Amundsen Science counts twelve universities and two Arctic colleges as official members of its corporation. In addition,the broader user base comprises more than 125 national and international institutions and organizations. These members are supported by the Board of Directors which is responsible for the overall governance of the Facility. The Scientific Leader and CEO and the Executive Director and COO are both regularly in communication with the Board and actively involved in annual meetings of directors. The Executive Director and COO, along with the managers, coordinators, and professionals of the organization, performs the daily management and administration of the scientific program of the CCGS Amundsen.
Members of the Amundsen Science Corporation
Twelve universities and two Arctic colleges are official members of the Amundsen Science Corporation, but the broader user base comprises more than 125 national and international institutions and organizations. All can apply for ship-time.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is responsible for the overall governance of the facility. It is composed of 13 voting members with diverse backgrounds and expertise, who meet 3-4 times a year to define strategic directions of the facility, review progress in achieving these objectives and develop and periodically review the facility’s policies. The Board also supervises the management of the facility, and appoints the Scientific Leader and CEO and the Executive Director and COO. The Scientific Leader and CEO provides scientific leadership and strategic direction for the development and governance of the facility, while the Executive Director and COO supervises the daily management of the facility. Both are non-voting members of the Board.
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Babin, Marcel (non-voting) | Project Leader CCGS Amundsen, Biology Professor, Université Laval |
| Bachmayer, Ralf | Professor, Universität Bremen, MARUM |
| Biebow, Nicole | Head of International Cooperation Unit, Alfred Wegener Institute, ARICE coordinator |
| Brown, Kristina | Assistant professor, University of Manitoba |
| Candlish, Lauren | Research scientist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada |
| Devred, Emmanuel | Scientist, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Fisheries and Oceans Canada |
| Forest, Alexandre (non-voting) | Executive Director, Amundsen Science |
| Fortier, Martin | Adjunct Vice-Rector – Internationalization and valorization of research, Université Laval |
| Jawanda, Jesslene | Biologist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada |
| Lewis, Marlon | President and Chairman, Emeritus Professor, Dalhousie University |
| Pelot, Ron | Professor, Dalhousie University |
| Sipler, Rachel | Director of the Center for Water Health & Humans and Senior Research Scientist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences |
| St-Onge, Guillaume | Director, Institut des sciences de la mer de Rimouski, Université du Québec à Rimouski |
| Tootoo-Fotheringham, Tara | President and CEO, Arctic Buying Company Kivalliq |
| Tortell, Philippe | Professor, University of British-Columbia |
The Board of Directors is supported by the following six standing committees :
Governance and Nominating Committee
The Governance and Nominating Committee is responsible for assisting the Board in developing principles and systems for the management of corporate governance. The Committee identifies candidates and recommends nominees for Director and Committee appointments, and evaluates their performance and effectiveness.
Budget and Finance Committee
The Budget and Finance Committee oversees the integrity of financial procedures. Its key functions are to review the financial statements and annual budget, evaluate existing financial and internal controls, policies and procedures, and to report its conclusions and provide recommendations to the Board.
User Advisory Committee
The User Advisory Committee is composed of arms-length experts appointed to provide a rigorous and impartial review of the applications for ship-time from potential user programs. It formulates recommendations on the prioritization of user programs based on various logistical constraints and develops a preliminary expedition plan.
Infrastructure Development Committee
The Infrastructure Development Committee advises the Scientific Leader as necessary on strategy, priorities and costs related to the upgrade and development of the facility’s pool of equipment. It provides reviews and recommendations on proposals from the user and stakeholder community for the upgrade and development of the pool of equipment.
Risk Review Committee
The Risk Review Committee assists the Board in fulfilling its corporate governance oversight responsibilities about the identification, evaluation, and mitigation of operational, strategic and external environment risks. The Committee has the overall responsibility of monitoring and approving the risk policies and associated practices and responsive actions.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee
The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee reviews the practices of the organization to identify, mitigate, and eliminate the impact of implicit bias and discrimination that may support systemic barriers and challenges. The EDI committee aims to create and enhance practices that promote fairness, equity and inclusion to advance the diversity within the program of the Amundsen.
Administrative Center
The Administrative Center performs the day‐to‐day management and administration of the scientific program of the Amundsen. Specialized personnel work within five units: finance and accounting; technical operations and services; cybersecurity and data management; logistics and users management; and communications and public relations. The Executive Director and COO oversees these interdependent units to ensure the overall operation of the Facility according to directions set by the Board. The Executive Director is assisted by the Marine Research Coordinator, the Chief Finance Officer, the Ship Equipment Manager and the Communication Manager. Together, they supervise the administrative and technical personnel, oversee the daily management of the Facility, liaise with the community of users, ensure the communication with media and government representatives, and coordinate the annual Amundsen Expedition with the Canadian Coast Guard.