Formal definitions and rules concerning the authority, responsibility, membership, and activities of the scientific groups of PICES can be found in the Rules of Procedure. The Rules of Procedure and the PICES Convention take precedence over these Roles and Responsibilities, should any discrepancies be discovered. This document is intended to provide basic information and guidance on practical matters associated with the conducting the scientific business of the Organization, and is expansion of Rule 18 in the Rules of Procedure.
The Secretariat maintains official lists of the members of all PICES Committees and expert groups on its website. These lists are updated only after a formal notification by a national Delegate. In accordance with Decisions 03/S/7(ii) and 04/S/7(ii), national membership lists have also been included as Appendices in the Annual Reports since 2003.
The Science Board (SB) is one of two Executive Committees under the Governing Council of PICES. SB is responsible for overseeing the scientific activities of the Organization, and the position of SB Chairman is the most senior scientific position in PICES. Details on the functions, membership and leadership of SB and on the nomination/election procedure for the SB Chairman are described in Rules 12 and 17 of the Rules of Procedure.
The Committees of PICES are established by SB, with the approval of the Governing Council, as ongoing groups and are organized according to scientific or technical subjects. Scientific Committees are responsible for the planning, direction, and overseeing of major themes within the Organization’s general scientific aims, and Technical Committees are responsible for facilitating the technical and operational activities required to support the Organization’s science. Each Committee is responsible for overseeing the activities of their subsidiary bodies and for determining priorities for consideration by the Science Board and the Governing Council. Details on the functions, membership and leadership of the Committees and on the election procedure for a Committee Chairman are described in Rules 13, 14 and 17 of the Rules of Procedure. Regardless of membership, under normal circumstances, all participants who are registered for an Annual Meeting may attend meetings of PICES Scientific and Technical Committees and/or their subsidiary bodies to participate in discussion.
A new scientific ad hoc group in PICES is typically formed as a result of scientists in Contracting Parties identifying a need, developing a proposal, and seeking the support of one or more Scientific or Technical Committees for its establishment. Should a recommendation to create a group arise from a Committee, it will be discussed by SB and if endorsed, a recommendation is forwarded to the Governing Council for decision. The initial list of potential group members is usually, but not always, developed by the proponents of a new group. The number of members in an expert group typically ranges between 15 and 24. Subject to any restrictions on membership identified in the Rules of Procedure, it is desirable to have at least one member from each of the PICES Contracting Parties. In cases where the organizers have not suggested members from a country; the appropriate Delegates will be asked by the Executive Secretary to do so. Membership by citizens of the Contracting Parties requires the formal approval of their Delegate(s); noting that Delegates are free to appoint members other than (or in addition to) those recommended by the proponents of the group. Delegates will ensure that: a) members appointed are interested and committed to working toward the goals of the group; and b) funds are provided to members to attend scheduled group activities.
A Working Group is established by a Scientific Committee to undertake specific terms of reference and to report to the Organization on their findings. An Advisory Panel is formed to coordinate and provide scientific advice on a field or experimental activities of a Scientific Committee or scientific program. A Study Group is established by the Governing Council or Executive Committee to consider any scientific, policy, advisory and/or financial issues of interest to the Organization. Details on the functions, membership and leadership of these ad hoc groups are described in Rules 13, 15 and 17 of the Rules of Procedure.
A Chairman (or Co-Chairmen) of an ad hoc group is appointed by the Governing Council according to Rule 17(v) of the Rules of Procedure. Accordingly, it is best to identify leadership candidates in the initial proposal to a Committee. The term of the appointment shall begin when the membership of the group has been confirmed by the Executive Secretary. The Chairman or Co-Chairmen will normally serve for the lifetime of the group. As is the practice with most PICES ad hoc groups, any selection of two or more Co-Chairmen should include leaders from Contracting Parties on opposite sides of the Pacific. In the event that a group member must be replaced, either by their own choosing or if, in the judgment of the (Co-)Chairman , members are not contributing to the group, the Co-Chairmen must notify the Executive Secretary of the situation and if possible, recommend a replacement.
At the inter-sessional PICES Science Board Meeting in April 2005, Dr. Michael Foreman was asked to assess the performance of all PICES Working Groups, Study Groups, and Task Teams. Letters were sent to past and present Chairmen or Co-Chairmen asking them to address the following issues:
(Roles and responsibilities to be determined for Integrative Scientific Program)
Chairmen of Scientific/Technical Committees and Scientific Program are responsible for developing, either jointly with other committees/programs or individually, proposals for Topic Sessions.
