The European Science Foundation, an innovator in the ERA: John Marks
Since its founding in 1974 ESF has been at the forefront of creating new mechanisms for the networking of the best researchers in Europe, for researcher initiated collaborative research, for promoting young researcher careers and for disseminating the results of frontier science through conferences. Exploratory Workshops, Research Networking Programmes, COST, EUROCORES, EURYI and ESF Research Conferences will be highlighted in this context. Since 2000 there has been an evolution of ESF’s role towards providing a platform for its Member Organisations for joint strategy development and joint action, in this way influencing the annual expenditure of the 20 bln € national research funding. Instruments to support this role are Forward Looks, Science Policy Briefings and Member Organisation Fora. Recently ESF and the European Heads of Research Councils announced that they will initiate concrete actions to help build the European Research Area. Illustrations of the impact of the various activities will be presented.
Curriculum vitae
Dr. John Marks is deputy Chief Executive of the European Science Foundation and director of Science and Strategy. In 2007 he was Chief Executive. His responsibilities include strategy development, relations with Member Organisations and EUROCORES.
He was the director of Earth and Life Sciences at the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research until joining ESF in 2004. From 1981 until 1998 he held various positions in Science Policy in the ministry of Education, Culture and Science. He holds a PhD in experimental physics from Leiden University, the Netherlands.