Becoming a Member of the IRISS is easy. Just follow the instructions below and if you meet the membership eligibility criteria, you will be approved for membership within 2 weeks.
Instructions For Becoming A Member
4. Fill in the application form in full and submit it together with a CV / institutional profile and the applicable payment in accordance with the desired membership options.
Article 7: Members
7.1 Full membership of IRISS shall be open to any professional with an interest in the IRISS’s activities, as well as to institutions and legal persons, subject to the approval of the Board Members of the IRISS as allowed for in Article 12 below. Membership may be terminated by a decree of the President seconded by the Vice President and/or the Chairman without any reason being given to the member whose membership is being terminated. Although the President, Vice President and Chairman will use this power sparingly, it may, from time to time, be necessary to use this power to ensure that the interests of the IRISS are being safeguarded and to ensure that members who should no longer be considered as such due to changing circumstances are no longer involved.
7.2 Student membership shall be open to students who have an interest in the subject matter of the IRISS.
7.3 Associate membership shall be open to apprentices or trainees who have an interest in the subject matter of the IRISS.
7.4 Honorary membership shall be open to any specialist in any of the fields pursued by the IRISS who can demonstrably prove their specialisation for a minimum period of five (5) years locally or abroad.
7.5 Institutional membership shall be open to to any company, partnership, association, foundation, academic body, organisation or an organised body of persons whatever the nature and wherever domiciled, subject to the proviso that such a body should be interested in research activity within the social sciences field and should have at least one member who is qualified in any of the social sciences covered by the IRISS. An Institutional Member nominates its representatives as members of the IRISS on the basis of the institutional membership type it opts for.
7.6 All Members of the IRISS, as a condition of membership, shall agree to accept, uphold, and be governed by the statute in force at the time of becoming members.
7.7 All Members shall further agree to abide by and accept the rulings and decisions of the Board.
7.8 Membership is only effective upon acceptance by the Board.
7.9 Members shall pay a one-time enrolment fee and an annual subscription fee as specified in Appendix One hereof. Provided that:
i. the said annual subscription fee shall be payable in advance on the 1st February of each calendar year irrespective of the date on which the said enrolment fee was paid – such that a Member who would have paid his enrolment fee in [eg.] January, 2012 shall nevertheless be required to pay his annual subscription fee on the 1st February, 2012 for the period commencing on that date and ending on the 31st January, 2013;
ii. in case of termination of Membership, for any reason including a termination request by the member or expulsion, any fees paid shall be refundable pro rata.
7.10 For the avoidance of any doubt:
iii. the term ‘Member’ or ‘Members’ shall, for the purposes hereof and unless otherwise specified or unless the context otherwise requires, include persons entitled and admitted for student membership, associate membership, honorary membership and institutional membership respectively in terms of Articles 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 and 7.5 of this Statute who have paid their membership fees due in terms of the provisions of Article 7.9 hereof;
iv. persons entitled and admitted for student membership in terms of Article 7.2 of this Statute shall herein be referred to as ‘Student Members’;
v. persons entitled and admitted for associate membership in terms of Article 7.3 of this Statute shall herein be referred to as ‘Associate Members’;
vi. persons entitled and admitted for honorary membership in terms of Article 7.4 of this Statute shall herein be referred to as ‘Honorary Members’.
vi. persons entitled and admitted for institutional membership in terms of Article 7.5 of this Statute shall herein be referred to as ‘Honorary Members’.
Article 8: Termination of Membership
8.1 The membership of any Member of IRISS shall terminate immediately upon his/her death or resignation, or otherwise, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 8.4 hereunder, pursuant to a decision of the Board in the event of his/her incapacity, the cessation of his training or his expulsion in terms of the provisions of Article 8.2 hereunder.
8.2 Any Member may be expelled from IRISS for any grave and sufficient cause as determined by the President in his/her exclusive discretion subject to secondment by the Vice President and/or the Chairman. Provided that the terms “grave and sufficient cause” shall include but shall not be limited to any act or omission of the relevant Member which may bring IRISS and/or its activities into disrepute.
Provided further that any Member in respect of whom expulsion from IRISS has been proposed, shall nonetheless be given written notification of the said proposal and shall be invited to make written representations to the President, the Vice President, the Chairman and the Board in respect thereof within four (4) weeks from receipt of such notification. Failure to make such representations shall be construed as representing acceptance of the proposed expulsion by the relevant Member.
The Board shall in no circumstances consider the expulsion of any Member except subsequent to the lapse of the aforementioned period of four (4) weeks.
8.3 The membership of any Member shall be suspended, subject to a decision of the Board, should annual subscription fees due by that Member in terms hereof, have remained unpaid for six (6) consecutive months.
What Happens After the IRISS Receives an Application for Membership?
On receiving a Membership Application, the IRISS will:
The process should not take longer than 2 weeks if the applicant has duly filled in the application form and provides the IRISS with any additional information required promptly.
Application Forms
You can download the application forms for becoming a member in the IRISS below.
Download the Institutional Application Form
Download the Individual Membership Application Form