Call for nominations: Scientific Committee of the World Data System

Deadline Date: December 1, 2019

Nominations are open for the Scientific Committee of the World Data System (WDS). The WDS Scientific Committee (WDS-SC) for the period 2018–2021 now has three vacancies. These positions are available owing to members stepping down from the Committee for personal reasons.

The International Science Council and the World Data System would therefore like to call on their respective members, as well as partners organizations concerned with scientific data stewardship, to nominate new members of the WDS-SC. Nominations of scientists or experts from the Global South, and within the Life (Health/Biological) Sciences and the Social Sciences and Humanities are strongly encouraged.

Roles of Scientific Committee Members

• To ensure that WDS supports ISC’s mission and objectives.
• To define, develop and prioritize plans for WDS.
• To establish and oversee the review of existing and new WDS Members.
• To establish and maintain a mechanism for oversight of WDS activities.
• To facilitate cooperation and integration with relevant national, regional, and international programmes, organizations, and institutions.
• To mobilize funds for the implementation of WDS and for related activities of the SC and of WDS Working Groups.
• To publicize and promote the activities of WDS.

Responsibilities of Scientific Committee Members

• Attend face-to-face meetings up to twice a year (travel support is provided by the WDS International Programme Office), as well as monthly web conferences.
• Represent WDS at relevant meetings around the world.
• Guide and convene WDS Working Groups and appropriate work plans.
• Assist in mobilizing financial and human resources for WDS.

Eligibility

• Open to WDS Members; ISC Member Organizations, Member Unions and Associations, Affiliated Members, and Research Programmes; and other interested organizations
• Nominations from the Global South, and within the Life (Health/Biological) Sciences and the Social Sciences and Humanities are strongly encouraged.

Nomination

1. All nominating bodies are requested to submit a completed Nomination Form (attached) to the WDS International Programme Office by email at [email protected] no later than Sunday, 1 December. Exceptionally, nominations may be accepted from interested individuals who feel they have the qualities and experience to serve on the WDS-SC. In this case, a short cover letter should be addressed to the Chair, Professor Sandy Harrison, stating your interest and how you could contribute to the work of the WDS-SC.
2. The Chair of the WDS-SC and the Acting Executive Director will review all materials and will prioritize the nominees according to their complementarity of the present WDS-SC. This prioritization will be submitted to ISC.
3. ISC will examine the prioritized list of nominations and officially approve the individuals to serve on the Scientific Committee. Successful nominees will be invited to immediately join the WDS-SC. ISC may exceptionally new SC member to have a ‘zeroth term’ such that their first three-year term begins on the new Scientific Committee appointed from July 2020.

Download the nomination form.

For more information, visit World Data System.