Rules and regulations

The Institute of Earth Sciences (IES) and the Institute of Physical Sciences (IPS) together form the Science Institute, University of Iceland (SI). The aim of the Institute of Earth Sciences is to be an active participant in the international earth sciences community and a leader in earth sciences research in Iceland and adjacent regions. The Regulation on the Science Institute no. 685/2011 applies to the Institute of Earth Sciences, in addition to the following operational rules. 

The role of the Institute of Earth Sciences, is to:

1. Gather new knowledge through basic and applied research in the earth sciences.
2. Run the Nordic Volcanological Centre, which educates and trains young earth scientists from the Nordic countries.
3. Work with universities in Iceland and abroad, research institutes and other parties with the mutual exchange of knowledge in mind and in order to gather knowledge for Icelandic society.
4. Develop and organise facilities for experiments and measurements in earth sciences.
5. Conduct contract research in areas which require basic research and are not in competition with other institutes or companies in Iceland, as applicable, and provide advice regarding natural disasters, use of natural resources and environmental issues.
6. Disseminate knowledge by publishing and publicising research findings in the field of earth sciences. 
7. Provide postgraduate students at the Faculty of Earth Sciences with facilities and access to equipment, in accordance with a service agreement with the Faculty.
8. Enhance teaching by developing a fertile research environment for students and training them in scientific thinking and working practices within the earth sciences. 

The IES board comprises six members, besides the students sitting on the Faculty council. The chair of the board and two members are elected for a two-year term in accordance with Article 11 of the IES rules. Other board members are elected in accordance with Faculty of Earth Sciences rules. The chair of the board is elected separately in accordance with IES rules (see Article 11), but the board selects a vice chair from the other board members. Both women and men shall sit on the board. Care must be taken to ensure that the selection of board members complies with the provisions of Article 15 of the Act on Equal Status and Equal Rights of Women and Men, no. 10/2008.  

The IES managing director handles the day-to-day operations of the Institute of Earth Sciences, under the authority of the IES board and the SI managing director. The managing director steers the creation of an operating plan and budget in consultation with the board, oversees finances and buildings, manages technicians, and is responsible for the running of infrastructure. The managing director shall attend board meetings, has the right to speak and make proposals, and shall take meeting minutes.  

The IES board lays out a comprehensive strategy for the Institute and is responsible for implementation and operations in accordance with internal IES structure. The main aspects of research at the Institute at any one time are divided into specific research themes (Article 8) and 1IES rules for the staff meeting 12 March 2019, approved at an IES board meeting on 15 April 2019 and an SI board meeting professional groups (Article 9).  The IES board is authorised to appoint IES employees to committees and task forces to manage internal IES affairs.  

The chair of the board governs board meetings and joint IES operations. The board prepares an operating plan and budget for the Institute and maintains a comprehensive oversight of IES operations. The budget is presented to the finance committee, which has the right to propose amendments (see Article 10). The IES board divides funding and other contributions to joint IES operations between subjects. The chair works under the authority of the board and implements decisions taken at board meetings and institute-wide meetings. The chair directs the operational plan and budget in consultation with the managing director, project managers and heads of professional groups. The chair is answerable to the board for IES operations and is the board's contact with other staff. The chair speaks for the board and appears on its behalf. The chair of the board is the IES representative on the SI board. The vice chair is the chair's proxy. The board is authorised to grant the chair of the board, or the chair's proxy if the chair is absent, the power to make decisions in board matters between board meetings. 

The chair of the board calls a board meeting with an agenda, by email or using other means, which the board must agree to at least three days in advance. A board meeting must be called if two or more board members so request. The same applies if the chair of the Science Institute board so requests; the chair of the SI board then has the right to speak and make proposals at the meeting. In the event of a tie vote at a board meeting, the chair shall cast the deciding vote. The board meeting shall have a quorum if at least four board members or their alternates attend. The managing director of the Science Institute has the right to attend, speak and make proposals at IES board meetings. Meeting minutes shall be recorded. Meeting minutes shall be accessible to all staff at the Institute, as well as the chair of the SI board and dean of the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences. The board may take decisions via email between meetings. 

