Social Order – GAMM e.V.

The purpose of these statutes is to explain, specify and supplement the currently valid statutes of the Association of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (GAMM) with regulations that are binding for all committees, bodies, branches and members of GAMM.

GAMM
1. GAMM is an autonomous and independent association, which is not bound to any political party or organization. It can however be active in the political sphere if its scientific endeavors require it to do so.
2. GAMM is open to cooperations with societies, associations and organizations, provided that they have similar goals.
Members
1. GAMM expects its members to cooperate actively and responsibly in order to achieve its goals (see § 2 of the statutes) as well as for them to accept all of its statutes and regulations.
2. The recording, storage, processing and use of member’s personal data shall only be carried out by the committees, bodies and branches of GAMM, or by persons acting on their behalf. The use of this data is limited to statutory purposes as defined in § 2 of the statutes, or for fulfilling a legal obligation.
3. Every member of GAMM has the right to obtain information about their personal data that has been stored, as well as to have incorrect or false data corrected or deleted if the conditions for storing it no longer apply.
Branches
Members can join together to form branches within GAMM. These branches may adopt their own rules and regulations, which must be approved by the Executive Board.
1. National sections
  1. With the approval of the Board Council, GAMM members located in a particular state may join forces to form a national section.
  2. These national sections shall report on their activities to the Board Council at least once a year.
  3. The Board Council may dissolve a national section if it is no longer pursuing activities defined in § 2 of the statutes.
2. Committees and networks
  1. With the approval of the Board Council, the members of the national sections can form a national committee for applied mathematics and a national committee for mechanics.
  2. Furthermore, with the approval of the Board Council, members of GAMM can form a network for applied mathematics and a network for mechanics within GAMM.
  3. The Board Council may dissolve a committee or network if it is no longer pursuing activities defined in § 2 of the statutes.
3. Activity groups
  1. Role of the activity groups
    - GAMM members who share a specialization in their profession can join to form activity groups.
    - The activity groups shape and determine the scientific activities of GAMM to a large extent. Through their focus on specialized topics, they contribute significantly to the development of applied mathematics and mechanics that will be important in the future.
    - For this purpose, the activity groups organize seminars and workshops, participate in the organization of national and international conferences, and prepare statements on special topics to represent the opinion of the respective activity group.
  2. Establishment and dissolution of activity groups
    - Upon application by its members, the GAMM Board Council establishes an activity group for a period of five years. After evaluating its work, the activity group may be renewed twice, each time for a period of three years.
    - The activity group chooses a governing body consisting of a chairperson and at least one deputy chairperson from amongst the GAMM members.
    - If it does not pass the evaluation or after a maximum of eleven years, the activity group is dissolved. It may submit an application for re-establishment.
  3. Application to form an activity group
    - A written application to the Board of Directors, addressed to the Vice Secretary, is required for the establishment or renewal of an activity group.
    - The application must contain the following:
      - Name of the activity group
      - Goals of the activity group
      - Planned activities
      - Delineation from or cooperations with thematically similar activity groups
      - Planned members of the activity group
      - Planned start of work
    - When planning who will be part of the activity group, attention should be paid to ensuring the group is of an appropriate size and with balanced professional representation. The members should also hail from an evenly distributed selection of institutes.
  4. Evaluation of the activity groups
    - The activity groups report back to the Board Council each year on their work. These reports shall contain around two pages on the current research results of the activity group in a form that is understandable to a layperson.
    - Before the first (or, if applicable, the second) grant period comes to an end, the activities of the groups will be evaluated by the Board Council. For the purpose of the evaluation, the chairperson of the activity group will provide the GAMM secretary’s office with the following:
      - Report on the activities of the group, organized by year;
      - Work with other organizations (IUTAM, SIAM, ECCOMAS, …);
      - Organizational structure of the activity group;
      - Number of new members, organized by year of entry into the group and home country.
        
