assembly can´t be voted in one meeting, it can be considered in permanent session and have subsequent meetings until its final decision.
IV – Of the Management Bodies
Art. 19 – Governing bodies of the Academy:
a) the Board of Directors;
b) The Audit Committee.
Art. 20 – The Board of Directors of the Academy will be composed of Full Members, elected for a 3 (three) years term, and inducted in the month of May, and is structured as following: President, Vice-President, 6 (six) Regional Vice-Presidents, Secretary-General Director, Institutional Secretary Director, Treasurer Director, Institutional Cooperation Director and Communications Director.
Sole paragraph – The regions where the Regional Vice-Presidents preside are those defined in art. 3.
Art. 21 – The election process for the Board of Directors will begin with the opening of the registration for the competing slates, which must be formally presented by the candidates running for the position of President.
Sole paragraph – The Board of Directors will inform the dates opened for registration of the slates, which cannot be less than 30 (thirty) days.
Art. 22 – It is the Board of Directors responsibility:
a) comply and ensure compliance of the Statute and decide on omitted cases;
b) establish the attributions of the Directors;
c) approve the annual schedule for the admission process of new members;
d) prepare the Academy’s annual budget and manage its execution;
e) establish the staff of the Academy and establish their salaries;
f) elect the Vice-President, Regional Vice-Presidents and Directors, in case of vacancies during the triennium;
g) elect a substitute, in the event of a vacancy, to complete the term of office of a member of the Selection Committee, within the Full Members of the same area;
h) appoint commissions in charge of studying specific subjects;
i) establish the annual amount of the financial contribution of Full Members and Associate Institutional Members.
Art. 23 – It is the President’s responsibility:
a) represent the Academy, personally or by delegation, in or out of court;
b) call and chair the General Assembly;
c) appoint, suspend and dismiss Academy employees;
d) designate the members of special committees;
e) present an annual report of activities and accountability of its management.
Sole paragraph – The Vice-President, in addition to the attributions assigned to him by the Board of Directors, will replace the President in the event or temporary or definitive impediments. In the case of definitive impediments, if a new vacancy occurs, the General Assembly must be called to elect a new President.
Art. 24 – The Regional Vice-Presidents are responsible for the institutional representation of the Academy and the development and coordination of the election process of Affiliated Members within their respective regions.
Art. 25 – There will be a Secretary General Director, an Institutional Director, a Treasurer Director, an Institutional Cooperation Director and a Communications Director.
Art. 26 – It is the Secretary General Director responsibility:
a) take responsibility for the organization, safekeeping and conservation of all property and collections that belong or is entrusted to the Academy;
b) promote, under the terms presented by the Presidency, the exchange of publications;
c) keep data of academics in electronic databases or files, providing access to them based on authorization given by the Presidency;
d) provide the minutes of the Board of Directors meetings;
e) coordinate, along with the Regional Vice-Presidents, the activities of the Affiliate Members.
Art. 27 – It is the Institutional Director responsibility:
a) assist the Presidency in administrative matters;
b) manage memberships, maintaining it up to date, registering entries and replacements;
c) assist the Presidency during the election process, performing duties determined by the Presidency;
d) be responsible, along with the Secretary-General Director, for the conservation and archiving of correspondence received by the Academy, that have academic, scientific or historical value.
Art. 28 – It is the Treasurer Director responsibility:
a) be responsible for the collection, custody and responsibility of all amounts in currency and securities belonging to the Academy or entrusted to it;
b) be responsible for the Academy’s bank relations;
c) provide accounts to the Board of Directors and the Audit Committee, every six months or whenever requested;
d) be responsible for receiving credits and making payments.
Art. 29 – It is the Institutional Cooperation Director responsibility:
a) assist the Presidency, whenever requested, in the relationship with other academic and scientific institutions, in Brazil or abroad;
b) identify opportunities for new relations with other academic and scientific institutions, in Brazil or abroad, producing a detailed report on the matter, for submission to the Presidency;
c) submit a semi-annual report to the Presidency on established relationships, proposing, where applicable, the maintenance, including modifications, of the established links, or its terminations.
Art. 30 – It is the Communications Director responsibility:
a) be responsible for external communication, with the Secretary General Director; organizing its communication in order to achieve the Academy’s publicity goals, determined by the Presidency;
b) be responsible for the Academy’s communication on the internet and social networks;
c) be responsible for the dialogue with editors of journals and scientific publications.
V – Of The Audit Committee
Art. 31 – The Audit Committee will be composed up of 5 (five) Full Members, elected for a term of 3 (three) years and inducted in the month of May, electing its chair at the first meeting held.
Art. 32 – The Audit Committee will ordinarily meet once a year, in the first trimester, and extraordinarily when summoned by at least 2 (two) of its members, by the President of the Academy or at the request of 20 (twenty) or more Full Members, to consider a previously defined matter.
