Functions / Terms of Reference

The OA SIG will:

• Provide a forum for communication, networking, information sharing and collaboration for clinical researchers working in the field of osteoarthritis;
• Support the missions of ANZMUSC and its Scientific Advisory Committee in the field of osteoarthritis (e.g. providing expert content review of clinical trial proposals and/or grants, priority setting);
• Facilitate the development and implementation of high quality clinical research in osteoarthritis;
• Contribute to mentoring of early career researchers in the field of osteoarthritis to increase Australia and New Zealand’s research capacity; and
• Contribute to activities and initiatives that help to raise awareness, inform policy, and educate.

Membership

OA SIG membership is free and available to all members of the ANZMUSC clinical trials network. ANZMUSC members can belong to multiple ANZMUSC SIGs.

Formal organisational structure

 Chairs: There can be one chair or two co-chairs. There will be a call for nominees from within the steering committee and if more than one nominee, SIG members will elect the chair(s) via online voting and those with the most votes will be elected to the position.

• Steering committee representative on ANZMUSC Executive: There will be a call for nominees from within the steering committee and if more than one nominee, the steering committee members will elect the representative via online voting and those with the most votes will be elected to the position.
• Steering committee: The steering committee will comprise of up to 10 members including one consumer representative, one early career researcher (<10 years post PhD) and one New Zealand representative. Calls for nominations from SIG Membership will be made and the SIG steering committee will vote on applicants and then present the slate of applicants and recommended nominees to ANZMUSC Executive for approval. The consumer representative will be nominated and recommended by the Community Advisory Group at ANZMUSC.
• Working groups: Working groups relating to different activities or initiatives that arise from the SIG can be formed and co-chaired by a Steering Committee member and SIG member who will report progress back to the Steering Committee. There will be a call for SIG members to join a working group. These working groups can exist for variable lengths of time.

Terms of Office

 The chair(s) will have a 3-year term, with the option to reappoint for up to two additional terms.

• Inaugural steering committee members will receive either a 2- or 3-year term to enable staggering and facilitate handover from existing to new members and avoid the whole committee changing concurrently. Thereafter, there will be an option to reappoint; and all subsequent steering committee members will have a 3-year term with the option to reappoint for up to two additional terms.
• The steering group representative on the ANZMUSC Executive committee will have a 3-year term with the option to reappoint for up to two additional terms.

Membership composition

 Meeting and Reporting

 The OA SIG will meet before, during or after the ANZMUSC Annual Scientific Meeting.

• Communication between meetings will depend upon the activities of the SIG and will be decided by the OA SIG Steering Committee.
• Minutes and actions will be taken by the Administrative Officer and will be distributed to OA SIG members.
• The OA SIG will inform the ANZMUSC Executive about all current and reformed SIG activities and membership

Review

 Terms of Reference will be reviewed annually and updated if necessary.