Selection of the inaugural Ecosystem Science Council has begun, and anyone in the ecosystem science community is invited to nominate to join Council or register now to vote in the elections that will help to select your Council.
Forming a new Ecosystem Science Council is one of the first key actions outlined in Foundations for the future: a long-term plan for Australian ecosystem science, which TERN has played a key role in developing collaboratively with the Australian ecosystem science community in 2014. The Council has a vital role to play in coordinating the implementation of this plan, and in facilitating communication and collaboration across the ecosystem science community. Selection of this Council has now begun, and everyone is invited to get involved in this process by registering to vote for Council members, and nominating to join the Council.
The Council will be made up of 11 people from a broad cross-section of disciplines, organisations, occupations and locations that make up the Australian ecosystem science community. There will be a two-part process to select the Council, designed to ensure there is openness and transparency for the community and to ensure that the Council has the support and mandate of the wider ecosystem science community as it moves forward.
The process starts with an open vote for candidates by registered voters throughout the Australian ecosystem science community, in February 2015. This vote will be used to identify the first half of the Council members. After this, to help ensure diversity and balance across the Council, the outgoing Steering Committee for the project will identify the final members from amongst the remaining candidates.
Nominations for Council members are open now, and will remain open until at least 31 January 2015. We encourage everyone in the ecosystem science community to think seriously about nominating for this role, or encouraging a colleague to nominate.
Voter registration is also open now and will remain open until February 2015. Anyone in the Australian ecosystem research community can register to vote in the Council elections.
If you have any questions about the selection of the new Ecosystem Science Council, please feel free to contact the Steering Committee.