Chairmen of Scientific/Technical Committees and Programs are responsible for finalizing the details of Topic Sessions sponsored by their committee/program within 1 month of the close of an Annual Meeting to facilitate the preparation of the next Annual Meeting announcement by the Executive Secretary.
The PICES Wooster Award is named in honour of Professor Warren S. Wooster, a principal founder and the first Chairman of PICES, and a world-renowned researcher and statesman in the area of climate variability and fisheries production. The award is given annually to an individual who has made significant scientific contributions to North Pacific marine science, such as understanding and predicting the role of human and climate interactions on marine ecosystem production.
The award consists of a plaque with the recipient's name engraved on it. The recipient will also receive financial support to attend the next PICES Annual Meeting at which the award is given. A large plaque is maintained at the PICES Secretariat with the names of all the award winners over the years.
The main criteria for choosing recipients are sustained excellence in research, teaching, administration or a combination of the three in the area of North Pacific marine science. Special consideration is given to individuals who have worked in integrating the disciplines of marine science. Individuals who were, or are, currently actively involved in PICES activities are preferred but the award may be given to any suitable candidate, including those from outside PICES member countries.
Nominations are solicited annually from the PICES community although the award may not be given every year if a suitable candidate is not found. The Selection Committee consists of the PICES SB and the PICES Chairman, and the Award is given by the PICES Chairman at an Opening Session during the PICES Annual Meeting. Nominations of individuals not selected are rolled over to the next year in order to keep a large pool of potential candidates.
Nominations must be received no later that May 1 of each year and include the following information: nominee's name, institutional affiliation and title, address and biographical resume, and statement of justification for the nomination.
Progress in many aspects of marine science is based on ocean observations, monitoring, and the management and dissemination of the data provided by these activities. Long-term monitoring observations are particularly critical to detecting and understanding ecosystem changes. It is widely recognized that these fundamental activities often lack the glamour and respect that typically accompanies scientific achievements that rely on monitoring and observation. Unfortunately, the consequences are that monitoring activities are often taken for granted or even targeted for budget cuts when PICES member countries experience financial constraints. With this in mind, it was proposed at the 2006 Annual Meeting in Yokohama, Japan, that a new PICES award be established to acknowledge monitoring and data management activities that contribute to the progress of marine science in the North Pacific. The principles of the award were approved at the 2007 inter-sessional Science Board/Governing Council meeting, also in Yokohama, and the name and description of the award were finalized at the 2007 Annual Meeting in Victoria, Canada.
AimsThe PICES Ocean Monitoring Service Award (POMA) aims to recognize organizations, groups and outstanding individuals that have contributed significantly to the advancement of marine science in the North Pacific through long-term ocean monitoring and data management. The award also strives to enlighten the public on the importance of those activities as fundamental to marine science. It draws attention to an important aspect of the PICES Convention that is not so much in the limelight: "to promote the collection and exchange of information and data related to marine scientific research in the area concerned."
EligibilityThe award is given for significant contributions to the progress of marine science in the North Pacific through long-term monitoring operations, management of data associated with ocean conditions and marine bio-resources in the region, or both categories. Recipients may include, for example, research vessels, research or administrative institutes or portions thereof, or technical groups involved in monitoring, data management and dissemination, or a combination of these activities. Outstanding individual efforts may also be recognized.
Nomination and SelectionNominations from individuals or groups from PICES member countries should be sent with supporting documentation to the Executive Secretary by the deadline specified in the Call for Nominations at the PICES website. The Technical Committee on Monitoring (MONITOR) and Technical Committee on Data Exchange (TCODE) will evaluate independently the documents submitted with each nomination, and recommend some or all of the nominations for consideration by SB. Evaluations will include the relevance, duration and balance of activities (ocean observation, resource monitoring, data management, etc.). If more than one nomination is considered worthy of recognition by MONITOR or TCODE, rank preferences will be provided to SB by each Technical Committee. A maximum of one award will be given each year. To keep a large pool of potential candidates, SB will reserve any surplus of recommendations for review in subsequent years. Those nominated but not recommended by a Technical Committee must be re-submitted if they are to be considered for the next year.
Award and PresentationThe award consists of a certificate signed by the PICES Chairman and the PICES SB Chairman, which will be presented to the recipients (or their representative) at the Opening Session of the PICES Annual Meeting. No financial support from PICES will be provided to the recipient to attend the Annual Meeting where the award is given. Should any representative be unable to attend the Annual Meeting, a Delegate of the recipient's country will be asked to accept the award on behalf of the recipient.