Minimising risk: the SNSF has set up a Compliance Committee
In accordance with its Statutes, the SNSF has set up a Compliance Committee (CC). The task of the CC is to support the SNSF in minimising risks which could prevent it from achieving its objectives and abiding by its principles.
In particular, the CC's role is to support the SNSF in implementing reliable, fair, impartial and transparent evaluation procedures for its funding schemes. The CC will make it easier for the SNSF to continue fulfilling the high standards it has set for its evaluation and funding procedures. The Committee began its work in March.
Pioneering role for research funding
Compliance is an established component of risk management in many companies of the private sector; in the area of research funding, however, the SNSF is assuming a pioneering role with the newly appointed body. In the language of business administration, compliance refers to the observance of official laws and standards as well as internal regulations and self-imposed guidelines. Thus the CC systematically assesses the legitimacy and adequacy of funding decisions in terms of risk as well as the compliance organisation and proposes improvements.
The CC consists of the following five members:
- Walter Steinlin, CC chair, president of the CTI and member of the Executive Committee of the Foundation Council of the SNSF
- Dorothea Sturn, chief executive of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
- Monika Roth, professor at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and advocate
- Klaus Müller, professor at the Laboratory for Organic Chemistry of ETH Zurich
- Howard Riezman, professor at the University of Geneva
The members of the Committee are re-elected every four years.