We are delighted to announce that GÉANT’s EOSC Engagement Manager Sarah Jones will be standing for re-election as Director of the EOSC Association Board, at the forthcoming General Assembly in November.
Sarah is an information professional with a background in Open Science and data management, having held several roles over the past 15 years in data centres, university support services, and collaborative projects.
For the past two years Sarah has been working as EOSC Engagement Manager at GÉANT, coordinating activities and implementing a strategy to support European NRENs to engage in EOSC and national Open Science initiatives.
In her motivation statement, Sarah says: “NRENs play an important role in delivering national services and many have taken prominent positions in EOSC projects, EOSC Association Task Forces and as Members or Mandated Organisations of the Association. There is great strength in how the community shares expertise and works collectively, and I hope to bring these lessons to the EOSC Association as the membership solidifies and reaches maturity.”
Sarah has had a long engagement in the EOSC governance, having served both in the EOSC Executive Board and in the initial EOSC Association Board. As such she is familiar with the governance structures related to a European Partnership Agreement and the historical legacy of establishing the Association. She chaired Working Groups to develop foundational recommendations for EOSC implementation, co-authored the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), and was instrumental in bringing together the Statutes for the EOSC Association.
During her first term in the EOSC Association Board of Directors, Sarah focused on community engagement. She drafted an initial set of priorities for Task Forces and consulted on these via webinars and events to agree a refined list for approval by the General Assembly. She also coordinated community inputs to the Multi-Annual Roadmap for 2023-24, working closely with the Board and Task Forces to develop initial drafts and then running a public consultation to iterate the roadmap in light of broader stakeholder priorities.
Sarah says: “My personal motivation for applying for this position is to support continuity and help the Association reach maturity. I believe I have demonstrated my commitment to EOSC and ability to act in the best interests of the collective endeavour. I hope to continue that by supporting and promoting the Association’s mission and engaging the diverse range of stakeholders to ensure EOSC meets user needs and delivers tangible value.”
Besides her roles at GÉANT and in the EOSC Association, Sarah continues to play an active role in international fora such as the Research Data Alliance where she chairs relevant groups such as the Global Open Research Commons. Additionally, she is also involved in implementation projects such as EOSC Future, and as such she can act as a liaison between stakeholders.
Sarah is an accomplished community builder with a diverse international network of collaborators, and she enjoys bringing these skills to bear in the EOSC context. She champions Inclusivity and diversity and hopes to use the EOSC Board Director position to widen participation to under-represented communities, be they certain countries, disciplinary groups, career-stages, genders, or ethnic backgrounds.
Andreas Dudler, Chair of the GÉANT board says: “We are confident that Sarah holds the relevant experience, knowledge, and commitment for this role. Her candidacy brings experience and continuity to the EOSC Board of Directors. The GÉANT Association and its Board of Directors fully endorse Sarah’s Candidacy and wish her every success in the EOSC elections on 28 November.”
We encourage the community to support Sarah at the forthcoming election in November. Her motivation statement and CV can be seen online.
