Call for nominations for ISC Governing Board

The International Science Council (ISC) has called for nominations for its Governing Board. 

As a member of the ISC, AASSREC may nominate a single candidate for each of the following offices:

  • President-elect
  • Vice-President for Outreach and Engagement
  • Vice-President for Freedom and Responsibility in Science
  • Vice-President for Finance

In addition, AASSREC may nominate multiple candidates for the 10 Ordinary Members of the Governing Board.

It is not required that nominees have an affiliation with the ISC or with any ISC Member.

Individuals who wish to be nominated by AASSREC for the ISC Governing Board are asked to complete the nomination form and submit it to Michelle Bruce, Secretary-General of AASSREC, (michelle.bruce@socialsciences.org.au) by Wednesday 12 May 2021.

Nominations will be reviewed by the AASSREC Executive Council before submission to the ISC.

Timeline
🔴 12 May 2021: Deadline for nominations to AASSREC
🟡 15 May 2021: Deadline for AASSREC’s nominations to the ISC
🟡 11 August 2021: ISC Elections Committee presents final shortlist of candidates
🟢 11 – 15 October 2021: Election of the 2nd ISC Governing Board

Qualities and responsibilities of nominees
As well as assisting its membership and supporting global and regional science initiatives, increasingly the ISC’s role is global and with global agencies and their leadership. They therefore seek nominations of individuals with unequivocal international and/or regional standing and scientific recognition that will enhance the status, accessibility and impact of the ISC in global issues. Nominees should be expected to have an awareness and understanding of emerging and current issues in both science itself and in the relationship between science and the international agenda.

It is also important to bear in mind that the chairs and vice-chairs of the ISC’s Standing Committees will be drawn from the membership of the Governing Board, and that they will therefore need to secure candidates with relevant expertise to lead the advisory work of the Committees in the areas of:

  • Science Planning
  • Outreach and Engagement
  • Freedom and Responsibility in Science
  • Finance

There will be a significant time commitment required of members of the Board. While the workload is uneven over the year and is still evolving as the ISC matures, the estimated average workload of the president to be in the order of 10-12 hours a week, of the President-elect (who also chairs the Committee for Science Planning) to be 8-10 hours per week, of the Vice-Presidents (who each chair one of the other standing committees) in the order of 4-6 hours a week. Other Board members will be expected to take active roles in ISC governance, relationship management and programme activities; the time commitment will be on average 2-4 hours per week.

Board meetings will increasingly be electronic – perhaps 6-8 per year – but once international travel is again possible, there will also be at least one and perhaps two in-person meetings per year of 2-3 days duration. It is intended that a major meeting, the Muscat Global Knowledge Dialogue, will be held in early 2023 on international science–policy interactions and Board members will be expected to attend.

Please note that shortlisted candidates are expected to attend the Second General Assembly of the ISC in October 2021 (online), and to be available to attend the online Governing Board meeting immediately after that Assembly in the event that they are elected.