Prof Amara Ndlovu
Council Chair
Environmental policy and international research cooperation. Leads council deliberations and oversight of the Foundation’s public mandate.
The institution
Governance & accountability
Public research needs clear responsibilities. Scientific review, institutional oversight and contracted services have distinct roles.
Governing council
Participating public institutions are represented through the council. It approves program priorities, appoints the Director-General and reviews institutional performance. It does not approve a preferred outcome for individual research results.
Prof Tomas Vega
Deputy Chair
Astronomical standards and measurement comparisons. Supports coordination between scientific priorities and the institutions responsible for shared references.
Dr Hana Mizuno
Research infrastructure
Shared facilities, instrument access and the long-term stewardship of research infrastructure.
Dr Elias Berg
Public finance oversight
Review of program resources, operating commitments and the distinction between research activity and contracted services.
Dr Leena Okafor
Director-General / Ex officio
Reports on delivery of the work program and institutional responsibilities. Serves on the council through the executive office.
Council committees
Science Committee
Reviews the balance of the research portfolio and the process for independent proposal assessment. It considers research priorities without selecting preferred conclusions.
Resources Committee
Reviews facility stewardship, program resources and procurement oversight. Scientific requirements and commercial delivery are considered through separate responsibilities.
Access Committee
Reviews facility participation, research access and the public availability of records. It considers regional participation and documented restrictions on sensitive material.
Scientific review
Independent panels review research proposals. The Director of Research coordinates scientific review across programs, including methods, publication quality and mission proposals. Teams document material disagreements alongside the decisions they informed.
Funding and contracted services
Participating public institutions provide program contributions. Competitive research agreements and shared-facility arrangements support defined work. Annual program and financial reports distinguish research activity from contracted operating services.
Procurement and safety reviews remain separate from scientific selection. Twenty46 supplies selected vehicles, observing systems and services under contract. Commercial suppliers do not determine the Foundation’s research conclusions.
Accountability and access
Regional partners operate facilities under published agreements. The public archive preserves correction records and previous reference versions. Withholding sensitive material requires a stated reason and a defined review responsibility.
Program stewardship review →
Research ethics and field responsibility →
Research access policy →