4MOST - 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope
4-m Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope
4MOST

Seeking 4MOST Ombudspersons

by Joe Liske on 2023-06-09

A message from the Principal Investigator, Roelof de Jong:

As part of its commitment to diversity and inclusion, the 4MOST Project has appointed Ombudspersons to help 4MOST members who experience problems or conflicts within the Project environment. More specifically, our Code of Conduct obliges us to have at least two Ombudspersons from different institutes at any time. As one of our current Ombudspersons will leave their position and we want to increase the number of Ombudspersons from two to three, we hereby invite nominations to fill these two open positions.

Role description:
Ombudspersons are officially appointed persons who provide independent, confidential, and neutral advice to 4MOST members in case of problems and conflicts within the Project. They should also be able to provide current information about services, programs, policies, and procedures. They will try to resolve problems through mediation or by making recommendations to the 4MOST leadership. Ombudsperson appointments are for 3 years initially, indefinitely renewable. When wanted or needed, the 4MOST Ombudspersons may receive special training for this important and responsible job. Information about the Ombudspersons can be found in the right-hand column of every page on our website, and in this more detailed description.

Qualifications:

  • Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion;
  • Familiarity with the functioning of the Project and its organisational structure;
  • No major leadership or supervisory role within 4MOST that may compromise impartiality.

Nomination and selection process:
We invite nominations (with consent from the candidate) or self-nominations from all 4MOST members. In case of self-nomination, we will request a letter of support from one or more persons well familiar with the candidate. A selection committee consisting of the current Ombudspersons, the Project Scientists, and the 4MOST PI, will review the nominations and make recommendations that are subject to final approval by the 4MOST Executive Board.

Nominations shall be sent to the 4MOST PI with the following contents:

  • Nominee's name.
  • Nominee's email.
  • Nominee's institutional affiliation.
  • Career stage that best describes the nominee for the next two years (e.g., graduate student; postdoctoral researcher; research staff scientists / engineer; junior / senior / emeritus professor).
  • Roles (if any) of the nominee in the Project.
  • Nominee's 4MOST-related interests (up to one paragraph).
  • Nominee's experience with the Ombudsperson's related activities, if any.
  • In case of a self-nomination, contact details of one or more persons who may be contacted for a letter of reference.

All nominations received by 30 June 2023 will receive full consideration.

We are looking forward to receiving nominations for a diverse set of Ombudsperson candidates.