NuFFER: mission and mandate

NuFFER (NuPECC Forum For Early-career Researchers) is a forum for the early-career researchers (ECRs) that are active in the field of nuclear physics within Europe. The purpose of the forum is to increase the visibility of ECRs within the community, to allow networking between them and the senior members of the community, and to enable them to participate and contribute to the topics discussed in NuPECC.

NuFFER's goals are to:

  • Built up a Europe-wide network of early-career researchers (ECRs).
  • Support ECRs in nuclear physics in Europe with matters related to their professional and personal development, career opportunities, and research possibilities.
  • Represent ECRs and their interests within NuPECC and nuclear physics decision-making in Europe
  • Inform ECRs about matters discussed within NuPECC.
  • Organize workshops about topics of interest to ECRs and of value towards their long-term development.

Mandate:
The NuFFER steering committee operates in accordance with this statute and the decisions of NuPECC. The steering committee of NuFFER will be composed of up to 2 ECRs per NUPECC representative (of a country or associated institutions). Researchers working on their PhD thesis or within 10 years of the completion of their PhD will be eligible to be elected as representatives. Parental leave periods or similar breaks should be taken into account in the 10-year limit. Obtaining a permanent position does not cause the end of mandate, on the other hand, if ECRs leave Europe they should leave the NuFFER steering committee. The NuPECC representative should propose a replacement.

Committee members shall act as individuals, but should be able to represent the views of the ECRs in nuclear physics in the country or association from which they were nominated. The membership term lasts for 3 years, with possible renewal only once.

The NuFFER steering committee will be led by a chair and co-chair with a term of 2 years. Both may be re-elected once. The chair will be invited to the NuPECC meetings as an observer. The chair and co-chair are automatically members of the current steering committee. The chair of the steering committee reports to the NuPECC committee on a regular basis.

The chair and co-chair have the responsibility to organize a meeting of the steering committee at least twice a year. They should propose the financial spending, which must be approved by the steering committee with a majority vote.

The NuFFER steering committee can invite observers to its meetings, for example to seek adequate diversity among the participants to conduct its business. We propose that at least one event for ECRs should be organized per year, and reported to NuPECC at the meetings. Activities of the Forum are public, and members are regularly informed about the initiatives being undertaken. Information about NUFFER is given on a webpage (https://nuffer.web.cern.ch/). This statute enters into force upon its approval by the majority of the members of the NuFFER steering committee. Any amendments to the statute require the approval of the majority of the NuFFER steering committee members.