Call for Applications to Fill Vacancies on the Special Scientific Advisory Board Responsible for Overseeing Studies on “Farmland Residents, Pesticides, and Health”

This call for applications is directed at scientists with expertise and experience in the field of pesticides—particularly their effects on health—who are interested in contributing to the work being carried out by Santé publique France.

Through this call for applications, Santé publique France¹ is seeking to appoint three new qualified individuals to the Independent Scientific Advisory Board responsible for overseeing the “Residents Living Near Croplands, Pesticides, and Health” studies, which was established in 2017.

Application Procedures

The application package must include:

  • a cover letter providing professional and personal contact information, an email address, and a cell phone number2;

  • a resume;

  • a list of works/publications from the past 5 years;

  • a public declaration of interests to be completed on the DPI portal accessible via the following link: https://dpi-declaration.sante.gouv.fr/dpi-webapp/candidature/index

The application must be submitted by December 31, 2019, to the following address: cspesticidesriverains@santepubliquefrance.fr

Selection Criteria

Only complete applications will be considered.

Applications will be selected based on the information provided in the cover letter, the candidates’ alignment with the required skills, and an analysis of conflicts of interest.

Declarations of interest will be reviewed by Santé publique France’s Internal Ethics Committee.
Candidates will be notified of the outcome of their application via email from the secretariat of the Scientific Council responsible for monitoring the “Residents near Croplands, Pesticides, and Health” studies.

New members will be appointed by decision of the Director General of Santé publique France for the duration of the studies, at least until the end of 2021.

The following individuals are not eligible to apply:

  • individuals who have been inactive for more than five years, as this situation does not allow for the updating of their skills and knowledge in their field;

  • members of the Scientific Council, the Ethics and Professional Conduct Committee, and the Steering and Dialogue Committee of Santé publique France.

1 Santé publique France: https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/a-propos/sante-publique-france-qui-sommes-nous

2 Required for authentication on the single website for public declarations of interest (DPI)

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

Following a 2016 referral from the Ministry of Health regarding cancer risks among residents living near agricultural fields, Santé publique France launched two studies among these residents to determine their exposure to pesticides and the impact on their health:

  • a national study on the link between childhood cancers and proximity to farmland, in collaboration with the Inserm-EPICEA research team, which leads the Géocap program. This study draws on data from the National Registry of Childhood Cancers and an indicator of exposure to farmland developed by Santé publique France. This study is funded by ANSES3 as part of phytopharmacovigilance;

  • a multi-site exposure study among residents living near agricultural crops, combining biological and environmental measurements.

The results from these studies will help document information on pesticide exposure and cancer risks among residents living near agricultural crops. The results may also be used in the expert assessments conducted by ANSES as part of phytopharmacovigilance.

The independent scientific advisory board responsible for overseeing the “farmland residents, pesticides, and health” studies serves as the primary consultative body for all scientific questions raised by the proposed studies.

Its analyses and proposals focus specifically on:

  • the scientific direction of the three studies;

  • the methodology to be followed: protocol, development of exposure indicators, agricultural crops to be considered, study period, study population, choice of biomarkers and matrices, etc.;

  • the interpretation of results and future directions.

More specifically for the 2019–2020 period, the work presented to the Scientific Council focuses on:

  • the initial results of the spatiotemporal variations in childhood cancer incidence rates and the ecological association study between the extent of agricultural activities at the municipal level and the childhood cancer incidence rates observed in that municipality;

  • the protocol for the multi-site exposure study and its pilot study;

  • The development of a geographic indicator of crop proximity.

3 French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES): https://www.anses.fr/fr

The Scientific Council currently consists of about ten qualified national and international experts.

The members of the Scientific Council serve in their personal capacity and therefore cannot be replaced. Their participation is based on their personal expertise rather than institutional representation.

This Scientific Council includes, in particular, qualified individuals from working groups or expert committees led by ANSES as part of the phytopharmacovigilance system.

Through this call for applications, Santé publique France is seeking qualified candidates with expertise in the following areas:

General skills:

  • Knowledge of and interest in public health approaches;

  • Ability to work collaboratively and in a multidisciplinary setting;

  • Scientific interest in the study of exposures related to agricultural pesticide use;

  • Experience participating in working groups.

Specific skills:

  • Agronomy (agricultural practices, use of plant protection products);

  • Epidemiology and exposometrics (assessment of pesticide exposures and impacts);

  • Health geography (including geographic information systems).

Members of the Scientific Council are appointed for the duration of the studies, at least until the end of 2021.

The Scientific Council meets two to four times a year for one-day sessions.

The Chair of the Council is appointed from among its members by the Director General of Santé publique France.

Members sign a “Confidentiality Agreement and Commitment to Regularly Attend Meetings.”

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

The Director General of Santé publique France provides the Scientific Council responsible for monitoring studies on “residents near agricultural fields, pesticides, and health” with the resources necessary for its operation.

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

Compensation for loss of income in the case of self-employed individuals, as well as compensation for time spent attending meetings and for work performed, is provided in accordance with the schedule established by the Board of Directors of Santé publique France.