Governance Charter
Who is accountable for Fight Medicine Research Institute, how the Research Governance Board is composed and how it decides.
1. Purpose and authority
Fight Medicine Research Institute conducts and communicates research concerning the health, safety, and lives of combat-sport fighters. Its mission governs research selection, expenditure, partnerships, recruitment, analysis, publication, and public communication.
The legal operator remains responsible for the organization and its contracts. The operator delegates research-governance responsibilities through this charter. Delegation does not replace requirements in the operator’s governing documents or applicable law.
The Institute Director is accountable for day-to-day operations, finances, information security, publication administration, and implementation of decisions. The Director maintains a public organizational identity and a working correspondence route.
2. Seven-member Research Governance Board
The Research Governance Board has seven voting members. At least four voting members must meet the charter’s independence requirements. John Parris serves as Institute Director and a Board member.
The Board’s published roster is Jay Deas; Lou Lombardy; Casey C. Sears; Paul W. Kirby, MD; James B. “Jimmy” Robinson, MD; Jeff Dodson; and John Parris.
Members elect an independent chair. The Institute Director may not chair the Board. Officer titles are published after the actual election or appointment is recorded.
The Board draws on experience in fighter health and safety, boxing operations, cybersecurity, regulation, emergency care, sports medicine, and officiating. Where methods, biostatistics, or research-ethics expertise is not held by a voting member, qualified independent advisers provide it for the relevant review. A person’s biography is not used as a substitute for a documented assessment of the expertise required by a specific project.
Independent members must not be employees or controlling owners of Fight Medicine Research Institute, immediate family members of executive management, or people whose material financial relationship with a study sponsor compromises independent judgment. Reasonable disclosed board honoraria and expense reimbursement do not alone remove independence.
The operator records each appointment, the member’s acceptance, relevant qualifications, term, independence assessment, and conflicts before listing that person publicly. An advisory title does not confer voting authority.
3. Terms, meetings, and decisions
Ordinary terms last three years, with no more than two consecutive terms. Initial appointments may have staggered terms of one, two, or three years.
The Board meets at least quarterly. A special meeting may be called by the chair or any two members. Urgent participant-protection matters receive immediate attention.
A quorum requires four eligible, nonconflicted voting members, including at least three independent members. A recused member does not count toward the quorum for the affected matter.
Ordinary decisions require a majority of eligible members present. A tied motion fails. Approval of a new research program, a human-participant study, a material policy change, or a related-party arrangement also requires affirmative votes from at least three independent members.
Minutes record attendance, disclosures, recusals, decisions, votes, responsible persons, and deadlines. The chair approves a factual public summary within 30 days, excluding personal information, confidential research, privileged advice, and protected commercial details.
A member’s removal requires written reasons, an opportunity to respond, and a two-thirds vote of the other eligible members. No person decides their own removal or complaint.
4. Reserved responsibilities
The Board approves research strategy, material partnerships, research budgets, independence safeguards, institutional policies, and appointments to scientific or integrity oversight functions. It reviews annual accounts, research progress, safety issues, complaints, data incidents, conflicts, and publication performance.
The Board may suspend a project or withdraw institutional permission to conduct it. The Director or designated safety officer may impose an immediate protective pause. Resumption requires a documented decision and any necessary IRB or regulatory permission.
Before the first Board is appointed, the Director may administer the public evidence library under the editorial and privacy policies. This administrative authority does not authorize human-participant research. Research requiring independent oversight must satisfy the approval requirements in these policies before it starts.
5. Fighter participation
Research priorities must be informed by active and retired fighters. For each human-participant project, the study file must document fighter consultation on burden, recruitment language, accessibility, and communication of results.
The Board records the recommendations received and its response. Compensation for advisory work must be disclosed and must not depend on agreement with Fight Medicine Research Institute’s preferred conclusions.
A standing fighter advisory council may be appointed by a recorded Board decision. Its membership and authority are published only after appointments are accepted.