Advisory Bodies

NOC Stakeholder Advisory Board

The NOC Stakeholder Advisory Board is a non-executive body that advise on the strategic development of the NOC and its engagement with the wider community, including policy makers, industry and the public.

The board help the centre to maximise our impact and outreach via public engagement as well as advising on the development and delivery of the overall NOC strategy. They also work on behalf of the Natural Environmental Research Council (NERC) to monitor and advise on the national leadership, co-ordination and facilitation remit of the centre, including the delivery of National Capability managed by the centre.

The expertise and experience the Members of the Advisory Council can offer us will be invaluable as we chart the way ahead.

Current members of the NOC Stakeholder Advisory Board

Professor Dougal Goodman FREng, Dr James Baker, Professor Peter Liss CBE FRS, John Murray, Professor Peter Herzig, Dr Phil Heads, Professor Ajit Shenoi, Colin Grant, Dr Caron Montgomery, Professor Stephen Belcher

Marine Facilities Advisory Board

The Marine Facilities Advisory Board (MFAB) has the task to develop a medium to long-term holistic strategy for future equipment requirements in Marine Science. This will respond to and reflect our community’s needs and to assess current and future funding.

Until 2011, the Natural Environmental Research Council’s (NERC) marine facilities were overseen by the Marine Facilities Review Group (MFRG), with advice on the National Marine Equipment Pool (NMEP) being provided by science requirements identified on small and medium sized enterprises forms and discipline-based User Groups. MFRG reviewed the delivery of cruises over the previous year, and took a forward view of equipment requirements for the delivery of future cruises and additions to the NMEP. While this provided a good mechanism for enhancing the NMEP, the remit of the Group was such that developing a strategic view of future equipment requirements was somewhat piecemeal and of short-term nature.

A medium to longer-term holistic approach to future equipment requirements is vital in an environment of burgeoning demands and erratic Government funding opportunity, especially where funding constraints are likely to become even more challenging in the future. Consequently, the processes of cruise review and strategy development has been separated, the latter activity being developed by the Marine Facilities Advisory Board (MFAB; membership listed below). Initially, its remit will involve an audit of marine equipment.

• What is there?
• What state is it in?
• What has the usage been over the past 5–10 years?

This is essential information, both for current programmes, but also to anticipate the likely requirements for NERC-funded and other equipment facilities relevant to NERC sea-going science delivery in the near to medium future. Additionally MFAB will need to identify new and or emerging capabilities. Ultimately, we will develop a strategy that prioritises the equipment portfolio with regard to emergent and declining scientific requirements that will inform NOC and NERC senior management in their funding decisions. The 2019 membership of the MFAB is given below and includes a table of NOC personnel who have an advisory role.

Membership of Marine Facilities Advisory Board 2019

Membership of Marine Facilities Advisory Board 2017