EFSA CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
EXTERNAL EXPERTS WORKING GROUPS – NANOTECHNOLOGIES
EFSA/WG/NANO/2023/01
Deadline for sending applications:
30 October 2023 at 23:59 (local time).
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), based in Parma, is looking to expand its pool of scientists with expertise in the areas of
Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies.
Are you a motivated scientist seeking to make a difference and contribute to protecting public health in Europe? Would you like to harness your passion for science by working for the cornerstone of food safety risk assessment in Europe?
Scientists with the required expertise are invited to express their interest by applying to this call and may be considered for participation in one of EFSA’s Working Groups.
EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is an Agency of the European Union and an integral part of the EU’s food safety system.
EFSA delivers independent and transparent scientific advice to policy makers to ensure safety throughout the entire food chain – from farm to fork. EFSA’s scientific advice is achieved through the work of our experts and in cooperation with national and international partners as well as in an open dialogue with society. It contributes to the protection of human, animal and plant health as well as the environment.
EFSA brings together Europe’s best available experts in risk assessment in the field of food and feed safety, animal health and welfare, plant health and the environment, who act in an independent capacity to provide the European Union Institutions and Member States with scientific advice of the highest standard.
To find out more about EFSA, visit us at www.efsa.europa.eu.
EFSA’S WORKING GROUPS
EFSA’s Working Groups are composed of experienced, independent experts tasked to gather scientific evidence on certain topics, draft scientific opinions and conduct preparatory work for EFSA’s Scientific Panels and the Scientific Committee. Currently, EFSA is coordinating more than 100 Working Groups with 500+ experts, who deliver on a wide array of mandates.
Working Group – Nanotechnologies
With the evolution of science, the assessment of potential risks deriving from new technologies for food and feed production as nanotechnologies, became a central topic in many of EFSA’s Working Groups, and in particular in its cross-cutting Working Group on Nanotechnologies. The experts on nanomaterials and nanotechnologies in the EFSA Working Groups are responsible for the assessment of conventional materials possibly containing nanoparticles or nanomaterials produced as such under evaluation by EFSA Units or Panels. In particular, the cross-cutting Working Group on Nanotechnologies also provides advice regarding the correct implementation of the EFSA guidance documents in the area of nanotechnologies (EFSA Scientific Committee, 2021a1; EFSA Scientific Committee, 2021b2) and contributes to update these guidance documents with the latest scientific advances.
The expertise needed includes the following subjects, all of them in relation to nanotechnologies/nanomaterials:
Chemistry (e.g. analytical chemistry, method development and validation, synthesis of nanomaterials, manufacture of polymers, coordination chemistry), Physics, Detection and Physico-chemical characterisation of nanosized materials as such and/or in complex matrices (e.g. food/feed/food contact materials), Toxicology, Genetic toxicology, Developmental toxicology, Neurodevelopmental toxicology, Toxicokinetics (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion), Toxicity testing, Development and validation of New Approach Methodologies (i.e. non-animal methods such as in silico, in vitro, in chemico methods, omics), Mode of action, Adverse outcome pathways, Data science, Exposure assessment, Human and Animal Nutrition, Veterinary medicine, Human health, Animal, and Environmental Risk Assessment of nanomaterials or nanoparticles.
Working Group Experts
Members of the Working Groups are expected to work in cooperation and have a high degree of professional ethics and integrity. Members of Working Groups are entrusted with the following responsibilities:
- Preparatory work for EFSA’s Scientific Panels or the Scientific Committee, e.g. review of the data package concerning the physico-chemical and toxicological aspects of dossiers or published literature (with specific reference to the EFSA guidance documents in the area of nanotechnologies and sectoral guidance documents);
- Contribution to independent scientific advice on matters falling within the remit of the Working Group;
- Timely preparation and discussion of scientific opinions, guidance documents and statements of the Working Group;
- Contribution to the consistency of EFSA’s scientific assessment approaches and work in close cooperation with the Scientific Panels and the Scientific Committee;
- Ensuring adherence to sector specific and horizontal EFSA guidance documents and relevant EU legislation;
- Contribution to the updating of nanotechnologies related guidance documents.
General Conditions
Members of the Working Groups are expected to attend and contribute actively and timely to the meetings of the Working Groups where opinions, statements or guidance documents are prepared. Attendance and active contribution at the meetings of the Working Groups requires preparatory work, including prior reading, data analysis and drafting of documents. Meetings are held in English and the documents are in the English language.
Members of the Working Groups will be requested to attend 1-2 day meetings around 6 to 8 times per year, by teleconference or physically in Parma (Italy) or in other EU cities. Experts will receive an indemnity in accordance with EFSA’s rules laid down in the Experts’ Compensation Guide.
WORKING GROUP EXPERTS SELECTION
In order to express their interest, candidates should fill in and submit the online application form. The selection and appointment of Working Group experts follows EFSA’s standard operating procedure on Establishing, updating and closing a scientific Working Group. If additional expertise is needed, EFSA may also draw external experts from other relevant databases.
Expertise required
Proven experience of at least 5 years in one or more of the following areas:
- Conducting risk assessment with particular focus on physicochemical characterisation of nanomaterials or nanoparticles and/or their toxicological assessment in vivo and/or using New Approaches Methodologies (in silico, in chemico, in vitro, etc.).
- Collecting and collating evidence on physicochemical characterisation of nanomaterials or nanoparticles and/or their toxicological assessment in vivo and/or using New Approaches Methodologies (in silico, in chemico, in vitro, etc.).
- Critical analysis of assessment reports and publications on physicochemical characterisation of nanomaterials or nanoparticles and/or their toxicological assessment in vivo and/or using New Approaches Methodologies (in silico, in chemico, in vitro, etc.).
- Developing guidance documents, will be considered an asset.
- Communicating scientific outputs to target audiences in the area of nanotechnologies, nanomaterials or nanoparticles risk assessment, will be consider an asset.
Thorough knowledge of English language (written and spoken) is required for the position.
EFSA may contact pre-selected candidates for further assessment on their expertise and motivation and to check their availability. Please note that only pre-selected candidates will be contacted.
Declaration of Interest (DoI)
Suitable candidates identified as having the most appropriate expertise for the Working Groups shall be requested to submit a Declaration of Interests (DoI), which will be screened by EFSA in accordance with EFSA’s Independence policy [1]. In the absence of a Conflict of Interest (CoI) [2], candidates may be invited for Working Group membership.
Appointment
The decision on the appointment of the most suitable experts shall take into consideration the matching of the experts’ profiles with the scientific profile required for the specific scientific task in question, thorough knowledge of the English language, nationality and gender balance within the Working Group.
Members of the Working Groups are appointed in a personal capacity. They shall therefore not delegate their responsibilities to another member or to a third person. The appointment could be for the duration of a specific mandate or for a longer period. This pool of experts may be consulted also on ad hoc basis, as needed.
Should you have any queries please send an email to selection.experts@efsa.europa.eu.
[1] EFSA’s independence policy is implemented by the rules laid down in the Decision on Competing Interest Management.
[2] A conflict of interest may arise e.g. where a candidate is employed by any legal or natural person carrying out any of the activities on which EFSA’s scientific outputs impact directly or indirectly, such as food production, processing and distribution, agriculture or animal husbandry.