Bylaws

Mission Statement

The mission of the Plant Resilience Institute (PRI) is to conduct laboratory and field research on plant resilience with the goal of improving the productivity and nutritional quality of agricultural and horticultural crops.  To achieve this mission, the PRI will engage in a broad range of activities including:

• Conduct innovative research designed to identify key factors that enhance plant resilience towards biotic and abiotic stresses including climate change;  
• Successfully compete for extramural grants to support research and related activities on plant resilience;
• Disseminate research findings through publications in top tier journals and presentations at national and international conferences;
• Develop an exchange program for faculty and students with overseas partners to foster collaborative cross-disciplinary plant resilience research;
• Serve as advocates and consultants to communicate the importance of plant resilience research, train students and postdoctoral research associates;
• Sponsor seminars and training forums at MSU focused on plant resilience;
• Establish a recurring symposium on plant resilience research that serves the international science community;
• Establish internal alliances within MSU to translate PRI discoveries to the field;
• When appropriate, establish external alliances with peer institutions, research organizations, and industry to translate PRI discoveries to the field;
• Establish MSU as an international center of excellence for plant resilience research.

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of these bylaws is to provide structure and procedures for PRI faculty, staff, and student participation in PRI matters consistent with purposes and requirements specified in the following documents as appropriately and currently amended and approved by the Academic Council, the Academic Senate, and/or the Board of Trustees: (1) Bylaws for Academic Governance, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; (2) Bylaws for Academic Governance, College of Natural Science; (3) Bylaws for Academic Governance, Michigan State University; (4) Bylaws of the Board of Trustees of Michigan State University; (5) Academic Freedom for Students at Michigan State University; (6) Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities, Michigan State University; and (7) Faculty Handbook, Michigan State University.

If, in any matter, specifications or omissions place these Bylaws in conflict with University or College policies, as promulgated in their Bylaws, the latter shall take precedence.

Director

The Director serves as the chief administrator of the PRI, responsible for overseeing operations and providing leadership to guide the PRI in achieving the objectives stated in the Mission Statement.  The Director shall be routinely advised by the Associate Director and PRI faculty. Annual reviews of the PRI by the Scientific Advisory Board will also be used to guide decisions by the Director. The Director shall consider recommendations made by the PRI Faculty, Associate Director, and SAB regarding the budget and other matters fundamental to the success of the PRI and be responsible for making final decisions on these matters. 

Appointment of the Director

In consultation with the Internal PRI Advisory Committee, which is composed of administrators from the Office of Research and Innovation, CNS, CANR, and MSU Bioresearch, and in conjunction with feedback from the PRI Faculty, Associate Director and SAB, make budgetary decisions regarding the funding of internal research projects, operation costs, and other initiatives undertaken by the PRI.

Responsibilities of the Director

In consultation with the Internal PRI Advisory Committee, which is composed of administrators from the Office of Research and Innovation, CNS, CANR, and MSU Bioresearch, and in conjunction with feedback from the PRI Faculty, Associate Director and SAB, make budgetary decisions regarding the funding of internal research projects, operation costs, and other initiatives undertaken by the PRI.

Prepare an annual report summarizing PRI accomplishments and budget allocations for the previous year and general plans for the coming year.  The report will be distributed to PRI Faculty and the Internal PRI Advisory Committee.

Provide leadership by keeping the PRI faculty, staff, and students informed of developments in science relevant to the Mission of the PRI and making suggestions about future directions of the PRI.

Serve as the “face” of the PRI by communicating to the MSU community and relevant national and international institutions, the mission, accomplishments and plans of the PRI.

Annual Review of the Director

The Director will be reviewed each year as part of the annual review of the PRI by the Internal PRI Advisory Committee.  The Director will prepare a summary of activities of the PRI, including specific activities by the Director for the review by the Internal PRI Advisory Committee.

In the event there are concerns with the Director, the PRI faculty should discuss this with the Associate Director who can then raise concerns with the Director and/or the Internal PRI Advisory Committee.

Associate Director

The PRI shall have an Associate Director, and he/she shall be a PRI Faculty Member holding the rank of Associate Professor or Professor. The Associate Director shall perform such duties as may be delegated by the Director or Acting/Interim Director. The Associate Director serves at the pleasure of and concurrently with the term of the Director or Acting/Interim Director, and may be terminated by resignation, by action of the Board of Trustees, or upon recommendation of the President, the Dean(s), the Director and/or Acting/Interim Director. At intervals not to exceed five years, the Director shall review with the Internal PRI Advisory Committee the desirability of continuing the appointment of the Associate Director; the Associate Director shall also be consulted regarding her/his willingness to continue in the role.

PRI Faculty

PRI faculty will conduct research relevant to plant resilience and contribute to the PRI achieving the objectives stated in the Mission statement.

