Statutes

The Association for Independent Research was founded in 2023 in Zurich, Switzerland, as a hub for researchers. Its most recent statutes as agreed by the 2024 General Assembly are as follows.

Article 1 – Name and Domicile. An association as defined by Art. 60 ff. ZGB has been established under the name “Association for Independent Research (AIR)”. Its registered office is in Zurich. The association shall be independent in terms of politics and religion.

Article 2 – Objective and Purpose. The association aims to promote independent research of high quality and to provide a platform and network for researchers outside of traditional academic research institutions. Specifically, AIR pursues the following objectives:

Networking and supporting researchers, including those who are not affiliated with an academic institution or who conduct science or teaching outside of their affiliation.
Promoting high-quality research that is incompatible with the usual institutional and conventional working conditions.
Creating alternative research practices, research communication, and research collaboration.
Bridging between independent researchers and academic and private institutions as well as society in general.
Promoting and formalizing knowledge that is often excluded from conventional research.
Providing a platform to enhance the visibility of independent researchers and independent scientific services for organizations and means.

Article 3 – Resources. The association is financed by:

Membership fees.
Donations and grants of any kind.
Returns from the association’s assets.
Government contributions.
Income from organizing events.
Revenue from service contracts.
The general meeting determines the amount of membership fees and defines the proportion of revenue from service contracts.

Article 4 – General Assembly. The general assembly is the supreme body of the association. It is the meeting of the members of the association. It can be conducted and recorded in German or English. The general assembly convenes annually in the first half of the year. The date is set by the board at least one month in advance, and members are invited at least 15 days prior by email. Requests from members for additional items to be presented to the general assembly must be submitted to the board in writing with reasons for the request at least 6 weeks in advance. The general assembly can be held as a physical meeting, in the form of a written vote, an electronic vote, or a virtual meeting. For a virtual meeting, it must be ensured that the image and sound of all participating members are transmitted. The board decides on the form of the meeting.

Article 5 – Board of directors. The board is the highest executive and administrative body of the association. The general assembly elects the members of the board for one year. Re-election is permissible. It consists of at least two members. They have all powers not expressly reserved by law or the statutes to another body of the association. Each board member may represent the association alone. The general assembly may grant or withdraw different signing authority when electing a board member. If the general assembly does not use this option, the board grants or withdraws different signing authority to its members. The board meets as often as the business requires. Any board member may request a meeting stating the reasons. If no board member requests oral consultation, resolutions are valid via circular route (including email).

Article 6 – Auditors. The auditing body reviews the annual accounts. It records the results in a written report for the general assembly. It consists of one or more natural persons; it can also consist of a single legal entity, such as a trust company. The auditing body is elected annually by the general assembly. Re-election is unlimited. No board member may be part of the auditing body; likewise, no relatives of a board member may be part of the auditing body. The general assembly may unanimously waive the election of an auditing body, provided it is not obliged to a revision.

Article 7 – Audit Office. The association may elect an audit office instead of an auditing body to conduct a limited audit according to the provisions of the Code of Obligations. It must be a licensed auditing firm. It must elect such an audit office if an association member who is subject to personal liability or a contribution obligation requires it. If the association is obliged to audit, the general assembly must elect an audit office instead of an auditing body; this must be a licensed audit expert or a state-supervised auditing company according to the provisions of the Audit Supervision Act.

Article 8 – Authorised signatories. The board regulates the signing authority collectively by twos. Providing a platform to improve the visibility of independent researchers. Scientific services for organizations and funds.