Exumbran Scientific Commission (ESC)

The Exumbran Scientific Commission (ESC) is a commission of the Exumbran Convention founded by the Agreement on the Exumbran Scientific Commission, which entered into force with the Treaty of the Exumbran Convention, and which thereafter came to be known and treated as the Exumbran Council Regulation on the Exumbran Scientific Commission (ECR.ESC). ECR.ESC regulates purpose, funding, organization, and key procedures of the ESC. The main purpose of ESC is to fund scientific projects and institutes in the member states Exumbran Convention, in accordance with the first and second objectives of the Exumbran Convention as mentioned in article 2 of its founding treaty.

organization

ESC consists of an Executive Committee (ESC-EC) and an Advisory Board (ESC-AB). Additionally, there are a number of institutes co-funded by ESC:

• Exumbran Institutes of Development and Industry (EIDI)
• Exumbran Institute of Advanced Studies (EIAS)

finances

The ESC budget is 0.02% of the sum GDP of member states.

budget

The Exumbran Institute of Advanced Studies (EIAS) receives 8.5 mln US$ per year. (The host country is expected to contribute at least the same amount.)

Each Exumbran Institutes of Development and Industry (EIDI) receives 4.5 mln US$ per year. (Host countries are expected to contribute at least the same amount.)

The budget of the office of the Commission and its Executive Committee is 0.5 mln US$ per year. (The host country is expected to arrange suitable part time positions for EC members at an university close to the Commission office.)

Members of the Advisory Board receive a yearly fee of 5000 US$, which adds another approx. 0.1 mln US$ per year to the budget.

This is together approximately one quarter of available funds. The remainder is available for research grants (including grants for resarchers affiliated with EIAS or an EIDI).

support eligibility

Any recognized scientific institute or individual scientist in a member state of the Convention can file a request for ESC support. There is a points system for support requests, where the larger the number of points a request has, the larger its chance of acceptance:

• 1 point if the request is done or supported by an institute (rather than an individual scientist).
• 1 point per member state from which middle or upper level researchers in addition to the country of the requester participate in the project.
• 1 point if the request is for a project that will be mostly carried out in and by researchers from a member state with below average GDP.

Advisory Board (ESC-AB)

ESC-AB consists of at least 15 and at most three times as many members as there are member states. Every member state must be represented by at least one Board member. The Board selects and appoints members by co-option, but candidates may be suggested by the Executive Committee. These and all other Board procedures normally proceed through email. (In normal circumstances, Board members do not (ever) have to meet.) (Candidate) Board members must be outstanding scientists with substantial international publication records, and expertise that adds to the overall expertise of the committee.

Executive Committee (ESC-EC)

ESC-EC consists of 3 members appointed by the Exumbran Council after having obtained majority approval from the Advisory Board.

All requests for ESC support are received and managed by ESC-EC.

Having received a request, the EDC-EC selects an appropriate number of experts from the Advisory Board (at least 3) to referee the request. This number of referees can be smaller if the request is for a small subsidy, if it is expected to be uncontroversial, and/or if it has many points (see above), but must be larger otherwise. If all judgments are positive, the request is accepted. If there is disagreement between the referees, then the request will be sent to all Advisory Board members. If in such a case, after sufficient time for exchange of opinion and discussion, a majority of Board Members votes in favor of the request, it is accepted.

institutes

Exumbran Institutes of Development and Industry (EIDI)

Main Article: Exumbran Institutes of Development and Industry (EIDI)

EIDIs are aimed at applied technological, industrial, economic, and policy research, with as its primary focus those areas of research that are most likely to contribute to economy, society, and industry of the country of its location and other member states of the Convention.

Exumbran Institute of Advanced Studies (EIAS)

Main Article: Exumbran Institute of Advanced Studies (EIAS)

EIAS is a research institute focused at humanities, social sciences, and theoretical natural sciences. Technical, experimental, and applied science is beyond the scope of the institute, partly for financial reasons, partly for organizational reasons, and partly to avoid overlap with the EIDIs.

notable grants

2013

(to be added)