The IES board is authorised to appoint a dedicated project manager for the Nordic Volcanological Centre (Nordvulk), who shall work under the authority of the chair of the IES board. The project manager shall oversee the interests of Nordvulk grant recipients, including the finances of their projects, as well as acting as contact with the Volcanological Centre's project committee and the Nordic Council. 

Staff divide themselves into research themes based on their interests and projects. They may belong to more than one research theme. One of these research themes shall be in volcanology, cf. the agreement between the University of Iceland and the Nordic Council on the Nordic Volcanological Centre.

Professional groups are forums for staff (in accordance with items a–e of the Regulation on the Science Institute) who share similar expertise, facilities or instrumentation in their research. Each professional group elects a head who represents the group to the board and its chair and advises them on policy and facilities. 

The role of the finance committee is to guarantee consultation with parties providing funding for IES operations and to oversee the distribution of funding in accordance with the operating plan and budget. The chair of the finance committee is appointed by the dean of the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences and is not an employee of the Faculty of Earth Sciences or the Institute of Earth Sciences. Other members of the committee are the chair of the IES board, two representatives from the Nordic Volcanological Centre project committee, and two members from the IES board, as determined by the board.

An election shall be held no later than by the end of March in the year the board members' period of appointment ends.

A month before the election, the IES board shall appoint three persons to an election board to prepare and implement the election of the chair of the board and two other members. Employees in accordance with items a and b, Article 9 of the Regulation for the Science Institute are eligible to stand for election. Persons on the election board are not eligible to stand for election. The election board shall publish a list of persons eligible for election no later than 10 days before the election and resolve any problems that may arise.

All IES employees in accordance with items a and b of Article 9 of the Regulation on the Science Institute have the right to vote, as well as employees in accordance with items c and d who have worked at the Institute for a continuous period of three years or longer.

No later than three days before the election, the election board shall invite all employees to a meeting to discuss the election and invite board candidacies in accordance with the provisions of Article 3. This meeting shall be used to discuss how to guarantee academic breadth and equal representation of the sexes on the board.

Voting will be digital and the election is considered legitimate if at least half of employees with the right to vote do so. The election board shall establish rules about absentee voting. The chair of the board will be elected first, followed by votes to determine the two other members. The chair of the board must be elected with at least a 50% share of votes cast. If no candidate receives the requisite number of votes, there will be a second round of voting to choose between the two candidates who received the most votes in the first round. In the case of a tie vote in the second round, the result will be determined by drawing lots. The two candidates who receive the most votes in the election of the other board members are legitimately elected to the board. In the case of a tie between the candidates in second and third place, the result will be determined by drawing lots. Those in third and fourth place in the election shall serve as alternates. 

Parallel provisions apply to the IES institute-wide meeting as to the Science Institute staff meeting, cf. Article 8 in the Regulation for the Science Institute. The chair of the board calls the institute-wide meeting. The meeting will elect a chair. Institute-wide meetings provide a forum for the board to present their work, including the operational plan and budget for the IES. Institute-wide meetings address matters affecting the entire institute and are used for submitting proposals to the board concerning the management of such matters. The IES board shall present all major changes to research policy or to these rules at an institute-wide meeting. 

The chair of the IES board shall determine the provision and extent of facilities for external parties in accordance with Article 4 of the Regulation for the Science Institute, in consultation with the head of the professional group where applicable. Decisions about the provision and extent of research facilities in accordance with Article 4 of the Regulation for the Science Institute shall take into consideration how the research fits in with the role of the Institute of Earth Sciences, the need for facilities, and current activities at the Institute. The board shall thoroughly investigate these considerations. The IES board is authorised to provide an employee who has retired due to age with research facilities, in accordance with the University of Iceland Regulation on working facilities

The Institute of Earth Sciences shall issue an annual report containing information on research, other projects and performance. The report shall be accessible on the Institute website. The Institute shall also submit an annual report in accordance with the Nordic Council's guidance on reporting from partner institutes. Consultation meetings between the IES and the office of the Nordic Council are held annually.

These operational rules are established on the basis of paragraph 3, Article 3 of the Regulation on the Science Institute no. 685/2011 and with reference to the agreement between the Nordic Council and the University of Iceland regarding the Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, and the Nordic Volcanological Centre. They enter into force immediately. The older rules for the IES from 4th of May 2012 with subsequent amendments are repealed.