        The following questions should be answered in particular:
      - Which of the aforementioned activities would not have been carried out without the activity group?
      - What are the main innovations in the specialized field of the activity group?
      - What are the future plans for the activity group?
    - Based on the documents provided, the Board Council decides whether a presentation held by the activity group is necessary or whether an evaluation should take place. Following the evaluation, the Board Council decides whether to continue or dissolve the activity group.
    - Criteria for the group’s establishment, continuation or dissolution include:
      - Relevance of the topic;
      - How well established the activity group is within GAMM;
      - Role of the activity group.
4. GAMM representatives
  GAMM members at a university are encouraged to elect a local GAMM representative. This person acts as a liaison to the GAMM committees. Further responsibilities include the supervision of GAMM junior research groups and the nomination of GAMM junior candidates.
5. GAMM junior research groups
  1. Role of the junior research groups
    - GAMM encourages the formation of student-run GAMM junior research groups at one or more universities under the supervision of GAMM representatives in that location.
  2. GAMM junior research group application and establishment
    - To establish a GAMM junior research group, an application must be sent to the head office of the Board of Directors.
    - The Board Council delegates the decision on the establishment, extension and dissolution of the junior research group to the Board of Directors.
    - A GAMM junior research group is active for three years. After evaluation, the decision can be made by the Board of Directors to extend the GAMM junior research group by three years at a time. Evaluation criteria include the activities of the GAMM junior research group and its involvement in GAMM.
    - Each GAMM junior research group elects a spokesperson, a deputy spokesperson, a secretary and a treasurer from amongst its members.
    - The GAMM junior research groups shall report on their activities annually to the GAMM Board of Directors.
    - The GAMM junior research groups shall adopt stipulations based on a template provided by GAMM, which need to be approved by the GAMM Board of Directors.
  3. Membership in a GAMM junior research group
    - All students and postgraduates, based in the same location, who are interested in applied mathematics, mechanics and other disciplines represented in GAMM can become regular members of a GAMM junior research group. GAMM welcomes an interdisciplinary composition of group members from different faculties and institutions. All members of the GAMM junior research group must also become regular or student members of GAMM.
    - Each regular member of a GAMM junior research group can become a student member of GAMM free of charge for a maximum period of three years. You can apply to the Board of Directors via the head of the GAMM junior research group. The application for the members in question must be submitted annually and in writing to the GAMM head office. The head of the GAMM junior research group is required to check that the person in question is in fact enrolled as a student or postgraduate at the relevant university.
    - Regular membership in a GAMM junior research group expires as soon as the member has completed their doctorate, leaves the university or leaves the group.
    - Members of the junior research group are required to become regular GAMM members upon expiration of their free membership.
6. GAMM juniors
  1. Up to 10 GAMM juniors, who have distinguished themselves through outstanding achievements in their master/doctoral theses in the field of applied mathematics or mechanics, can be elected each year.
    - They must be under 32 years of age on June 15 of the given year and
    - they must have completed their PhD in the last two years.
      
