STFC Council member
Dr Jana Kolar is a member of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Council.
Jana is the Director of the National and University Library, Slovenia.
Jana has extensive knowledge of the research infrastructure landscape, gained both as a user and through leadership roles. She served as Executive Director of the Central European Research Infrastructure Consortium, a pan-European facility specialising in the characterisation of materials and biomaterials. Additionally, she played an important role in shaping European policy and strategy for research infrastructures as a member and Chair (2022 to 2023) of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures.
Jana has a broad range of expertise in research and innovation policy development and implementation and research management. She has previously served as the
Director-General of Science and Technology at a ministry in Slovenia, the Chairman of
the Boards of the Slovenian Technology Agency and Slovenian Research Agency, and a
member of the Governing Board of the European Institute of Innovation and
Technology.
She was also a member of the High-Level Group of Innovators for the European Innovation Council and the European Research Area Council Forum Austria, a high-level expert body advising the Austrian Federal Minister responsible for science and research. For this she was awarded a Golden Badge of Honour for services to the Republic of Austria.
She has authored and co-authored several expert reports contracted by the European Commission.
Trained as a chemist, she published over 50 peer-reviewed papers and a European patent. She has received the Zois Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievements from the government of Slovenia.
Last updated: 28 July 2025