Science and Engineering Advisory Committee (SEAC)

The Science and Engineering Advisory Committee (SEAC) is a key independent advisory body to the SKAO Council and the SKAO Director-General, established in accordance with Article 8(13) of the SKAO Convention (the governance framework). It has 18 science and engineering experts (April 2022) from the SKAO’s member countries and beyond; and a further observer to be appointed. SEAC members are highly regarded specialists in topics of relevance to the SKAO and appointed for three years.
SEAC group photo

Membership

Members are appointed by the Council and include:

  1. a representative for each SKAO Member - appointed as independent experts who do not represent the Member’s interests
  2. up to five representatives-at-large, proposed to the Council by the Director-General to provide specialist expertise, and who may be from countries beyond the Observatory’s membership
  3. representatives from countries with Observer status at the SKAO Council

The Committee’s advice is based on the consensus view of the Committee. A Science and Engineering Advisory Committee also existed under the Observatory’s forerunner, the SKA Organisation.

The membership of the SEAC is (April 2022):

Representative

Affiliation

Country (SKAO Member)

Prof. Naomi McClure-Griffiths (Chair)

Australian National University

Australia

Dr Zheng Qian

Shanghai Observatory

China

Dr Wim van Cappellen

ASTRON

The Netherlands

TBC

TBC

Portugal

Mr Francois Kapp

SARAO

South Africa

Prof. André Csillaghy

University of Applied Sciences and Arts 

Switzerland

Prof. Carole Mundell

University of Bath/FCDO

United Kingdom

Dr Gianfranco Brunetti

Istituto di Radioastronomia, Bologna

Italy

 

Representative

Affiliation

At-large members

Mr Brian Glendenning (Vice-Chair)

NRAO (USA)

Dr Dale Frail

NRAO (USA)

Dr Andreas Kaufer

European Southern Observatory

Dr Adrian Russell

European Southern Observatory

Dr Gillian Wright

UKATC (UK)

Observers

Representative

Affiliation

Country (Observer/ Future Member)

Prof. Kristine Spekkens

Royal Military College of Canada

Canada (SKAO Observer)

TBC

TBC

France (SKAO future Member)

Dr Gundolf Wieching Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy Germany (SKAO future Member)

Prof. Uday Shankar

Raman Research Institute

India (SKAO Observer)

Dr Antxon Alberdi

Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía

Spain (SKAO future Member)

Prof. Garrelt Mellema

Stockholm University

Sweden (SKAO Observer)

Rules and Regulations

The Science and Engineering Committee must follow the SEAC Remit and Rules of Procedure:  which explain the actions which the SEAC can take, and state the composition of the SEAC, rules relating to conduct and attendance, and how meetings work e.g. voting.

Last modified on 31 January 2023