      Deviations from the aforementioned time frame will be taken into account should this be due to family reasons, a disability or an illness.
  2. This decision is taken by the selection committee and is valid 4.2 for three years. An extension is not possible.
  3. During this time, GAMM juniors do not have to pay membership fees.
  4. GAMM juniors are required to become regular GAMM members upon expiration of their free membership.
  5. The GAMM junior group is responsible for its own organization and meets every year for workshops. A speaker and one or more deputies are elected from the GAMM juniors group.
Electoral committees and boards
Pursuant to § 10 of the statutes, the Board Council can establish electoral committees. In particular, these include the:
1. Election committee
  1. The election committee consists of five people. The chairperson of the election committee is the vice-president. The other four members shall be selected during the Annual General Meeting and represent the various areas of applied mathematics and mechanics.
  2. The term of office is three years.
  3. The election committee is responsible for preparing and conducting the elections for the Board Council.
  4. Taking into account § 10 (2) of the GAMM statutes and the number of nominations received, the election committee calls for and evaluates said nominations, subsequently drawing up a list of candidates.
  5. Nominations can be submitted to the head office in writing.
  6. The vice-president obtains the consent of the candidates nominated for elections, informs the Board Council of the nominations received and provides further information on the list of candidates.
  7. Further details are regulated by the election regulations.
2. Selection committee for GAMM juniors
  1. The selection committee consists of four members. The chairperson of the selection committee is the president. The other three members shall be selected by the Board Council and represent the various areas of applied mathematics and mechanics.
  2. The term of office is three years.
  3. The selection committee is responsible for selecting the GAMM juniors.
  4. The GAMM representatives submit a maximum of two GAMM junior nominations to the head office by June 15 of each year. A curriculum vitae and an laudation must be submitted alongside each nomination.
3. Richard-von-Mises Prize Committee
  1. The prize committee is comprised of five members. The chairperson is the president. The other four members shall be selected by the Board Council and represent the various areas of applied mathematics and mechanics.
  2. The term of office is three years.
  3. The prize committee is responsible for selecting the winner of the Richard-von-Mises prize according to section 5.1.
4. The Future of GAMM Committee (Future Committee)
  1. The Future Committee is comprised of six members. The chairperson is the vice-president. The other four members shall be selected by the Board Council and represent the various areas of applied mathematics and mechanics. A further member is the speaker of the GAMM juniors.
  2. The term of office is three years.
  3. The future committee draws up proposals for the future strategy and organization of GAMM. This includes aspects such as:
    - How GAMM is positioned with respect to and within other organizations
    - The future of the sciences represented by GAMM
    - The tangible proposals for modernizing the structures and approaches of GAMM
      
