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 up to 21 science and engineering experts (May 2023) from the SKAO’s member countries and beyond. SEAC members are highly regarded specialists in topics of relevance to the SKAO and appointed for three years.
SEAC 2023
Hybrid SEAC meeting at SKAO HQ, September 2023

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 seven 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 (May 2023):

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

Ms Marta Gonçalves

Portuguese Space Agency

Portugal

Mr Francois Kapp

SARAO

South Africa

Dr Antxon Alberdi Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía Spain

Prof. André Csillaghy

University of Applied Sciences and Arts 

Switzerland

Dr Laura Wolz

University of Manchester

United Kingdom

Dr Gianfranco Brunetti

Istituto di Radioastronomia, Bologna

Italy

 

Representative

Affiliation

At-large members

Mr Brian Glendenning 

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 (Vice-Chair)

Royal Military College of Canada

Canada (SKAO Observer)

Dr Cherry Ng-Guiheneuf

CNRS

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)

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 23 November 2023