Who should run the ERC Scientific Council?

From time to time we toy with the idea of entering one of those public competitions for a seat on one of the Research Councils that run research in the UK. After all, we've been following them for a lot longer, and cover much broader areas, than many of the folks who end up on their councils. We don't, though, have the same inclination to put in a bid to become Secretary General of the European Research Council's Scientific Council.

 

For a start the job title carries the wrong message, they may say that the responsibilities will be "comparable to those of a Chief Executive" but it does sound more bureaucrat than free thinker. Then again, there is also the problem that we don't have the "an acknowledged successful leadership record in scientific funding organisations with peer review systems" that they ask for in the "Call for applications". Anyone interested has until the end of the month to apply, or to nominate someone else.