Governance and accountability

Governance and accountability are essential to ISRIC’s credibility and impact. This section provides insight into our governance, strategy, transparency in reporting the impact of our activities, and policies that guide our strategy and operations. 

ISRIC’s Managing Board 

ISRIC’s Managing Board plays a crucial role in the success of ISRIC. As the organisation’s governing body, it oversees ISRIC’s strategy, operations, effectiveness, finances and accountability. The Managing Board meets at least 4 times a year. ISRIC’s Board members have diverse academic and technical expertise, and include:

• Prof. Dr. J. Wallinga, Professor, Soil Geography and Landscape group, Wageningen University (WU), The Netherlands (Chair)

• Dr. F. Senf, Director of Operations, Environmental Sciences Group, Wageningen University and Research (WUR), The Netherlands (member)

• Prof. Dr. R.N.J. Comans, Soil Chemistry, Wageningen University and Research (WUR), The Netherlands (member)

• Dr. Ir. J.E.M. Baartman, Associate Professor, Soil Physics and Land Management, Wageningen University and Research (WUR), The Netherlands (member)

• Prof. Dr. Ir. A. Veldkamp, Rector Magnificus, University of Twente, The Netherlands (member)

• C. Nab, Business Controller, Wageningen University and Research (WUR), The Netherlands (member)

ISRIC’s organisational structure

ISRIC is headed by a Director who reports to the Board and is responsible for providing strategic direction and developing and maintaining partnerships around the globe. The Director is supported by a Management Team responsible for daily operations, human resources and acquisition efforts.

Each of ISRIC’s focus areas is guided by a dedicated lead, ensuring effective implementation of the organisation’s strategy. A professional group of Project Leaders coordinate the execution of funded projects, supported by two expertise groups: one for digital soil mapping and another for spatial data infrastructures.

At ISRIC, we foster a horizontal leadership style that values collaboration and mutual respect, and shared responsibility. We work collaboratively to deliver high-quality soil information products, capacity development activities, research outputs, and services.

In 2024, ISRIC had a total of 36 staff members from 15 countries, and 16 affiliated colleagues, which included PhD candidates, volunteers and guest researchers. Learn more about our ISRIC people.

ISRIC works on basis of a clear and forward-looking strategic plan. This plan is essential for turning our scientific expertise into meaningful real-world impact. It acts as both a compass, guiding our direction, and a contract, holding us accountable to our mission. We regularly review and update our strategic direction to stay aligned with global needs and opportunities. This process involves valuable input from our Managing Board, senior leadership, and all ISRIC staff. Learn more about ISRIC’s Strategy.

ISRIC's Annual Reports provide highlights about our activities and our impact. They also summarise results of research conducted by ISRIC scientists in the framework of various international projects.

Reports are available for the following years:

• ISRIC Annual Report 2024

• ISRIC Annual Report 2022- 2023

• ISRIC Annual Report 2020-2021 

• ISRIC Annual Report 2018-2019   

• ISRIC Annual Report 2016-2017 

Code of conduct

At ISRIC, discrimination and harassment of any kind, including on the basis of ethnicity, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, family status, or national origin, have no place. We are committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive and safe environment where individuals from all backgrounds are treated with dignity and fairness. Unethical or inappropriate behaviour is not tolerated. We hold ourselves to high standards of integrity, accountability, and mutual respect in all aspects of our work.

Data and Software Policy

ISRIC is committed to openly sharing soil data, metadata, and derived products in line with our mission. Our Data and Software Policy ensures that this is done responsibly, respecting intellectual property rights, legal frameworks, and appropriate licensing terms, while ensuring proper citation and attribution. The policy sets out clear principles for data repository management, quality stewardship, access controls, versioning, and a process for handling complaints or takedown requests. Learn more about our Data and Software Policy here.

Data Privacy and Protection

ISRIC complies with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to ensure that any personal data collected through our website or collaborative projects is handled lawfully, transparently, and for clearly defined purposes. We only collect data that is strictly necessary, store it securely, and share it with third parties, only when essential and with proper consent. All users have the right to access, correct, or request the deletion of their personal data at any time. To safeguard this information, ISRIC adheres to the IT security standards of Wageningen University & Research. Learn about our data protection practices here.

ISRIC, legally registered as Stichting International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC), is an independent foundation under Dutch law. We are based on the Wageningen Campus. We have a cooperation agreement with Wageningen University & Research, formalising the foundation’s operational support.