Constitution

of PRIF – Peace Research Institute Frankfurt

 

§ 1 Organizational Forms
The Peace Research Institute Frankfurt was founded by the federal state of Hesse as a foun­dation under public law, holding legal capacity. With the consent of the Hessian govern­ment the institute may also nominate a public person that has rendered out­standing services for peace.

 

§ 3 Office
The institute has its offices in Frankfurt/M. It can maintain a branch office in Berlin.

 

§ 3 Purpose of the Foundation
The Peace Research Institute Frankfurt investi­gates the causes, development and possi­bilities for the settlement of conflicts. The institute does not limit its research to analyzing conflict conditions but, on the basis of such investi­gations, seeks to develop innovative trans­formational and problem-solving concepts that at the same time contribute to a reduction of violence, increasing social justice and political freedom in international system as well as in individual societies. The institute introduces the findings of peace and conflict research to the public and in particular seeks to bring them into effect in political education.

 

§ 4 Freedom of Research
The Institute pursues its work, enjoying scientific indepen­dence and freedom. This freedom does not release them from fidelity of the consti­tution of the state of Hesse and to the German Constitution.

 

§ 5 Structure and Governing Bodies
(1) The Institute is subdivided into research departments

(2) The governing bodies of the institute are:

  1. the Board of Trustees,
  2. the Executive Board,
  3. the Research Council,
  4. the Scientific Advisory Board.

The members of the governing bodies of the institute are entitled to receive adequate allowance. Details can be governed by the Board of Trustees and/or by the Board of Trustees committee for financial affairs.

(3) If the Term of office ends, the members of the respective governing bodies remain in office until their successors have been elected.

(4) All bodies of the institute may also adopt resolutions in hybrid or completely digital meetings. Resolutions may also be passed by all bodies outside of meetings by written or telex circulation procedure as well as electroni­cally, by telephone or video conference. A resolution passed by means of circulation is adopted in accordance with § 32 (3) BGB if it is passed by a majority of the members entitled to vote. The chairperson is obliged to inform the members of the body of the result of the resolutions without delay. Further details are regulated by the rules of procedure of the respective bodies.

 

§ 6 Board of Trustees
(1) The Board of Trustees is composed of the following members with voting rights:

  1. the Prime Minister of the State of Hesse
  2. the Hessian Minister for Science and the Arts
  3. two representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research
  4. the Mayor of the City of Frankfurt
  5. a member of the Executive Board of Goethe University Frankfurt
  6. two public figures propose by the Executive Board and appointed for four years by the Board of Trustees. A repeat appointment is permitted, as is early dismissal with due cause.

(2) The Board of Trustees members with an advisory capacity are:

  1. the chairperson of the Advisory Board,
  2. the chairperson of the Research Council.

(3) The chair of the Board of Trustees is held by the Hessian Minister for Science and the Arts or a represen­tative nominated by him/her.

(4) As a rule, the Board of Trustees assembles for a regular meeting twice, and a minimum of once, a year. An extraordinary meeting needs to be convened if requested by half of the members of the Board of Trustees or by the Executive Board. A notice period of two weeks must be observed when convening the meeting. The items on the agenda need to be commu­nicated at the time when the members are invited to the meeting.

(5) The Executive Board attends the Board of Trustees meetings.

(6) The Board of Trustees can make decisions if more than half of the members are present. Decisions are made with simple majority of the votes cast. In matters of importance to research policy, of consider­able financial implications or with regard to the managerial staff of the institute, a decision can neither be taken against the vote of the representative of the state of Hessen nor the representative of the federal government. The meeting must be recorded through meeting minutes and shall be signed by the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.

(7) Each member of the Board of Trustees may transfer its vote to one of the other Board of Trustee members.
However, a member may only be entitled to a maximum of two votes.

(8) The Board of Trustees may take decisions through a written procedure. Details are outlined in the rules of procedure.

(9) Members of the Board of Trustees who belong to the Board of the Institute qua office may be represented by represen­tatives authorized in writing.

