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 the New University of Lisbon (FCT-NOVA).

Elvira Fortunato paved the way for transparent electronics in Europe by demonstrating that oxide materials behave like true semiconductors and by creating thin-film transistors based on oxide semiconductors. In 2008, she received an Advanced Grant in Call first Call the European Research Council (ERC). That year, together with her colleagues, she 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 Grand Order of Infante D. Henrique (awarded 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 the advisory board of DG CONNECT.

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 available scientific evidence. The advisors also have the task of supporting the Commission in identifying public policies that require 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 University, Rotterdam)
• Elvira Fortunato (Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, New University of Lisbon)
• Rolf-Dieter Heuer (Director-General, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN))
• Julia Slingo (Chief Scientist, Met Office, Exeter)
• Cédric Villani (Henri Poincaré Institute, Paris)
• Henrik C. Wegener (Technical University of Denmark)

The Commission's SAM mechanism includes €6 million in funding to support collaborations between European companies and scientific academies for scientific advice on public policy. 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."