The current MMIM Collaboration Agreement expires in October 2008, so we are now transitioning to a new Governance structure – effective July 1, 2008.
The previous governance was through the MMIM Collaboration Agreement an unincorporated joint venture of members, where each member has equal rights of representation on the MMIM Management Committee, equal benefits and equal responsibilities. The Management Committee, assisted by external consultants, and a working party of corporate counsels from the MMIM collaborators, have endorsed the new governance structure.
The new governance will feature a new unincorporated joint venture of members with a services company to be registered and licensed to manage the operations of BioGrid on behalf of the joint venture. This Service Company will be a not-for-profit limited liability company, with any surplus being retained by the company to fund future development, sustainability and research projects. It will have an independent board of up to seven directors, with a diverse membership of legal, marketing, researcher, consumer etc, and at least two must be derived from members of the joint venture.
The Services Company Board will be responsible and accountable to the joint venture for the operation of the BioGrid infrastructure and systems, the maintenance of privacy and security of the federated data. The company will continue to provide reports to all Ethics Committees, funders and any additional reports required by legislation / regulation such as ASIC. The terms of accountability and reporting are being developed by external legal advisors. We have appreciated the suggestions and work of all involved during the extensive consultation – particularly the corporate counsels.
The change will enable BioGrid Australia to have a more streamlined management process for parties seeking membership, to manage potential legal liabilities, and a way for those who simply want to collaborate, to engage in a project with agreed services such as data provision and access.
Marienne Hibbert, BioGrid Australia Director