Scientific and Management Advisory Committee (SiMAC)

Composition and Terms of Reference

November 24, 2009

A Scientific and Management Advisory Committee (SiMAC) will be created to provide strategic guidance and monitoring for the project: "A Molecular breeding Platform", providing advise to the platform Management Team at the scientific and management levels.

Composition and main responsability:
The Committee shall consist of about fifteen persons divided into two groups: the Core and the Specialist Groups.
The Core Group (6 persons) shall oversee the evolution and implementation of the project from a strategic and global perspective. Core members shall include the chairperson of the User Committee, and leaders in the following fields: molecular breeding (if possible from the private sector), information and data management in high throughput e-environment, capacity and support services, and plant science network management including marketing.
Specialist Group (10 persons) shall be composed by resource persons who shall be consulted in a punctual mode on specific issues related to any activity or objective of the project. One member of this Group shall be selected from each of the following professional fields: molecular breeding, bioinformatics and data management, process and quality insurance, drought specialist, IP and policies, electronic information and communication management, public awareness and marketing. To be able to consult with a breeder from developing countries will also be highly desirable. The composition and the skills requested in the Specialist Group will be revised on a yearly basis.

Core Group:

Molecular breeding: Michel Ragot (Head Molecular Breeding Vegetables Syngenta) Confirmed
Bioinformatics, information and data management: Steve Goff (iPlant Project Director) Confirmed
Capacity building and support services: Fred Bliss (Former Senior Director of R&D at Seminis) Confirmed
Plant science network management: Morakot Tanticharoen (Former Director of National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand) Confirmed
Plus the Chair of the user committee: Gary Atlin (CIMMYT) Confirmed

Specialist Group (tentative nominees):

Molecular breeding: Sam Eathington (Monsanto)
Genotyping: Pascal Flament (Limagrain) Confirmed
Bioinformatics tools design and implementation: Andrew Farmer (NCGR)
Drought specialist: Hugo Campos (Monsanto) Confirmed
Process and quality insurance: Rita Mumm (Urbana Champaign University)
IP and Policy: Silvia Salazar Fallas (National Seeds Office, Costa Rica, Legal Adviser)
Communication and marketing: Nancy White (Full Circle Associates)
Project Leader and Chairman of the IBP Management Team (Ex Officio): Graham McLaren

Appointment:
The SiMAC members is appointed by the GCP Management Team, with input from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation representative. A Chairperson of the SiMAC shall be chosen from among the core members of the SiMAC. The chair will then appoint members to other offices as required.
The initial term of appointment of SiMAC Core members will be three (3) years. Each of the initial appointees to the SiMAC Core Group may choose to extend his or her first term by an additional two years, for a total of five years in the first term. The initial term of appointment of SiMAC Specialist members will be one (1) year and the composition of this group will be revised and adjusted if necessary every year by the Core Group in consultation with the platform Management Team.

Responsibilities
The major task of the SiMAC will be to advise on issues of technical priority and relevance, user requirements, practicality and sustainability of the MBP and achieving impact.
Specifically, the SiMAC will advise the Platform Management Team regarding issues including but not limited to the following:

Evaluation of progress towards project milestones,
Anticipate and identify bottlenecks,
Suggest opportunities, strategies, partners and activities to enhance progress;
Monitor risks to the project and its sustainability and suggest risk management strategies and actions
Evaluation of research and commercialization partners;
IP practices to best further the objectives of the project and the BMGF Global Access Policy;
Communication and public awareness for the MBP
Management of communication, relationships or disputes between project stakeholders.

Modus operandi:
The two SiMAC Groups will operate in quite an independent but interconnected way.
The Core Group may seek advice from experts outside the SiMAC if suitable, in consultation with the Project Leader.
The Core Group of the SiMAC will conduct its business:

During the Annual Project Review and Planning Meetings;
Through teleconference meetings, as appropriate and as requested by the SiMAC chair or the Project Leader;
Through direct consultation with other SiMAC members (Core and Specialist), the Management Team or with individual scientists involved in the project, including user cases; and
Through side meetings related to the project or site visits

The Specialist Group of the SiMAC will conduct its business:

Responding to specific solicitation coming from any member of the Core Group or the Management Team
Based on the nature of the request, the consultation shall be done by:
- Telephone/Skype
- Email
- F2F meeting, including the Annual Project Review and Planning Meetings if necessary
- Site visit
Request to Specialist should be conducted in a professional way, under appropriate timing depending on the availability of the Specialist.

Expected outcomes
Core group:

Active participation in the Annual Project Review and Planning Meetings;
Concise and written advise to the MBP management team, following established guidelines, by individual SiMAC members on issues related to their specific field of expertise (including input from Specialist members when suitable) upon conclusion of the Annual Project Review and Planning Meetings;
Concise and written advise to the MBP management team and staff by the SiMAC as a whole on project management issues such as organizational and partnership arrangements, significant changes in emphasis to project activities and matters arising, upon conclusion of the Annual Project Review and Planning Meetings.

Specialist Group:

Oral or written information or recommendations on specific issues.
The format of the feedback from the Specialist Group will really depend on the nature of the request.

Reporting lines

The SiMAC reports directly to the MB Platform Management Team. Full SiMAC reports will be available to the Funders of the project and will be made available to all partners apart from confidential or sensitive issues agreed by the SiMAC chair.
The chair of the User Committee will be a member of the Core Group of the SiMAC and will ensure a tight communication between the SiMAC and the users of the platform.