New European Scientific Advice Mechanism – More Science for Better Policy

Nov 13, 2015

The European Commission’s new Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) was officially launched on the 10th November with the announcement of the seven leading scientists who will form the first High Level Group of scientific advisors. Together with a six million euro grant to European academies and learned societies, this marks a new approach to the use of independent science advice in Commission policy making. The mechanism is being launched six months after it was first announced by the European Commission, following protests from the scientific community, including EuChemS, due to the extinction of the Chief Scientific Advisor position. The seven leading scientists integrating the SAM are:

  • Janusz M. Bujnicki
    Professor, Head of the Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw
  • Pearl Dykstra
    Professor of Sociology, Erasmus University, Rotterdam
  • Elvira Fortunato
    Professor, Materials Science Department of the Faculty of Science and Technology, NOVA University, Lisbon
  • Rolf-Dieter Heuer
    Director-General, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
  • Julia Slingo
    Chief Scientist, Met Office, Exeter
  • Cédric Villani
    Director, Henri Poincaré Institute, Paris
  • Henrik C. Wegener
    Executive Vice President, Chief Academic Officer and Provost, Technical University of Denmark