Canada has kicked off its search for a chief government science advisor to the satisfaction of many researchers in the country, according to Nature News.
It adds that this fulfills a campaign promise of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said during his 2015 that he'd establish a chief science officer position, though that job shifted to become a chief science advisor. Science minister Kirsty Duncan has spent the last year meeting with scientists to define what the role of the advisor should be.
That change in name, Nature News says, signals a subtle shift in role. "Both counsel the prime minister, but the latter focuses on ensuring that scientific evidence feeds into policy decisions and acts more independently," it notes.
According to the posted job description, the chief government science advisor's "main function will be to advise the government on how to ensure that government science is fully available to the public, that scientists are able to speak freely about their work, and that scientific analyses are considered when the government makes decisions."
Applications will be accepted through January 27.