The Institute is an initiative led by Wageningen University, Resilience Alliance, the University of the Republic (Udelar), the Municipality of Maldonado and the Ministry of Education and Culture. These institutions make up the group of founding members.

The governance structure and direction of SARAS Institute consist of three bodies: Advisory Board, Administration Board (part of the SARAS Foundation, the Institute’s administrative support), and Executive Team.

The Director is appointed for renewable periods of five years. His/her responsibilities are the Institute’s management, orientation, mission and strategic direction, the design of academic programmes and linkages with the global and South American scientific community. The Director is assisted by one or more Programme Directors, who are responsible for the management of partnerships and projects and exert continuous conduction in the Director’s absence. The Director also has an executive support team responsible for the administration of economic resources, the daily operation of the Institute and its staff.

The Advisory Board is chaired by the Director. Its members are appointed by the founding partners. The Advisory Board advises and supports the Director on scientific projects, strategy, fundraising and operational issues, as necessary.
It is responsible for preparing and submitting to the Board of Directors a list of candidates whenever there is a vacancy or when a new director is to be selected. The Advisory Board meets on an annual basis and may be called for additional meetings. The Advisory Board is elected for renewable periods of three years.

The Board of Directors exercises the formal and legal management of the Institute under the legal format of a Foundation called “Fundación Regional Institute for Research and Education in Sustainability and Resilience Sciences (SARAS)”. This is made up of seven members appointed as follows: two by the Advisory Council; two by the University of the Republic –one of which must be proposed by the Eastern Regional University Center (CURE)–; one by the Municipality of Maldonado, one by the Investigators Associated with SARAS; and one by the Ministry of the Environment of Uruguay. The operation and basic responsibilities of the Board of Directors are governed by Uruguayan law.