ESF appoints John Marks as Director of Science and Strategy

The European Science Foundation has appointed John Marks as Director of Science and Strategy. Marks will oversee the direction and coordination of all scientific and strategic development at ESF.

Marks joins ESF with over 23 years of experience in science policy and management. Recently he was the Director of Earth and Life Sciences for the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), overseeing a budget of €30 million. He has also worked for the science policy directorate in the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in the Netherlands, where he was responsible for a wide range of policy areas, including the setting up of a Foresight Process..

Marks has previously been involved in ESF as a serving executive member of the Marine Board and as Chair of the Steering Committee for the Forward Looks on global change.

Throughout his career, his work on numerous committees has led him to have advised successive ministers of science policy in the Netherlands . His work in science policy has involved the extensive interactions with the European Commission. He has also been a delegation advisor to several ministerial conferences of the European Space Agency. At the global level he managed the executive office of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme for the International Council of Science (ICSU) and is a member of the strategic advisory committee of ICSU.

Marks has a doctorate in physics from the University of Leiden, in the Netherlands, and speaks several languages including Dutch, German, French and English.

ESF contact: Mr. Jens Degett

Category: Media Centre, Press Releases 2003