• What is the Scientific Community of SZN?

The Scientific Community was established according to the Statute of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn entered into force in May 2011.

The Community aims to bring together researchers interested in the scientific activities of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn and to involve them in the Institute’s life.

The Scientific Community also has the important task to participate in election of one member of the Administration Board of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn.

The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn also intends to communicate with the scientific community on regular basis, to report important events of its activities and scientific life.

The Community was formed for the first time in July 2011, it consisted of 589 members and had appointed, as member of the Board, Prof. Silvano Focardi, whose mandate ended on 20 October 2015.

In June 2015 the Community formed in 2011 was cancelled and a new one was established. The present Community is composed of 560 members, who have appointed, as new member of the Administration Board of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Prof. Serena Fonda, whose mandate will end on October 21, 2019.

According to the current SZN Statute and SZN “Regolamento di Organizzazione e Funzionamento (ROF)” the Community has to be updated some months before the end of the mandate of the CdA member elected by the Community.

• Who can be part of it?

The following can be part of the Scientific Community of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn:

- researchers and technologists of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (automatic registration);

- researchers associated to the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (automatic registration);

- researchers and technologists from other research organizations that operate in sectors consistent with the purposes of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn;

- professors and researchers of universities that operate in sectors consistent with the purposes of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn;

- researchers of equivalent professional level active in public and private research institutions that operate in sectors consistent with the purposes of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn.

Retired personnel and researchers of non-Italian research institutions operating in sectors consistent with the purposes of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn can be part of the Scientific Community but cannot vote the member of the Administration Board.

• Which sectors are consistent with the purposes of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn?

The sectors consistent with the purposes of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn are those related to research on fundamental processes of biology, with specific reference to marine organisms and their diversity, in close connection with the study of their evolution and dynamics of marine ecosystems, through an integrated and interdisciplinary approach.

• What are the tasks of the Community?

The Scientific Community, with a voting system, contributes to vote one of the three members of the Administration Board, which will then be appointed by the Minister of Education, University and Research.

The Scientific Community can be consulted on suggestion of the SZN President, by the Administration Board or by the Scientific Council.

• Who can vote?

All members of the Scientific Community, excluding retired personnel and researchers of non-Italian research institutions.

• When the next elections will take place?

The elections for the designation of one of the three components of the Administration Board of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn will be held before the end of the mandate of the current members of the Board (21 October 2019), with online secret ballot. The exact date of the elections will be fixed by the Administration Board of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn.

• How to become part of the Community?

Those willing to become part of the Scientific Community must register according to the terms that will be communicated through the official site of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, and the specific site.

The 2019 registration ended on 16 September 2019.

The active electorate of the scientific community will be invited to vote for a member of the Administration Board on October 7, 2019, from 08:30 to 18:30, through a specific televoting platform.

The Administration Board of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, according to art. 7 of the Statute, is composed as follows:

In Italian

The Scientific Council acts in an advisory capacity expressing preliminary scientific and technical opinions regarding research programmes and upon conclusion of the activity carried out by the personnel of the Institute and the personnel associated with it. This assessment is carried out in strict compliance with the methodology and actions envisaged by the National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutes (ANVUR) and, as far as may be applicable, by the independent rating organisation in compliance with Art. 14 and Art. 74, paragraph 4 of Law 150/2009.

The Scientific Council is composed of seven members: scientists from Italy and abroad of international renown, with special expertise and experience in the fields of biology and/or ecology. The majority of the members of the Scientific Council are selected from among the persons referred to in the preceding paragraph from public or private foreign research organisations. The Chair convenes the meetings of the Scientific Council and, after consulting the President of the SZN, establishes the order of the day.

The Scientific Council is appointed by the Administration Board upon recommendation by the President, who selects the members of the Scientific Council after consultation with the Council of Departments and seeks the binding opinion of the Accademia dei Lincei on the proposal to be submitted to the Executive Board.

The members of the Scientific Council remain in office for three years and may be reappointed twice.

The Scientific Council:

a. expresses its opinion on the overall scientific or sectoral strategy of the Institute, in particular on the ten‐year Strategic Vision Document and the Three‐Year Plan of Activity;
b. expresses its opinion on the constitution of the Departments and related research programmes;
c. expresses opinions on the projected human resources needs;
d. expresses its opinion on the content of educational activities;
e. expresses its opinion on the participation of the Institute in companies, consortia, and foundations;
f. must express its opinion on the evaluation procedures of researchers and technologists at the Stazione Zoologica, taking into account the methodology developed by ANVUR and, as far as is applicable, by the independent rating organisation under Art. 14 and Art. 74, paragraph 4 of Law 150/2009;
g. regularly assesses the results of the research work of the Institute, including activities undertaken in relation to the objectives set out in the Three‐Year Plan of Activity;
h. performs all the consultative activities assigned to it by the regulations of the Institute and the Administration Board.

The opinions and findings of the Scientific Council are communicated to the Executive Board together with a report by the Chair.

The President of the Stazione Zoologica may be invited to attend meetings of the Scientific Council without the right to vote.

The Scientific Council may meet using IT systems, as described in Art. 7, paragraph 9 of the SZN Statute.