Gender: Man
Nationality: South African
Academy Affiliation: Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)
Academy Country: South Africa
Field: Food security, childhood deprivation and malnutrition

NOMINATED FOR: Co-Chair Low- and Middle-Income Country (LMIC); Policy Advice Committee;
TERM: Candidate has previously served on an IAP leadership position

DESCRIPTION OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE ACADEMY'S ACTIVITIES OR IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS:
Prof May has extensive experience in linking research to policy development having led South Africa’s Poverty & Inequality Report that was prepared for the then President of the country, Thabo Mbeki in 1996. He subsequently led or participated in the preparation of sub-national development strategies, as well as in the development of poverty reduction strategies in sub-Saharan Africa working with the World Bank and the UNDP.   He currently serves on the South African government’s third National Planning Commission to provide his ideas, insight and expertise to advance the country’s growth and development (a five-year tenure). He serves on the Council of the Academy of Science for South Africa (ASSAf) as Treasurer and chairs the ASSAf’s Audit & Risk Committee. He previously chaired the ASSAf Standing Committee on Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality. Since 2019 he served on the IAP Policy Advice Committee.  He has also served on numerous advisory committees and expert panels, including the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network board convened by the Overseas Development Institute, the Advisory Group for the Strengthening Information Society Research Capacity Alliance, a capacity building program led by the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and the Technical Advisory Group of the International Comparison Program, a worldwide statistical partnership to collect comparative price data and compile expenditure values of countries’ gross domestic products.

EVIDENCE OF PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES IN AN IAP, NATIONAL ACADEMY OR OTHER SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATION'S GOVERNING BODY:
He serves on the Council of the Academy of Science for South Africa (ASSAf) in the capacity of Treasurer and chairs the Academy's Audit & Risk Committee. He chaired the ASSAf Standing Committee on Science for the Reduction of Poverty and Inequality. Since 2019 he served on the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) Policy Advice Committee.  He is the UNESCO Chair in Science and Education for Sustainable African Food Systems.