Call for Nominations for Executive Europlanet Board 2026

Europlanet invites nominations for four positions on the Europlanet Executive Board.

In 2026, the elections will concern the following roles: President*, Treasurer, one Vice President, and one Board Member.

The call for nominations is now open for potential candidates. The call will close on 10 July 2026.

The election results will be announced during the General Assembly at the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2026 in The Hague/online on Tuesday 8 September 2026. An online ballot will be launched at least 20 days before the meeting, with all Europlanet members encouraged to vote.

Candidates for the Officer roles (President, Vice President and Treasurer) will be invited to an informal interview with the current Executive Board before the launch of the ballot.

* Please note that the current President, Ann-Carine Vandaele, has chosen to step down one year early, with effect after the Europlanet General Assembly 2026, due to external pressures. This means that we are seeking a candidate who will stand directly as President, rather a candidate for President Elect.

About the Executive Board

The Executive Board is the governing body of the Europlanet non-profit Association and Society. Executive Board members are responsible for directing and controlling the affairs and property of Europlanet, including EPSC. The Executive Board consists of five Officers (the President, two Vice-Presidents, the Secretary and the Treasurer) and six other Members, who are elected for a period of four years.

Workload for the Executive Board members

Executive Board members will meet virtually on a monthly basis to review the activities of Europlanet, its finances and to provide directions on future actions.

From time to time, Europlanet Board members will be asked to review funding requests submitted by Europlanet committees and members, as well as bi-annual reports from Europlanet committees and working groups. 

Executive Board members are expected to attend the General Assembly (normally timed to coincide with the EPSC meeting) and other virtual meetings during the year (Europlanet Teams Days in November and May) to report on activities of Europlanet to its membership.

Finally, Executive Board members should act as ambassadors of Europlanet, wherever possible, to promote its activities and actively look for collaboration and funding opportunities for the association.

The formal responsibilities of the Executive Board include:

• Ensuring that Europlanet complies with the statutes of the non-profit Association (Europlanet AISBL), Society constitution and other relevant regulations.
• Ensuring that the Europlanet applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of the objectives of the non-profit Association and Society, giving firm strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and budgets, and evaluating performance against agreed targets.
• Approving major financial decisions and ensuring proper and effective use of Europlanet’s resources, whilst maintaining and enhancing the reputation and profile of the organisation.
• Serving on subcommittees to oversee and/or support specific areas of Europlanet’s activity and report on their work to the Executive Board.
• Contributing to Europlanet’s responses to policy and other consultations on behalf of its membership.
• Ensuring effective presentation of and interaction with the membership. 
• Overseeing the processes for election and progression of its members. 
• Overseeing activities of the Executive Office.
• Safeguarding the good name and ethos of the Europlanet non-profit association and society.

Conflicts of Interest

Executive Board members should declare any potential conflict of interest that could prevent them from acting in the best interest of Europlanet, notably with respect to European and international organisations and funding agencies (e.g. the European Commission, ESA, NASA) and sister organisations.

Attendance

Any member who fails to attend two consecutive meetings without clear justification (e.g. absence due to illness, health emergencies, compassionate leave, or other approved commitments) will be asked to confirm their continued interest in serving on the Executive Board. If a member fails to attend three consecutive meetings without justification, the Board may initiate the process of identifying a replacement. Justified absences will not count toward the attendance threshold but the Board may redistribute or temporarily delegate the duties of the excused member to ensure continuity of operations.

About the Officer roles

In addition to serving on the Executive Board of the Europlanet Society, the five Officers (the President, two Vice-Presidents, the Secretary and the Treasurer) act as the Directors of the administrative body of the Europlanet Association International Sans But Lucratif (AISBL). This is a legal responsibility with limited liability. 

President

We are seeking a President of Europlanet, who will lead both the Europlanet AISBL non-profit Association and Society. The President is the most senior position of the Executive Board and requires significant commitment, both in terms of time and of vision in steering Europlanet during its ongoing transition to a self-sustaining non-profit association, whilst preserving the needs and values of an academic society. The candidate should have a track record of integrity, sound judgement, and the highest professional standards. Candidates for the role of President should have:

• Significant experience in management and leadership.
• Served on the Europlanet Executive Board for at least 1 year.^§
• Experience of representing a scientific organisation to a wide range of audiences.
• Solid knowledge of the European and international planetary science research and policy landscape.

In addition to undertaking the responsibilities of the Executive Board, the President will:

• Act as Chair at the monthly meetings of the Executive Board and monthly Finance Committee meetings.
• Commit to regular interactions with the Executive Office staff on operational matters and to be available (by email/video-conference) to discuss important impromptu (including politically or otherwise sensitive matters) with Officers and senior Executive Office staff as they arise.
• Represent Europlanet at the European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) and at other strategic or external events with stakeholders, including European policy makers.
• Coordinate input from members in preparation for voting on behalf of Europlanet in strategic organisational fora and consultations (e.g. EOSC, EAS).

^§ This is a mandatory requirement as a President will be elected directly in 2026, rather than a President Elect, who would serve for one year alongside the outgoing President.

Treasurer

We are seeking a Treasurer of the Europlanet AISBL non-profit Association and Europlanet Society. The Treasurer should have a strong background in financial management and be able to provide oversight on best practice in financial reporting, controls and governance. A background in planetary science or research is not essential but would be advantageous. The candidate should have a track record of integrity, sound judgement, and the highest professional standards to support Europlanet AISBL in its ongoing transition to a self-sustaining non-profit association, while preserving the needs and values of an academic society. This role would suit someone looking to take on a voluntary role in a non-profit who has extensive experience in managing finances and grants within a research institute, or who has a finance background and an interest in research, innovation and community service. 

In addition to the responsibilities of the Executive Board, the Treasurer will have oversight of Europlanet’s finances, working closely with the Executive Office Staff to draft the annual financial report and budget, and to supervise the day-to-day administration of Europlanet’s bank accounts. The Treasurer also will ensure that Europlanet complies with its obligations with respect to:

• Keeping and filing accounting records for the association;
• The preparation of the annual statements of accounts;
• Audits or independent examinations of the statements of accounts.
• Tax liabilities.

Vice-President

We are seeking a Vice President of the Europlanet AISBL non-profit Association and Europlanet Society. The candidate should have a track record of integrity, sound judgement, and the highest professional standards. Ideally, candidates for the role of Vice-President should have:

• Experience in management and leadership.
• Experience of participating in Europlanet activities (e.g. serving on committees or other management bodies).
• Experience of representing a scientific organisation to a wide range of audiences.
• Knowledge of the European and international planetary science research landscape.

In addition to the responsibilities of the Executive Board, the Vice-President will:

• Attend monthly Finance Committee meetings.
• Support the President in their duties by:
  • Chairing meetings and acting as deputy in other duties if the President is unavailable
  • Representing Europlanet at the European Planetary Science Congress (EPSC) and at other strategic or external events with stakeholders, including European policy makers.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us: europlanet@europlanet.org

Nominations

Any two Europlanet members may nominate a candidate for the election to the Executive Board. Self-nomination is possible and encouraged, and any person nominating a third party should have their agreement that their name can be put forward. Standing as a candidate for the Executive Board is an important opportunity to help shape Europlanet at an exciting time, so please consider taking on this role!

An independent Nominations Committee will review the nominations to achieve a viable ballot list, paying due attention to the Europlanet Commitment to Diversity. In the case that there are omissions in the range of candidates which would prevent the Board from operating effectively, the nomination committee may undertake such actions as it deems necessary to correct any imbalance.

Candidates will be contacted by the Nominations Committee and asked to submit a CV and Manifesto.