Call for Candidates for President of the EOSC Association

DEADLINE: 30 APRIL 2025, 23:59 CEST

A call for candidates for the position of EOSC Association President is hereby launched for the 2025 election, which will take place during the 10th General Assembly of the EOSC Association. 

The election will be held via in-person voting only, on Tuesday, 27 May 2025, in Antwerp. Note that GA#10 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. 

President Vacancy 2025

The President of the EOSC Association will be elected during the 2025 election with a term of three (3) years. The Association’s Articles of Association and Internal Regulations foresee the possibility of a second consecutive three (3)-year term for the President.

For good order, we recall article 3.4 of the Articles of Association, which states that for the election of the Directors of the Board (which includes the position of the President) 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. 

More details, including the election procedure, are described in Section 3 of the EOSC Association’s Internal Regulations.

Announcing Candidacy

Candidates for the 2025 election of the EOSC Association President are invited to submit the following three (3) parts of the required documentation to candidacy@eosc.eu by no later than 23:59 local Brussels time (CEST) on 30 April 2025:

1. Curriculum vitae (max. two A4 pages)
2. Motivation letter from the candidate (max. two A4 pages)
3. Letter from a suitable authority of the Member organisation of the candidate stating their support for the individual’s candidacy (max. two A4 pages)

Function Profile of the President

The President presides over the EOSC Association and leads its strategic direction. The President is expected to be a determined and inspirational leader who is committed to the mission, aims and values of the Association. 

At this critical moment in the EOSC Association’s evolution it is important that the President is prepared for the challenge of transitioning EOSC into new governance and funding models. This includes the work of securing buy-in from European institutions and Member States.

Responsibilities 

The President will: 

1. Act as legal representative of the Association; 
2. Act as the spokesperson of the Association; 
3. Together with the Board, lead and represent the Association; 
4. Convene meetings of the Board; 
5. Chair meetings of the General Assembly and the Board; 
6. Together with the Board, enhance relationships and foster cooperation with strategic partners and other institutions in order to increase the Association’s impact; 
7. Decide on necessary ad hoc measures (limited to non-strategic issues) between meetings of the bodies; 
8. Be responsible for the ongoing affairs of the Association and the preparation and implementation of the decisions by the General Assembly and the Board; 
9. Propose the Vice President and Treasurer from amongst the Directors for appointment by the Board of Directors; and 
10. Supervise the Secretary General. 

Profile

The President should be in a senior management and/or executive position within an EOSC-A Member organisation for the duration of the term of office as President. The President should have previous experience in the course of their professional career serving on a board of directors. There will be a need for inclusiveness, integrity, neutrality and impartiality for the successful strategic leadership of the EOSC Association. 

Requirements

The President will:

• Support and promote the EOSC Association’s mission, aims and values;
• Demonstrate commitment to the EOSC Association’s strategic objectives and be able and willing to communicate these;
• Act as a representative for the whole EOSC Association;
• Act as an advocate for Open Science;
• Demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusiveness;
• Chair the weekly meetings of the Board and the two annual General Assemblies;
• Chair a monthly update call of up to one hour with the Secretariat;
• Represent the EOSC Association at the global and European levels (workload depends on interest and agreements);
• Seek input from others, consider multiple viewpoints, and facilitate consensus;
• Leverage previous board experience;
• Leverage previous experience in a senior management role with budget authority;
• Possess excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• Possess networking skills on both a formal and informal level.

Optional

The following characteristics add to the profile of the President:

• Knowledge of and direct involvement with professional networks in European research, innovation and higher education, and in Open Science;
• Knowledge of and experience with the goals, activities and functions of our Association;
• Scientific background.

Questions

Questions can be directed to the outgoing EOSC Association President, using the email, candidacy@eosc.eu, who will reply as soon as possible. 

Timeline and Deadlines