Elvira Fortunato appointed to new group of scientific advisors to the European Commission

The European Commission today launched its new Scientific Advice Mechanism (SAM) with the announcement of the composition of the first High Level Group of scientific advisors to the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Carlos Moedas. Among the seven advisors is Elvira Fortunato, Director of CENIMAT and i3N, Full Professor and member of the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Science and Technology of Universidade Nova de Lisboa (FCT-NOVA).

Elvira Fortunato paved the way for transparent electronics in Europe by demonstrating that oxide materials behave like real semiconductors and by creating thin-film transistors based on oxide semiconductors. In 2008, he was awarded an Advanced Grant in the first Call the European Research Council (ERC). That year, together with his colleagues, he built the first paper transistor, launching a whole new field - paper electronics.

Her work has been internationally recognized through numerous scientific and civil awards, such as the decoration with the Grand Order of Prince Henry the Navigator (by the President of the Republic in 2010). Elvira Fortunato was a member of the National Council for Science and Technology (CNCT) and also a member of DG CONNECT's advisory board.

The High Level Group of scientific advisors supports the development of European policies or legislation by the European Commission, with high quality, timely, independent scientific advice based on the best existing scientific evidence. The advisors' mission is also to support the Commission in identifying public policies that need independent scientific advice.

The members of the High Level Group, selected following a call for nominations and based on the recommendations of an independent identification committee, are:

• Janusz M. Bujnicki(Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Protein Engineering, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw)
• Pearl Dykstra (Professor of Sociology, Erasmus UniversityRotterdam)
• Elvira Fortunato (Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universidade Nova de Lisboa)
• Rolf-Dieter Heuer (Director General, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN))
• Julia Slingo (Chief ScientistMet Office, Exeter)
• Cédric Villani (Henri Poincaré InstituteParis)
• Henrik C. Wegener (Technical University of Denmark)

The Commission's SAM mechanism includes funding of 6 million euros to support collaborations between European scientific societies and academies for scientific advice on public policies. According to the Commission, this funding and the High Level Group mark "a new approach to independent scientific advice in the European Commission's public policy-making process".