Finance Committee

The Finance Committee is a key advisory body to the SKAO Council (the Council) and is established in accordance with Article 8(13) of the SKAO Convention. Article 2 of the Financial Protocol of the SKAO states that the Finance Committee is expected to provide governance and oversight to make sure that SKAO follows the principles of sound financial management, efficiency, transparency and accountability in the planning and management of the financial resources (of the SKAO).
SKAO Finance Committee - 21 September 2023
Hybrid Finance Committee meeting at SKA HQ, September 2023

Membership

These include:

  1. an independent Chairperson appointed by the Council in rotation from the members of the Finance Committee
  2. a representative for each SKAO Member appointed by their State or international organisation (voting)
  3. representatives from countries with observer status at the Council (no vote)

Chairperson (independent): Ms Sarah Chambers (STFC, UK)

Member Representatives (October 2025)

CountryRepresentativeAffiliation
AustraliaMs Natalie WeddellDepartment of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER)
CanadaMr Marc-Andre PicknellNational Research Council, Canada (NRC)
ChinaMr LI BaozhiNational Remote Sensing Center of China (NRSCC)
GermanyMs Julia RuchaMax-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG)
IndiaMs Arjit SagarDepartment of Atomic Energy (DAE)
ItalyDr Alessandro BoeroMinistero dell'Economia e delle Finanze (MEF)
NetherlandsMr Jeroen ArtsMinisterie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap (MinOCW)
PortugalMs Ana ReisFundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT)
South AfricaMr Shawn BassonSouth African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO)
SpainMs Esther Martin MalagonMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación (CIENCIA)
SwedenDr Daniel SnittingSwedish Research Council
SwitzerlandDr Francesca StockerState Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI)
United KingdomMr Matthew ArkellUK Research & Innovation (UKRI)

Observers

CountryRepresentativeAffiliation
FranceMs Stephanie Le VanLe Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
JapanDr Takuya AkahoriNational Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAO)
South KoreaDr Hyunwoo KangKorea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI)

Subcommittees

The Finance Committee has one supporting subcommittee for scrutiny, advice and recommendations to the Council - the Procurement Subcommittee.  Each Member of the SKAO (State or international organisation) appoints their own representative to the Subcommittee.  Associate Members of SKAO can appoint a representative to observe at the meetings.  

Rules and Regulations

The Finance Committee follow:

  • Finance Committee Terms of Reference:  which explains what the Committee must review including:
    • financial management - budgets, payment schedules and member contributions, auditing and risk management, and annual accounts
    • finance planning and policy – rules and regulations, long-term planning, valuing assets and assessing participation in phases either for later development or outside the SKA project
    • Observatory membership – related financial contributions, conditions and liabilities
    • Administrative oversight - review of SKAO staff remuneration and related policies and regulations
    • Procurement – contract awards – both competitive and single/sole source, and in-kind contracts, or any Country-of-Origin issues
  • Finance Committee Rules of Procedure:  which explain the composition of the Committee, rules relating to conduct and attendance, and how meetings work e.g. voting.
  • the Financial Protocols (Annex B to the SKAO Convention):  which states that the SKAO must follow principles of sound financial management and explains how the Funding Schedule (how much each member pays) is reviewed and managed.  High level details are also provided on methods of budget approval, assets provided by host countries, and loans and liabilities.
Dernière modification le 15 October 2025