Roles

Chairs 

The chair is the main point of contact between the SAC and the FSA and plays a key role in SAC operations and outputs. The chair has a number of responsibilities including working with the FSA to ensure that there is sufficient diversity of skills, expertise and experience within the SAC’s membership to offer suitable challenge; ensuring that every member of the SAC has the opportunity to be heard and that no view is ignored or overlooked; reporting the SAC’s advice to the FSA including alerting them to new evidence likely to have an impact on current policy; and acting as an active advocate for diversity and inclusion. Chairs are given a standard first term appointment of three years.  

Full members 

A full member has the specific technical expertise or experience required by their SAC and is expected to be a recognised expert in their subject. Full members should regard it as part of their role to examine and, if necessary, challenge the assumptions on which scientific advice is formulated. They should also consider whether the questions on which the SAC offers advice are of interest to the public and other interested parties outside the scientific community. Full members are given a standard first term appointment of three years. 

Associate members 

All of our committees also welcome applications for associate members. Associate members are typically individuals at an earlier stage of their career who may not yet have the extensive track record expected of a full member, but whose area of expertise fits the scope of the SAC and who are keen to gain experience and participate in SAC discussions. Associate members are appointed for an initial term of two years. If this term is successfully completed, associate members can then become full members.  

Lay members 

A lay member is a full member who is not a technical expert on the SAC, but who is there to represent the interests of consumers. Their precise role may vary depending on the remit of the committee to which they have been appointed. They may act as a critical friend, contribute experience from outside the professional membership, or provide an external non-expert perspective to the decision-making process. They may also help to quality assure the committee’s outputs or to support clear communication of the committee’s work. Lay Members are given a standard first term appointment of three years.