(10) A member of the Board of Trustees may also resign from office without good cause at any time by giving one month’s written notice to the Chair.

 

§ 7 Duties of the Board of Trustees
(1) The Board of Trustees supervises the pursuit of the foun­dation’s purpose as well as the legitimacy, the expediency and the efficiency of the adminis­tration through the Executive Board of PRIF. In detail it fulfills the following tasks:

  1. take decisions regarding the research program on the basis of the evalu­ation through the Scientific Advisory Board;
  2. adopt the economic plan (program budget);
  3. approve the annual accounts;
  4. appoint an auditor;
  5. approve the actions of the Executive Board for the preceding financial year;
  6. appoint the heads of the research department;
  7. approve the appoint­ment of the executive director, his/her deputy and the budget officer;
  8. approve the vote of the academic staff member/s to the Executive Board;
  9. appoint and dismiss the Scientific Advisory Board members on the recommen­dation of the Executive Board;
  10. adopt the rules of procedure of the Executive Board and of the Research Council as well as the Scientific Advisory Board’s rules of procedure.

(2) For controlling the institute’s adminis­tration, the Board of Trustees may at any time request information from the Executive Board. The Board of Trustees can authorize individual members to monitor the adminis­tration, to check the annual report and evaluation reports as well as the annual financial statement. External experts may be consulted for special tasks.

(3) The Board of Trustees can convene committees for certain tasks, which may also include individuals in an advisory capacity who are not necessarily members of the Board of Trustees. These committees may be endowed with decision-making authority. Following the suggestions of the Executive Board, the Board of Trustees appoints the selection committee appointing the PRIF heads of the research departments.

(4) The Board of Trustees may adopt its own rules of procedure.

 

§ 8 The Executive Board
(1) The Executive Board is composed of the heads of the research depart­ments, the adminis­trative director, the head of science communi­cation and two academic staff members.

(2) The Research Council elects its represen­tatives in the Executive Board according to § 12, clause 1, number 1 and 2, for two years from among its staff members. Academic staff members are entitled to vote according to § 12, clause 1.

(3) The Executive Board elects from among the research department heads the executive director and the deputy director. The term of office is four years.

(4) The adminis­trative director is responsible for the budget and adminis­trative management.

(5) The Executive Board takes decisions by simple majority of its members who are either present on site at the meeting or are participating digitally. In case of equal vote, the vote of the executive director is the decisive vote. In matters regarding the budget and with consider­able financial impli­cations, decisions cannot be taken against the vote of the person responsible for the budget.

(6) Regarding legal transactions with third parties, the Executive Board needs to be represented by two commonly acting members of the Executive Board, one of them always being the executive director, the deputy director or the adminis­trative director. The mutual authorization of represen­tatives is not permitted.

 

§ 9 Duties of the Executive Board
(1) The Executive Board directs PRIF on the basis of this consti­tution and the decisions of the Board of Trustees. It has all the powers which are not entrusted to other organs through this constitution or other statutory provisions. It is especially entrusted with the general adminis­tration of the institute. Its duties are in particular.

  1. The legal represen­tation of the institute;
  2. he administration of the foundation’s assets;
  3. preparing and imple­menting the budget plan (department budget);
  4. the budget and accounting of the foundation as well as the controlling;
  5. personnel matters, recruitment and dismissal of the scientific and non-scientific staff members of the institute as well as the admission of PhD students;
  6. preparing a proposal to the Board of Trustees for setting up a selection committee for the appointment of research department heads;
  7. preparing for the Board of Trustees a list of names for the appointment of Scientific Advisory Board members;
  8. establishing agreement with the Research Council on scientific program planning and its imple­mentation in accordance with § 10, clause 3;
  9. scientific quality control in consultation with the Research Council;
  10. preparing an annual report;
  11. informing the Board of Trustees about matters of special significance;
  12. supervising the current adminis­trative activities.

