Scientific Committee

The IMI Scientific Committee is an advisory group within IMI whose members are top experts from a range of different fields. They are appointed further to suggestions made by the States Representatives Group for a renewable term of two years and participate in their individual capacity. The Scientific Committee currently has 11 members and 2 ad hoc members who were appointed in 2018. The committee members elected Professor Isabelle Bekeredjian-Ding and Professor Dolores Cahill as Chair and Vice-chair respectively.

The role of the Scientific Committee

The Committee gives strategic science-based recommendations to IMI and advises on the continued relevance of the Strategic Research Agenda and the scientific priorities. It is also formally consulted on our topic texts – which are based on the scientific priorities – before our Calls for proposals are launched.

More specifically, the Scientific Committee provides advice on:

• scientific priorities to be included in the Strategic Research Agenda taking into account related activities in Horizon 2020;
• scientific priorities to be addressed in the IMI Annual Work Plans;
• scientific achievements described in the IMI Annual Activity Reports.

When requested by IMI, the members of the Scientific Committee provide their consolidated advice in writing. Scientific Committee members also take part in IMI’s Strategic Governing Groups.

The Scientific Committee Chair attends meetings of the IMI Governing Board as an observer and takes part in the deliberations, but has no voting rights.

More information about the Scientific Committee is available in the Scientific Committee's Rules of Procedure.

Scientific Committee work plan 2019: In mid-2019, the Scientific Committee adopted a work plan which sets out the areas where the committee plans to focus its efforts and provide effective support to IMI during the rest of its mandate. The work plan covers both topics related to IMI2 JU’s governance and structures as well as topics related to the research programme. Recommendations resulting from the work plan will be published on this page.

Recommendations issued by the Scientific Committee

• Scientific Committee recommendations regarding public private partnership funding – what makes a topic ultimately suitable for this kind of funding model? (February 2019)
• Sustainability solutions are important criteria determining project quality and output in IMI (June 2018)
• IMI Scientific Committee position on IMI-funded digital innovation and data integration in discovery of novel medicines (January 2018)

Cooperation with the IMI States Representatives Group

The Scientific Committee collaborates with the IMI States Representatives Group. The two bodies meet once a year to exchange views and discuss common areas of interest, such as IMI’s scientific priorities, and ways to enhance involvement of SMEs and patients into IMI activities. 

View a diagram of how the two bodies interact during their advisory process

Interested in learning more about the role of these advisory bodies in IMI and how they collaborate? Watch our 2017 interview with Maria Beatriz Da Silva Lima and Marta Gómez Quintanilla, who were chairs of the Scientific Committee and the IMI States Representatives Group respectively at the time.