Appointment of PRI Faculty

New PRI faculty members will be selected by current PRI faculty and be approved by the Internal PRI Advisory Committee. Candidates must receive support from at least 4/5ths of the existing PRI faculty. 

Responsibilities of PRI Faculty

Conduct high-quality research relevant to plant resilience.  It is expected that the research programs conducted by PRI faculty members will be funded by extramural competitive sources (e.g., NSF, USDA, NIH, DOE) and that research findings will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals appropriate to the discipline and be presented at well-recognized scientific meetings/research symposia. 

Conduct collaborative research with PRI faculty and other MSU faculty interested in plant resilience.

Provide critical assessments of internal PRI research projects.

Perform service to the MSU community to advance the mission of the PRI.

Review of PRI Faculty

PRI faculty will serve a five-year term and be reviewed by PRI faculty at years two and four. 

Presentation and Evaluation Criteria:

a) The faculty member is conducting quality research relevant to the mission of the PRI and in the area of plant resilience.  Examples of success would include the individual being funded by extramural competitive sources, publishing research findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presenting results in well-recognized scientific meetings/research symposia.

b) The faculty member is contributing to the achievement of PRI goals and Objectives stated in the Mission Statement. These include, for example:

1. Conducting collaborative research on plant resilience with other MSU faculty;
2. Providing critical assessments of internal PRI research projects;
3. Performing service on behalf of the PRI through participation in a suite of activities internal and external to MSU including outreach through activities such as Darwin Days, Fascination of Plants; leading graduate seminars or the plant resilience brown bag; organizing the symposium; leading workshops on resilience; participation in PRI funding review panels; facilitating international research activities for the direct benefit of the PRI, as well as additional other service activities that develop.

The two-year review.  The faculty member will provide a CV annotated with accomplishments in resilience-related research and PRI activities to the Director and Associate Director. The Director and Associate Director will review and write a summary of the faculty member’s performance under review for that period and then meet with the faculty member to discuss their performance including indications of possible courses of action to improve the situation.  

The four-year review.  The faculty member will provide the CV and a brief (ca. 30 minute in the Brown Bag series) presentation to the group highlighting accomplishments in resilience-related research and PRI activities. However, if concerns were raised at the two-year review regarding the performance of the faculty member, the faculty member should include in the summary statement information on how the concerns were addressed during the previous two years.  One additional criteria of the four-year review will be that the PRI faculty will vote as to whether they support a second 5-year appointment in the PRI. To remain a member of the PRI, a faculty member must receive support from 2/3rds of the PRI faculty.  Voting will be anonymous. 

For the four-year review, the presentation will be recorded so that all voting members can review the activities.

Proxy voting: Voting can occur by proxy in which votes will be sent in writing via email.

c) Faculty that are not renewed will be able to spend the remainder of their current yearly funds.

External Scientific Advisory Board

An external Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), comprised of up to five recognized leaders knowledgeable about plant resilience and associated challenges to agriculture will be appointed to provide guidance and help the PRI accomplish the objectives outlined in the Mission Statement. The SAB will be convened once a year for a 1.5 day meeting at Michigan State University to assess research programs within the PRI, progress, and impact. The SAB will prepare a written report for the Director and the Internal PRI Advisory Committee. Travel and associated expenses for the SAB to travel to MSU for an annual scientific review will be paid by PRI. In addition, SAB members will be paid an honorarium. SAB members will be appointed for a 3-year term, and members may be renewed for an additional 3-year term, contingent upon discussions with the PRI Faculty. Details of the annual SAB meeting will be provided to the PRI Faculty in advance of the meeting dates.

Procedural Matters

1. Budgeting and Allocations. The Director will prepare an annual PRI budget with a funding cycle of July 1 to June 30. The budget will be developed as outlaid in the PRI Budget Policies approved by the Internal PRI Advisory Committee.

2. PRI Faculty meetings. The Director shall call regular faculty meetings to communicate information of importance to the PRI, to discuss any issues that arise, and to make decisions as needed.

3. The Director or designee will oversee a web site to facilitate communication within the PRI, within the MSU community, and externally.

PRI Affiliates and Collaborators

There is a wealth of plant science expertise on the MSU campus and faculty collaborators can be funded by the PRI through two mechanisms.

First, projects that overlap substantially with internally funded PRI projects can be proposed that include MSU faculty who are not official members of the PRI. The proposal, funding, and review of these collaborative projects will involve the same terms, level of oversight, and review as projects awarded to PRI faculty. Collaborating faculty and associated personnel are expected to be engaged in not only the PRI mission but also associated events such as seminars, symposia, and SAB meeting at a level comparable with funding.

Second, the PRI can fund independent research projects, typically mini-projects or seed funding, to MSU faculty to broaden the scope and impact of internal funds. PRI-funded researchers will be required to report research progress, acknowledge source of research funds, and contribute to the PRI mission including service activities at a level comparable with funding.