The Science and Innovation Committee

About
The SIC consists of 11 world-leading experts, who are able to lay out strategies beyond their own fields of work. The team represents a well-balanced diversity of age, gender and geography, with at least half of the members rotated after three years.

Mandate
The main purpose of the independent Science and Innovation Committee (SIC) is to ensure the scientific quality, integrity and independence of the Science Program, to select the best research projects for the REV Ocean science cruises and to contribute to mission planning and evaluation of all science activities including science operations on the REV Ocean.

First meeting of the SIC. Fornebu, Norway, September 2019.

There will also be a broader body of Science Program Advisors who present additional expertise, particularly in areas which are not covered by the SIC (e.g. communications, arts, writers). These will be identified and contacted, on the basis of need.

Operation
The Science and Innovation Committee will meet in Oslo once a year in September / October to coincide with the final selection of large proposals and the first workshop of the ship itinerary planning process. There will also be a formal virtual meeting in February to select pre-proposals for large grants to go forward to full proposal and peer review by the Norwegian Research Council. Another formal meeting will be held virtually to select small proposals and to refine the next call for large proposals in November/December. All other contact will be electronic. Selected members may be called upon to assist with specific activities (e.g. assessment of ship operations through review of feedback forms). The Science and Innovation Committee commenced with an inaugural meeting in December, 2019.

Henrik Madsen

SIC Chair

Vice Chairman of the Board of REV Ocean. Henrik Overgaard Madsen is a businessperson, engineer, Member of the Board of Aker Solutions and was chief executive officer of DNV GL between 2006 and 2015. 

Prof Judith Gobin

Marine ecology; Caribbean and South America

Judith Gobin is a Professor (Marine Biology and Coastal Ecosystems Management) in the Department of Life Sciences at the St. Augustine Campus, University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago.

Dr Jan Gunnar Winther

Polar research; climate change; governance

Dr. Winther has considerable experience in cold-regions field research by leading and participating on research expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic. 

Dr Jenna Jambeck

Marine plastics

Dr. Jenna Jambeck is a Full Professor in the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia, Director of the Center for Circular Materials Management in the New Materials Institute and a National Geographic Fellow. 

Dr David Obura

Coral reef ecology; sustainable coastal communities

Dr David Obura is a Founding Director of CORDIO East Africa, a knowledge organization supporting sustainability of coral reef and marine systems in the Western Indian Ocean.

Dr Lisen Schultz

Resource Management, Resilience, Science – Policy Interface

Schultz holds a PhD in Natural Resource Management from Stockholm University, awarded in 2009. She is trained in qualitative methods, resilience assessments, ecosystem services assessments, and facilitation.

Dr Asgeir Sørensen

Marine engineering, autonomous technologies

Professor Asgeir J. Sørensen obtained a M.Sc. degree in Marine Technology in 1988 at NTNU, and Ph.D. in Engineering Cybernetics at NTNU in 1993.

Prof Paul Alan Tyler

Deep-sea ecology, ship-borne science

Professor Paul Tyler is Emeritus Professor within Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton at the University of Southampton.

Dr Asha de Vos

Marine Ecology, cetacean conservation

Dr. Asha de Vos is a Sri Lankan marine biologist, ocean educator and pioneer of blue whale research within the Northern Indian Ocean. 

Dr Laverne Walker

Science to policy, fisheries management, LME projects

Laverne Walker is the Deputy Project Coordinator with the UNDP/GEF Caribbean and North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem Project (CLME+) Project Coordination Unit based in Cartagena, Colombia. 

Prof Meng Zhou

Polar science, oceanography, biogeochemistry, pelagic ecology

Dr Meng Zhou is a Chair Professor and the Dean of the School of Oceanography at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Dr Linwood Pendleton

ODF – SIC advisor

Linwood Pendleton is the Global Ocean Lead Scientist at the World Wide Fund for Nature.