联盟章程Alliance Charter

Article 1 (Name) The Chinese name of the alliance is 卓健生命科学与健康发展联盟, and the English name is ALLIANCE FOR LIFE SCIENCES AND HEALTH DEVELOPMENT, abbreviated as ZALSH. The alliance is registered under the relevant laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and operates within that legal framework. The alliance name and logo are protected by intellectual property laws and may not be used without written authorization from the Council.

Article 2 (Nature) The alliance is a non-profit international academic alliance focused on life sciences and public health. It does not operate for profit, does not represent any political position, and is not affiliated with any government agency or commercial entity. It upholds academic independence, fairness, transparency, member service, and development promotion.

Article 3 (Mission) The alliance advances life science innovation through fair academic review and awards, supports valuable research through dedicated grants, connects outstanding researchers through a three-tier membership system, promotes orderly circulation of academic resources through expert appointments, and safeguards ethically sensitive research through an independent ethics review mechanism.

Article 4 (Registered Address) The registered office and headquarters are located at No. 5 Science Park West Avenue, Hong Kong Science Park, Sha Tin, New Territories, Hong Kong. The alliance also maintains liaison offices in Shenzhen and Singapore for Greater Bay Area and Southeast Asia services.

Article 5 (Admission Requirements) Individuals who recognize the alliance mission and hold relevant academic or professional qualifications may apply. Ordinary members need a life science related bachelor's degree or above, or at least three years of relevant experience. Senior members need a doctoral degree with more than five years of research experience or an associate senior professional title. Honorary members are nominated by the Council for special contributions.

Article 6 (Admission Procedure) Applicants submit applications through official channels with required degree, employment, or recommendation materials. The Membership Affairs Department conducts formal review, while senior and honorary member applications are submitted to the Academic Committee. Approved applicants become members after completing membership information confirmation as instructed.

Article 7 (Member Rights) Members enjoy rights according to membership level, including access to academic resources, annual meeting participation, research grant application eligibility, participation in academic review, award nomination rights, and Council non-voting attendance for honorary members where applicable.

Article 8 (Member Duties) Members must follow the charter and rules, protect the alliance reputation, provide truthful application materials, keep personal and professional information accurate and updated, respect intellectual property rights, and comply with academic ethics during alliance activities.

Article 9 (Withdrawal and Removal) Members may withdraw by written notice to the Secretariat. Members who violate the charter, damage the alliance reputation, or are found to have committed academic misconduct may have membership suspended or removed after formal investigation.

Article 10 (Council) The Council is the highest decision-making body of the alliance, composed of 21 council members with a three-year renewable term. It approves development strategy, budgets, charter amendments, major activities, and appointments of key Secretariat leaders.

Article 11 (Academic Committee) The Academic Committee is the highest academic advisory body, providing professional guidance on academic development, Excellence Award review standards, and grant policies. Members are appointed by the Council and must hold senior academic standing in relevant fields.

Article 12 (Secretariat) The Secretariat manages daily operations and is accountable to the Council. It includes the Membership Affairs Department, Project Management Department, and International Cooperation Department, and is responsible for executing Council resolutions and managing routine finance and services.

Article 13 (Qiyuan Life Sciences Institute) Qiyuan Life Sciences Institute is the alliance's academic platform for academic review and expert development. It operates under independent academic principles, administratively connected to the Secretariat and academically guided by the Academic Committee.

Article 14 (Ethics Review Committee) The alliance establishes an independently operated Ethics Review Committee for research involving human experiments, gene editing, clinical trials, and other ethically sensitive fields. No institution or individual may interfere with its review conclusions.

Article 15 (Funding Sources) Funding sources include donations and sponsorships, lawful income from academic review and expert appointment services, grants from governments or foundations, lawful investment income from alliance assets, and other lawful income aligned with the alliance mission.

Article 16 (Use of Funds) Alliance funds must be used according to the annual budget approved by the Council and dedicated to specified purposes, including research grant support, award operations, Qiyuan Institute and Ethics Review Committee operations, Secretariat staffing and office costs, academic publishing, outreach, and international cooperation.

Article 17 (Audit) The alliance commissions an independent certified public accounting firm each year to audit its financial status. Audit reports are submitted to the Council and made available to members. Financial records are retained for no less than seven years.

Article 18 (Integrity Rules) Council members, committee members, Secretariat staff, and expert researchers must follow integrity rules, disclose conflicts of interest, and recuse themselves from related decisions. The alliance maintains an internal reporting mechanism for suspected violations.

Article 19 (Award Establishment) The alliance establishes the Life Sciences and Health Development Excellence Awards (LSHEA), founded in July 2019 and presented annually. Award categories include Basic Medical Research, Clinical Translation Innovation, Public Health Contribution, Biotechnology Breakthrough, and Young Scholar Rising Star.

Article 20 (Nomination and Review) The Excellence Awards use a nomination system. Nominations are accepted annually from July to the end of September. Materials undergo formal review, preliminary expert scoring, and final review by the Academic Committee through anonymous scoring and weighted ranking.

Article 21 (Public Notice and Ceremony) Final results are published through official alliance channels for at least 15 working days. Objections may be submitted in writing to the Secretariat, and the Academic Committee will make a determination. The award ceremony and annual academic meeting are held in Hong Kong each November.

Article 22 (Revocation) If an awardee is later found to have committed academic misconduct, falsification, or other serious violations, the Council may revoke the award after formal investigation and publish a notice. Revoked awardees must return prize money and may not participate in alliance award nominations or applications for five years.

Article 23 (Project Approval) Research grant programs are managed directly by the Secretariat Project Management Department. Applications are accepted from January to March each year, with results announced in May. Grant categories include key projects, general projects, and young scholar projects across five funding areas.

Article 24 (Execution) Approved projects normally run for one to two years from the date of agreement signing. Project leaders must submit midterm progress reports and accept stage inspections. Major changes to project content or timeline require written application and Academic Committee approval.

Article 25 (Completion) Within 60 days after project completion, the leader must submit a final report covering research outcomes, data records, fund use, and at least one published or submitted academic paper. Completion review results include excellent, qualified, or extension for rectification.

Article 26 (Ownership of Outcomes) Intellectual property generated by alliance-funded projects is jointly owned by the project leader's institution and the alliance, with specific proportions and authorization terms agreed in the project contract. The alliance may publicize, cite, and summarize funded outcomes.

Article 27 (Committee Composition) The Ethics Review Committee consists of seven members, including at least one qualified legal expert and two social ethics scholars. Members are approved and appointed by the Council for a three-year term, renewable for one term.

Article 28 (Scope and Procedure) The committee reviews research projects involving human experimentation, gene editing, clinical trials, human tissue or genetic material collection, and other projects meeting international ethics review standards. Standard review includes application submission, formal review, full committee deliberation, and a written opinion.

Article 29 (Independence Safeguards) The Ethics Review Committee operates independently at the academic ethics level. Its conclusions are not subject to administrative pressure, commercial interests, or external interference. It may reject research applications that do not meet ethical principles.

Article 30 (Charter Amendment) Charter amendments must be proposed through formal Council procedure. Draft amendments are delivered to all council members in writing in advance and take effect only after approval by at least two-thirds of attending council members.

Article 31 (Interpretation) The Council holds the final right to interpret this charter. Authorized Council interpretations have the same effect as the charter. The Secretariat may issue implementation rules for operational matters, which must be filed with the Council.

Article 32 (Effective Date) This charter takes effect from the date of approval by the Council and applies to all alliance activities worldwide. Previous internal rules or decisions that conflict with this charter are automatically superseded.