Only complete applications will be considered.

The selection of applications for the Scientific Council will be based on the information provided in the cover letter, the candidates’ alignment with the required skills, an analysis of conflicts of interest, and the necessary multidisciplinary and diverse composition of the group to address the full scope of the issue at hand.

Public declarations of interest will be reviewed by Santé publique France’s Internal Ethics Committee.

Candidates will be informed of the outcome of the review of their application via email from the committee’s secretariat.

Members of the Scientific Council will be appointed by decision of the Director General of Santé publique France; the declarations of interests of Scientific Council members are published on the DPI SANTE website.

Members of the Scientific Council, the Ethics and Professional Conduct Committee, and the Steering and Dialogue Committee of Santé publique France are not eligible to apply.

The exclusion criteria apply to candidates:

• who have been retired for more than three years and are no longer active;

• who have been inactive for more than three years, as this situation does not allow them to keep their skills and knowledge in their field up to date.

The National Public Health Agency, established by Order No. 2016-462 of April 14, 2016, is a public administrative agency under the supervision of the Ministry of Health.

To learn more about the missions of Santé publique France: https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/a-propos/sante-publique-france-qui-sommes-nous

Biomonitoring is a method of population surveillance used primarily in the field of environmental and occupational risks. It relies on biomarkers—biological indicators that reveal environmental exposure, diseases, disorders, or genetic predispositions. These are measured in bodily fluids or tissues (blood, urine, hair, saliva, breast milk, etc.). The method has the advantage of accounting for all exposure pathways and enabling the establishment of reference values, the identification of at-risk populations, and the monitoring of long-term trends.

At the European level, biomonitoring is now recognized as a strategic tool for defining and guiding regulatory policies on the use of potentially hazardous chemicals. For several years, the European Commission has been involved in developing and funding programs dedicated to biomonitoring, such as HBM4EU and, more recently, PARC—in which Santé publique France is heavily involved—which aims for broader objectives than human biomonitoring alone.

Established by Law No. 2009-967 of August 3, 2009, the PNBS has been managed by Santé publique France since 2010. Until now, it has relied on the Elfe cohort (2011), which helped define the perinatal component of the PNBS, and the Esteban cross-sectional survey conducted in the general population (2014–2016). All publications related to this work will be completed in 2021 and have enabled the following objectives to be met:

• describe exposure levels to approximately 100 substances and establish exposure reference values;

• compare exposure levels to these substances with the results of previous studies conducted in France (the ENNS study, 2006–2007) and abroad;

• analyze the determinants of population exposure levels for certain measured substances.

To define the new terms of the national biomonitoring program, on October 23, 2018, the ministries of health, labor, research, agriculture, and the environment referred the matter to Santé publique France. The agency sought to organize a consultation with qualified experts to support its response by establishing a Thematic Support Committee (CAT) comprising several key partners and stakeholders in the field of biomonitoring, both in France and internationally. The first meeting took place in June 2021. These new procedures—which include, in particular, a method for prioritizing substances, the integration of research needs, and harmonization with the European PARC project—should enable the agency to meet the objectives mentioned above.

In parallel with ongoing discussions on the new procedures for the national biomonitoring program, Santé publique France has initiated the development of two biomonitoring studies: PestiRiv, a study on pesticide exposure among residents of wine-growing areas and those living far from any crops, as well as Kannari 2, a study on chlordecone exposure in the French West Indies.

This call for applications is intended to strengthen the expertise within the existing Scientific Council, which comprises six members (an environmental epidemiologist, a population health epidemiologist, two analysts, a food-borne chemical risk assessor, and an occupational physician specializing in biomonitoring).

The Scientific Advisory Board serves as the primary advisory body for all scientific issues raised by the national biomonitoring program and the surveys that comprise it.

Its work will focus in particular on:

• the scientific guidelines for the national biomonitoring program;

• the methodology to be followed for the surveys, particularly in the context of developing protocols (sampling, biological and environmental analyses) and survey questionnaires for the target population;

• the implementation of protocols and surveys: data analysis, interpretation, methods for communicating results at the individual and collective levels, and the scientific utilization of the results.

The Scientific Council is composed of nationally and internationally recognized experts known for their expertise in public health and environmental health.

Expertise currently represented on the Scientific Council:

• epidemiology

• analytical chemistry and metrology

• cancer and nutrition

• biomonitoring

• specialist in dietary exposure assessment

Desired additional skills:

• biostatistics;

• epidemiology (particularly in the following areas: environmental health);

• analytical toxicology;

• clinical toxicology;

• occupational medicine;

• specialist in the assessment of dietary, environmental, and occupational exposures;

• environmental specialist;

• humanities and social sciences;

• prevention

This Scientific Council is established for a four-year term, which may be renewed. The chair of the council is appointed from among its members by the Director General of Santé publique France.

The Scientific Council meets three to four times a year and as needed, depending on the project’s progress.

Members sign a “Confidentiality Agreement and a Commitment to Attend Meetings Regularly” and to participate in any necessary drafting or proofreading work in between meetings.

Members have access to information held by Santé publique France that is necessary for the requested work.

The Director General of Santé publique France provides the resources necessary for the Scientific Council to function.

The scientific and administrative secretariat of this committee is provided by the Health, Environment, and Labor Directorate of Santé publique France.

The Scientific Council may conduct hearings with any individual whose knowledge and experience are deemed necessary for its mission.

When reporting on its work, the Scientific Council may need to meet in closed session. Recommendations shall be adopted unanimously or by a majority vote, with minority opinions noted.

Travel and subsistence expenses are reimbursed in accordance with the terms and conditions applicable to civilian government employees.

Compensation for members of the Scientific Council for attending meetings and producing work (reviewing and editing texts prepared by the Agency, drafting content, etc.) will be provided in accordance with the schedule established by the Board of Directors of Santé publique France.