      Suggestions by members, which are always welcome.
  4. The Future Committee submits the results to the Extended Board Council for further action.
5. Chair of the Dr. Klaus Körper Foundation
  - According to the statutes of the foundation (§7), the chair of the foundation consists of three GAMM members, who are chosen by the Board Council.
  - The president and the secretary are members ex officio. The remaining member is chosen by the Board Council for a period of three years.
  - The chairperson is the president.
6. Commission of the Dr. Klaus Körper Foundation for funding allocation
  1. The Körper commission consists of four members. The chairperson is the treasurer. Three further members are chosen by the Board Council.
  2. The term of office is three years.
  3. The Körper commission draws up proposals for the allocation of funds made available to GAMM by the Dr. Klaus Körper Foundation. The commission submits the results to the Board Council for further action.
7. Committee for Equality
  1. The Committee for Equality consists of three members elected by the Board Council.
  2. The term of office is three years.
  3. The Committee for Equality draws up proposals to achieve the following equality goals:
    - Increase the proportion of women involved in GAMM
    - Make women visible as role models in both mathematics and mechanics,
    - Open a general discussion on improving the conditions of women scientists in the fields represented by GAMM.
  4. The Committee for Equality submits the results to the Board Council for further action.
8. Program committee for the annual meeting
  1. The program committee includes the members of the Board of Directors and the organizers of the annual meeting.
  2. The other members shall be selected by the Board Council and represent the various areas of applied mathematics and mechanics. The chairpersons of the Activity Groups are asked to submit proposals for the annual meeting. The term of office ot the elected members is three years. An extension is not envisaged.
  3. One GAMM Juniors member and one member of the Equal Opportunity Committee attend Program Committee meetings on an advisory basis.
  4. It shall be presided over by the President.
  5. The task of the program committee is to determine the scientific program of the annual meeting, in particular regarding the sections, chairs, symposia and speakers of the keynote lectures. As a general rule, a keynote speech should not be held more than once by the same person. The Richard-von-Mises prize lecture is exempt from this rule.
9. Others electoral committees and boards
  If additional electoral committees or boards are established or dissolved by the Board Council, these stipulations are to be amended appropriately.
Scientific prizes and awards
GAMM members can receive scientific prizes and awards.
1. Richard-von-Mises prize
  1. GAMM has awarded the Richard-von-Mises prize for outstanding scientific achievements in the field of applied mathematics and mechanics every year since 1989.
  2. The award is presented during the opening ceremony of the GAMM annual meeting. The recipient of the award is exempt from paying the conference fee.
  3. They are, however, obliged to hold a keynote lecture at the annual meeting.
  4. The award is intended to promote younger scientists, whose research represents significant advances in the field of applied mathematics and mechanics.
  5. The prize consists of a certificate, a free two-year GAMM membership, and 2000€ prize money. To fully represent the breadth of the field of applied mathematics and mechanics, the prize committee can decide to split the prize (and the prize money) equally between two individuals according to section 4.3.
  6. At the time of nomination, the recipient of the award should not be a tenured professor, nor should they be older than 36 years. Deviations from the aforementioned time frame will be taken into account should this be due to family reasons, a disability or an illness.
  7. GAMM strives to ensure that the two disciplines of applied mathematics and mechanics are equally represented amongst the recipients of the Richard-von-Mises prize. GAMM strives for gender equality.
  8. University lecturers and those in corresponding research positions are eligible for nomination. It is also possible to nominate yourself.
  9. Nominations or applications should include a letter of motivation and the following documents of the candidate:
    - Curriculum vitae,
    - List of publications,
    - Copies of their most important academic works (max. 4).
  10. The nominations must be sent to the GAMM head office, preferably electronically.
  11. The deadline is September 30 of the respective year.
2. Ludwig Prandtl Memorial Lecture
  1. Since 1957, the German Society for Aeronautics and Astronautics (DGLR) has organized the Ludwig Prandtl Memorial Lecture alongside GAMM.
  2. The award winner is selected by the DGLR and GAMM, each doing so in alternate years.
  3. In the years in which GAMM is responsible for the selection, the Board of Directors makes the decision.
  4. After the nomination by either group, the final selection is made in a video conference by three representatives from GAMM and three from the DGLR (usually consisting of the president, vice-president and the secretary general of the DGLR, and the president, vice-president and secretary of GAMM).
  5. The recipient of the award is invited to the Ludwig Prandtl Memorial Lecture as part of the GAMM annual meeting. The recipient of the award is exempt from paying the event fee.
3. Dr. Klaus Körper prize
  1. Any GAMM member may nominate individuals who have completed their PhD in an area of applied mathematics or mechanics in the year preceding the award.
  2. Nominations must be submitted to the head office by January 7 of the year of the award.
  3. The vice-secretary organizes the evaluation process of the submitted nominations with respect to the scientific quality of the submitted dissertations.
  4. If possible, the awards should be divided equally between the fields of applied mathematics and mechanics. Inclusion and equity are to be kept in mind.
  5. The vice-secretary will make a list, which will be confirmed by the Board of Directors.
  6. The candidate at the top of the list will be put forward for the ECCOMAS Best PhD award.
  7. The top four will receive the Dr. Klaus Körper award amounting to 250€ plus a free GAMM membership for a two-year period.
  8. The award is presented during the opening ceremony of the GAMM annual meeting. The recipients of the award are exempt from paying the conference fee.
GAMM representatives
1. GAMM is a member of several national and international scientific organizations. In addition, it cooperates with numerous associations. GAMM is represented by selected representatives when cooperating with these organizations.
2. The representatives are usually selected by the Board of Directors for a term of three years, unless the respective organization stipulates a different term of office. Re-election is possible.
3. If the organization specializes in applied mathematics or mechanics, the respective committees/networks have a right to nominate candidates according to paragraph 3.2.
4. The representatives report annually to the Board Council.
5. The German Mathematical Society (Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung, DMV) nominates a candidate to represent them at GAMM. This individual is invited as a guest to the Board Council.
Bodies
1. The Annual General Meeting (AGM)
  1. The AGM shall be convened and conducted based on the provisions stipulated in § 8 of the statutes. The documents for the AGM – motions, draft resolutions, etc. – are usually made available to attendees in electronic form. Attendees may request hard copies of these documents from the head office.
  2. The AGM is moderated by a member of the presidium or by an person elected to do so.
  3. Motions can be submitted to the AGM via
    - the Board of Directors,
    - the Board Council,
    - at least 10 members with voting rights.
  4. Decisions are made using an open ballot system, unless the majority of the attendees and representatives with voting rights decide on another form of voting. For personnel matters, voting shall be carried out using a secret ballot in accordance with §8a (3) of the statutes.
2. Board of Directors and Board Council
  
