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TALENT: Training in Advanced Low Energy Nuclear Theory
Training the next generation of nuclear physicists
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The TALENT Charter

  1. Purpose of the Charter

: This Charter establishes the functions, organizational structure, and responsibilities within the TALENT Project. The Project was initiated by nuclear scientists from Europe and North America, who have formed the TALENT Steering Committee, and the current Charter reflects this origin. Broader geographical participation in the future is welcome, at which time this Charter will be amended appropriately (Sec. 13).
  2. Project Director

: The Director is appointed by the Board and has the overall responsibility for the TALENT Project. He/she is the primary point of contact with the Institutional Members (Sec. 8) and funding agencies.
  3. Co-Directors

: The two Co-Directors, one from Europe and one from North America, are nominated by the Project Director and approved by the Board. Their principal responsibility is to assist the Project Director with project management.
  4. TALENT Board: 

The Board consists of the Director and co-Directors and an additional six members, three from Europe and three from North America, drawn from the TALENT membership (Sec. 5). The Board represents different subfields of low energy nuclear theory and different Institutional Members. The Board oversees project integration and coordination among the subfields. It approves proposals and sites, and coordinates the project training modules and timetables. It also makes recommendations to institutions hosting TALENT courses regarding their content and budget. Rotation of Board members will begin on January 1, 2015 with the replacement of three members of the initial TALENT Steering Committee. Subsequently, three members of the Board will be replaced every second year (Sec. 5). New members will serve for a six-year, nonrenewable term of office. A list of nominations for new Board members will be solicited from the TALENT membership and voted on by the Board to select the three replacement members. The solicitation, discussion, and voting procedures will be decided by the Project Director. Nominations will remain active for two rotations. In its selection of replacement members, the Board is responsible for maintaining balance and diversity in its composition.
  5. TALENT Membership: 

 The membership of TALENT is open to all practicing nuclear physicists sharing the goals of the TALENT Project. New membership requests are to be submitted through the website to the TALENT Board, who will maintain a mailing list of TALENT members.
  6. Procedures:
    1. The Board will conduct its business in a democratic manner with one vote per Board member.
    2. Vacancies on the Board must be replaced immediately.
    3. The Board shall meet at least every quarter by conference calls, or more often as needed. The conference calls are organized by the Project Director. The agenda for each conference call will be posted on http://nucleartalent.org at least 3 business days prior to the call to enable consultations between members of the TALENT membership and Board members as needed. Minutes of the Board meetings are to be posted on http://nucleartalent.org. Draft minutes are to be distributed to the Board members within one week following the conference call. Final minutes are posted within one day of the vote to accept the minutes at the following conference call. In the absence of urgent agenda, the Project Director may cancel a conference call by consulting the Board electronically.
    4. To make the project transparent and to integrate courses across subfields, final accepted course proposals and post-course reports submitted to the Board are to be posted on https://fribtheoryalliance.org/TALENT/.
    5. Members of TALENT may propose agenda items for Board meetings by contacting any Board member.
    6. Members of TALENT may attend a Board meeting at the invitation of a Board member and with majority approval of the Board, except when the Board is meeting in executive session.
    7. The Board may arrange open meetings of TALENT Project that will not require specific invitation. The logistics and agenda of such meetings are announced on the website.
  7. Website:
 
The project website,https://fribtheoryalliance.org/TALENT/ , shall serve as a communication and outreach tool and as a window into TALENT courses. It is a repository of the outreach and educational material generated under TALENT, including WEB-based courses, notes, textbooks, modern educational resources, and brochures. A Board member is appointed by the Board to oversee the content and maintain and update the website. At his/her discretion, he/she may use the help of other persons or services.
  8. Institutional Members: 

TALENT collaborates closely with a number of partner institutions in Europe and North America that support TALENT vision. A list of these institutions is maintained on http://nucleartalent.org. Additional partners are to be considered through the Amendment procedures (Sec. 13). Representatives of Institutional Members can be invited to attend the TALENT conference calls.
  9. Annual Report

: The Annual Report is put together by the Project Director and co-Directors. It contains but is not limited to: (i) reports on training delivered; (ii) plans for the following year; (iii) an overview of submitted proposals; (iv) the current voting-members list; and (v) a report on institutional support. The report is posted on the collaboration website and submitted to institutional members and funding agencies.
  10. Deliverables

: The main deliverables of TALENT are courses (written and recorded), publications, reports, codes, and other educational material used in TALENT training modules. The creators of the deliverables will own any copyrights but TALENT will retain a non-exclusive right to use and disseminate these materials, unless explicitly prohibited.
  11. Best Practices:

 A list of Best Practices and examples for successful TALENT training modules is maintained by the Board and posted on http://nucleartalent.org. The Best Practices will include but are not limited to procedures for advertising new courses, selecting participants, and other logistical tasks, as well as procedures for remote participation in TALENT courses.
  12. Submissions of TALENT proposals
: Proposals for new TALENT courses should be submitted to the Board through the Project Director. Direct submission of proposals with the TALENT name to other institutions requires pre-approval by the Board. The new proposals are expected to conform to Best Practices. New proposals can also be encouraged by the Board.
  13. Amendments:
    1. Amendments to this charter must originate from the TALENT Board or from a group of five TALENT members sending statements of support to the Board.
    2. Amendments to the charter may be adopted by a 2/3 vote of the Board.
  14. Ratification

: This Charter was accepted as a document providing guidance and rules of operation for the TALENT program following a unanimous ratification vote by the TALENT Steering Committee on April 8, 2014.

    The present version was approved during the Talent Steering committee of April 8, 2014 and posted here on May 29, 2014.