(2) The Executive Board can adopt its own rules of procedure.

 

§ 10 Research Council
(1) According to § 12, clause 1, the research department heads, heads of junior research groups and research groups based at the institute, and the scientific staff members are eligible to vote for the Research Council.

(2) The Research Council elects a chairperson as well as two deputies for a period of two years.

(3) The research council is responsible for designing the scientific program as well as developing and approving the research projects together with the Executive Board. If in individual cases no agreement can be reached, the Executive Board and the Research Council, guided by the head of the Scientific Advisory Board, separately discuss the subject again and then form a commission with equal representation. Their vote is binding.

(4) According to § 9, clause 1, number 1, the Research Council assists in scientific quality control, in particular regarding PRIF’s own publications.

(5) The Research Council has to be consulted before the appointment of the research department heads as well as the heads of research groups and junior research groups, the employment of the scientific staff, the awarding of the status of PhD candidate, the association of researchers with and without access to the Research Council and the invitation of guest scientists through the Executive Board.

(6) The Research Council can adopt its own rules of procedure.

 

§ 11 Advisory Board
(1) The Board of Trustees appoints a Scientific Advisory Board that is composed of up to ten expert members. There should also be foreign scientists on the Board. The Board of Trustees, at the suggestion of the Executive Board, appoints the members for four years. The members may be reelected once.

(2) The Scientific Advisory Board should promote and to support the scientific work of the institute. It provides advice to the Board of Trustees, the Executive Board and to the Research Council in designing the research program and in developing research projects.

(3) The Scientific Advisory Board comments on the Executive Board’s draft for the research budget and presents a recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

(4) The Scientific Advisory Board establishes criteria for evaluating the institute’s research as well as its service achievements. On the basis of these criteria, and in communication with the Executive Board and the Research Council, it evaluates at regular intervals the achieve­ments of the individual research depart­ments and of the institute as a whole. It informs the Board of Trustees regularly about its evaluations.

(5) The Scientific Advisory Board may consult additional experts for advice.

(6) The members of the Scientific Advisory Board work on an unsalaried basis. They receive travel expenses in accor­dance with the Hessian Travel Expenses Act.

 

§ 12 Scientific Staff
(1) The scientific staff of the institute is composed of:

  1. scientific employees entrusted with research tasks,
  2. scientific employees entrusted with scientific service tasks,
  3. PRIF’s PhD students.

(2) In addition, non-permanent scientific staff, in particular guest scientists, will work at the institute.

(3) In addition, the institute can involve external scientists as associated researchers for a limited period of time.

 

§ 13 Foundation assets
The foundation assets may only be used in accordance with the foundation objective.

 

§ 14 Budget and Accounting
(1) The institution’s accounting year corresponds to the accounting year of the state of Hesse.

(2) The economic adminis­tration as well as accounting and auditing are determined by the budgetary law valid in the state of Hesse.

(3) The institute is subject to the auditing of the “Bundes­rechnungshof” (federal court of audits) and the “Rech­nungshof des Landes Hessen” (court of audits of the state of Hesse).

 

§ 15 Constitutional Changes
Consti­tutional changes are decided by the Board of Trustees by a two-thirds majority of its members according to the consti­tution. The decision may not be taken against the votes of the represen­tatives of the state of Hessen or of the federal govern­ment in the Board of Trustees. The foundation objective cannot be altered. The consti­tutional changes may not jeopardize or prevent the fulfilment of the foundation objective.

 

§ 16 Dissolution of the Foundation
(1) The disso­lution of the foundation may be decided by the Board of Trustees by a two-thirds majority of its members according to the constitution, following a hearing of the Executive Board.

(2) In case of a dissolution, the foun­dation assets go to the state of Hessen, that may only use it directly and exclu­sively in accordance with the foundation objective. The state of Hessen takes care of the foundation’s commitments.

 

§ 17 Coming into Effect
This constitution comes into effect upon approval by the Darmstadt Regional Council.