  The activities of the Board of Directors and Board Council are dictated by the respective work regulations.
  
  One representative each of the GAMM Juniors and the Equal Opportunity Committee shall attend the meetings of the Board of Directors in an advisory capacity.
Academic conference
1. The AGM is usually combined with an academic conference.
2. The Program Committee shall determine the framework program of the meeting in accordance with paragraph 4.8.
3. The organizers of the conference are responsible for inviting the speakers of the keynote lectures.
4. The Board of Directors may also invite individuals or groups that do not belong to the association to participate in the academic conference.
5. The organizers of the conference shall produce a report about the program and the order of events. The report shall contain the names of the speakers and the titles of the lectures. It shall be kept on file and published, if possible.
6. The Board Council can choose to arrange and support an academic conference pursuant to paragraph 8.1 and leave organization and the carrying out of the conference itself – including the handling of payments – to a third party. If an academic conference is arranged in this way, an agreement shall be drawn up between the Board Council and the third party, which at the very least contains the information included in paragraphs 8.2 and 8.3. The agreement must ensure that the conference meets the stipulations defined in the statutes. Paragraph 8.3 applies accordingly. If the Board Council arranges the conference in the aforementioned way, it is entitled to transfer the personal data of its members to the third party for the purpose of carrying out the assigned tasks. Furthermore, the Board Council consents to the collection, processing and use of the personal data of its members by the third party. The third party is not authorized to change, publish or pass on this data, and it must be deleted immediately after the event has ended (data protection declaration). The data protection declaration shall be attached to the agreement that is drawn up with a third party.
Publishing academic work
1. GAMM arranges the publication of academic work, or publishes the work itself.
2. Publishers and editors are chosen by the Board Council.
3. The GAMM Rundbrief (newsletter) is published twice a year by the association itself – usually in February and then again in August/September. In addition to the current information and articles of general interest, the Rundbrief contains a report on the AGM and the annual meeting of GAMM, reports and announcements from the various branches, conference announcements, new publications of journals and books, honors, awards, personnel matters, and also information on the general meetings.
4. The GAMM Mitteilungen (GAMM messages) are published four times a year. The Mitteilungen include original work on topics relating to applied mathematics and mechanics but also on any topics that could synergize well with applied mathematics and mechanics. The messages are published by Wiley-VCH publishing house, Berlin.
5. The Journal for applied mathematics and mechanics (ZAMM), which is published by the Wiley-VCH publishing house, Berlin, is a cooperative venture of both GAMM and the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. The keynote lectures for the GAMM annual meeting are published in ZAMM.
6. In cooperation with the Wiley-VHC publishing house, GAMM publishes the Proceedings in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (PAMM) of the annual meeting in electronic form.
7. The GAMM Archive for Students (GAMMAS) is an online journal by and for students in the field of applied mathematics and mechanics, and is run by the GAMM juniors. Submission and subscription are free, and anyone can access the journal.
Final regulations

The Board Council is responsible for any amendments to the statutes.

However, changes in the numbering of the paragraphs of the statutes or the clauses of any regulations, to which reference is made in this document, shall not be considered amendments in the aforementioned sense and may be made independently of the Board Council.

These statutes were adopted by the GAMM Board Council in a video conference on October 6, 2023.

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