Sole paragrph – The Audit Committee may only deliberate with the presence of at least 3 (three) of its members.
Art. 33 – It is the Audit Committee responsibility:
a) submit to the General Assembly, by April 30th of each year, a report on the accounts and general balance of the Academy in the previous financial year;
b) examine, whenever considered convenient, the accounting books and bookkeeping papers and check the amounts of deposit;
c) register in the book of Minutes and Opinions of the Audit Committee the results of the examinations carried out;
d) express an opinion on the sale of goods and the acceptance of donations with charges or amounts equal to or greater than 500 (five hundred) times the minimum wage of the country.
VI – Of the Selection Committee
Art. 34 – The Selection Committee will be composed of the President of the Academy, who will preside it, and by 12 other (twelve) Full Members, elected by simple majority, by the General Assembly, for a period of 3 (three) years, with at least one representative from each specialized area listed in art. 2.
§ 1 – The Selection Committee will have one third of its members renewed annually, in an election held in the second trimester, with the elected members inducted at the first meeting held, after the end of the predecessor’s term.
§ 2 – The election process of the Members of the Selection Committee will begin with the registration of candidates interested in running in the specialized areas in which vacancies are available, it must be informed the beginning and end of the registration period, which cannot be less than 30 (thirty) days.
Art. 35 – It is the Selection Committee responsibility:
a) Approve the forms for presenting candidates for Full and Corresponding Members;
b) approve the number of vacancies for Full Members to be filled each year;
c) examine the curriculum of the candidates and the evaluation of the Full Members of each specialized area and discuss the report of the rapporteurs for each of the areas;
d) prepare the ballot for the election of new Full Members, choosing two candidates per vacancy, and new Corresponding Members, indicating Candidates who, at their discretion, meet the conditions set in Article 7.
Art. 36 – Candidate nomination forms will only be received when properly completed.
§ 1 – Proposals for admission of Full Members must be signed by one or more Full Members.
§ 2 – Proposals for the admission of Corresponding Members must be signed by 10 (ten) or more Full Members, of which at least 5 (five) must be from the same specialized area of the candidate, accompanied by the respective “curriculum vitae” and list of publications
§ 3 – Proposals for the admission of Collaborating Members will be presented by the Board of Directors, fully justified and accompanied by the “curriculum vitae” of the candidate.
Art. 37 – The quorum to deliberate at the Selection Committee meetings is 9 (nine) of its members, decisions being taken by simple majority.
§ 1 – The Chair of the Selection Committee will only have the tie-breaking vote.
§ 2 – The Selection Committee, at the first meeting of each year, will elect, from among its members, a Secretary, who will assume the function until the election of his/her replacement.
§ 3 – If any of the specialized areas does not have a representative present at a Selection Committee meeting, the President may call another Member, from the same area, to replace him or her as “ad hoc”, without voting rights.
VII – Of the Assets and Budget
Art. 38 – The Academy’s assets consist of its rights and assets, movables and real estates.
Art. 39 – The disposal of the Academy’s real estate can only be done by unanimous proposal of the Board of Directors, properly substantiated and authorized by the General Assembly, by an absolute majority of its members.
Art. 40 – Material considered obsolete, unrecoverable, or unserviceable may be disposed of, in accordance with the report of the Inspection Commission and the Writing off, to be composed of 3 (three) Full Members of the Academy’s President’s choice.
Art. 41 – Constitutes the Academy’s incomes:
a) the financial contribution of its Full Members and Associate Institutional Members;
b) donations, legacies and financial aid;
c) proceeds from the sale of assets;
d) occasional incomes.
Sole paragraph – The Academy’s income will be fully applied in the maintenance and development of its statutory objectives, and its Directors and members of the Audit Committee are prohibited from receiving remuneration, advantages or benefits in any capacity.
VIII – Of the General Provisions
Art. 42 – Members of any category of the Academy, even assuming positions in the Board of Directors and Audit Committee, are not liable, even in a subsidiary way, for the charges and social obligations of the Association.
Art. 43 – Full Members may request their transfer from the specialized area in which they were elected, and the effectiveness of the measure must be preceded by the approval of the Selection Committee.
Art. 44 – Cases not covered by these bylaws will be resolved by the Board of Directors, with the exception of those within the competence of the General Assembly.
Art. 45 – In the event of the dissolution of the Academy, its assets will be allocated to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
IX – Of the Transitional Provisions
Art. 46 – The members of the category of Associate Members, extinct by decision of the Ordinary General Assembly of September 23rd, 1999, are assured the maintenance of the rights and obligations at the time of their election.
Art. 47 – The current management positions of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences will be maintained as described in the previous Statute (bylaw) until the election of the next Board of Directors in 2025, when the positions set in the present Statute will be filled.
Note: Consolidated bylaws (Statute) with the amendments approved at the Extraordinary General Assembly (AGE) held on July 20, 2022.
