Charter
Mission
The National User Facilities Organization (NUFO) provides a unified voice for a diverse group of nationally funded
user facilities across the United States. NUFO facilitates communication among users, user organizations, government-funded
laboratories, and various stakeholders to discuss the benefits and significance of research conducted at national user facilities,
as well as their operational needs. NUFO seeks to provide a unified message at the national level on issues of resources for
science, economic competitiveness, and education for the next-generation scientific workforce.
Background
This organization was initially founded in 1990 as a means to open avenues of communication between the four Department of
Energy synchrotron light sources–the National Synchrotron Light Source, the Advanced Light Source, the Advanced Photon Source,
and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory. It has since expanded to include most nationally funded user facilities in
the United States.
Organization
A. Membership
Members: Any interested party may be a member of NUFO.
Voting Members: Each user facility may have two voting NUFO members: a representative from the user organization/user executive committee and a user administrator.
B. Governance
Steering Committee:
A nine-member Steering Committee will conduct the business of NUFO between annual meetings. Steering Committee membership will
include a Vice-Chair and Vice-Coordinator to be elected each year from among the user organization representatives and administrators,
respectively, for expected commitments of three years. In the second year of service, the Vice-Chair and Vice-Coordinator will become
Chair and Coordinator. For the third year of service, the designations shall be Past-Chair and Past-Coordinator. In addition, the
elected members will appoint three members each year for renewable one-year terms.
Elections:
Nominees for election to the Steering Committee (as Vice-Chair and Vice-Coordinator) shall be proposed and seconded by voting members at
each annual meeting. As soon as possible after the annual meeting, voting members shall elect the Vice-Chair and Vice-Coordinator by electronic
ballot. The designations of Chairs and Coordinators shall continue until changed by the results of the election. There shall be no limit to the
number of three-year terms that an individual may serve. If any Steering Committee member is unable to complete his/her term of service, that
member will be replaced as appropriate.
C. Meetings
Meetings are held annually, with the meeting location rotating among the member facilities. All members of NUFO, as well as interested parties,
are welcome to attend. Meetings are organized by the Steering Committee, in cooperation with the NUFO voting members and others at the hosting institution.
D. Start-up
The initial election shall have sufficient candidates to elect all Officers. In both cases (Chairs and Coordinators), the person receiving the highest
number of votes shall be elected to a three-year term, the second highest to a two-year term, and the third highest to a one-year term. Those elected shall
be designated as Co-Chairs and Co-Coordinators during the year following the first election.
E. Changes/Revisions
Proposed changes shall be brought first to the Steering Committee, which will present them electronically to Voting Members for decision. The
passage of revisions require a simple majority of those who vote.
Adopted April 25, 2008