First meeting of the SRON international Science Advisory Committee

On the proposal of the SRON directors, the Board of SRON has agreed to establish an international Science Advisory Committee (SAC), which will advise the directors about scientific and other issues concerning the institute. Through this SAC, SRON will also strengthen its relations with leading institutes of space research.

The directors have invited a number of prominent scientists to become member of the SAC. They all have accepted the invitation.

The present composition of the SAC is:

  • Prof.dr. E.F. van Dishoeck (chair), Leiden University, the Netherlands.
  • Prof.dr. G. Hasinger, Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Garching, Germany.
  • Prof.dr. S.M. Kahn, Stanford University, Palo Alto, USA.
  • Dr. B.J. Kerridge, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, United Kingdom.
  • Dr. S.H. Moseley, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, USA.
  • Prof.dr. J.-L. Puget, Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, Orsay, France.
  • Prof.dr. H.A. Quirrenbach, Universität Heidelberg, Germany.
  • Prof.dr. T. Röckmann, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
  • Prof.dr. L.B.F.M. Waters, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The Science Advisory Committee and the SRON directors. (image: SRON)

On March 11-12, the SAC met for the first time in the SRON laboratory at Utrecht. During this two-day meeting an overview of the institute and various financial and personnel issues were presented by the directors. The heads of SRON’s five divisions have presented the details of the research programs of the divisions. At the end of the meeting, the chair has presented the first (draft) conclusions and recommendations of the SAC. This presentation was attended by the chairman of the SRON Board, ir. P.A.O.G. Korting. Within some weeks, the final text of the SAC conclusions and recommendations will become available.

Directors and division heads consider this first meeting of the SAC as very important for the future of SRON and look back to two pleasant days, full of intensive, open and fruitful discussions. In the coming months, the conclusions and recommendations will be discussed within the institute and plans will be made for the implementation of recommendations.