A call for candidates is hereby launched for three (3) Director positions, each for a three-year term, for the 2026 election. The election will take place during the 15th General Assembly of the EOSC Association (GA#15) to be held online on 27 November 2026, with voting conducted electronically.
The terms of two Directors are concluding (Vice-President Marialuisa Lavitrano and Suzanne Dumouchel) with neither eligible to stand for re-election; the term of a third Director (Jessica Lindvall) is concluding, eligible for re-election.
Note that GA#15 will begin by admitting Provisional Members, elevating their status to Members, and thus will confer the eligibility of delegates from these Provisional Members for candidacy in the election that follows within the same meeting.
Director vacancies 2026
Three (3) Directors will be elected, each for a term of three (3) years.
From late 2026 and throughout the 2027–2029 term, EOSC will enter a critical period of transition towards a new governance and funding model, shaped in particular by its future positioning within the European Union’s 10th Framework Programme (FP10). During this period, it will be essential for EOSC-A to maintain and build on established relationships and channels of influence, operational frameworks, and effective ways of working.
In parallel, EOSC-A will be redefining its own functional and operational structure, both in response to the transition towards FP10 and in the context of the anticipated emergence, from late 2026, of a production-grade EOSC Federation. The EOSC Federation itself, as it moves beyond its EOSC-A-led build-up phase, will also be transitioning during the 2027–2029 period towards a legally binding, long-term governance and operational framework.
In its dual role as the voice of the research community and as partner to the Union in the Co-programmed EOSC Partnership, EOSC-A’s political and operational stability throughout 2027–2029 will be essential to its ability to continue influencing and operationalising EOSC through this significant and promising period of change. The three Directors elected under this call will therefore be expected to contribute, collectively and individually, the experience, continuity, strategic insight, and leadership needed to guide EOSC-A through these transitions.
For good order, we recall article 3.4 of the Articles of Association, which states that for the election of Directors of the Board a double majority is required, including both:
- Two-thirds (2⁄3) majority of votes of Members present or represented; and
- Two-thirds (2⁄3) majority of votes of Mandated Organisations present or represented.
Announcing candidacy
All candidates for the 2026 elections are invited to submit the following three (3) parts of the required documentation to candidacy@eosc.eu by no later than 23:59 Brussels time (CEST) on Friday, 23 October 2026:
- Curriculum vitae (max. two A4 pages)
- Motivation letter from the candidate (max. two A4 pages)
- Letter from a suitable authority of the Member organisation of the candidate stating their support for the individual’s candidacy (max. two A4 pages).
Requirements for Directors of the EOSC Association
All of the requirements and expectations concerning the roles and responsibilities of EOSC-A Directors can be found on eosc.eu at: Requirements page.
Anticipated priorities of the EOSC-A Board of Directors (2027-2029)
As a member of the EOSC-A Board of Directors you are expected to play a key role over the next three years in the following areas:
- Anchoring EOSC in the European Union’s 10th Framework Programme;
- Negotiating the future governance and funding model of EOSC in the context of the Tripartite Collaboration;
- Evolving the EOSC Federation;
- Shaping the role of EOSC-A and the larger EOSC community in the Federation’s. operations and governance;
- Engaging with stakeholders in relevant constituencies;
- Guiding the new EOSC-A Task Forces towards delivery of their Terms of Reference;
- Supervising the implementation of EOSC-A-coordinated EU Projects (two or more);
- Stimulating the growing collaboration among the Horizon Europe INFRAEOSC projects;
- Advocacy on behalf of the Association and the EOSC Partnership.
Search Advisory Committee (SAC2026)
The EOSC-A Board formed a two-person Search Advisory Committee for Candidates for the Board of Directors to help EOSC-A to ensure that the best candidates will step forward. The Committee, which was introduced at GA#13 in Brussels, serves in an advisory role to the EOSC-A General Assembly and is tasked with providing feedback to potential candidates and to approach individuals in the EOSC community for the purpose of encouraging them to apply for a Board position.
Secretary General, Science Europe | SAC2026
Director General, ELI ERIC | SAC2026
This does not alter the fact that any delegate may apply, and decision-making on EOSC-A Board positions rests exclusively with the EOSC-A Member delegates who vote in an election during the General Assembly.
All interested Board candidates are encouraged to contact the Search Committee for a private exchange in order to manage expectations. Please send an email to candidacy@eosc.eu in order to establish contact.
Additional questions
Questions can be directed to the SAC2026, using the e-mail candidacy@eosc.eu, who will reply as soon as possible.
Timeline and deadlines
| Deadline | Activity |
|---|---|
| 01 September 2026 | Launch of Call for Candidates |
| 23 October 2026 (23:59 CEST) | Deadline for submission of application to candidacy@eosc.eu |
| 06 November 2026 | Publication of candidacies as part of the documentation for GA#15 |
| 27 November 2026 | Election of three Directors of the EOSC Association during GA#15 |