In September 2023, the UN Secretary-General appointed a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), tasked with providing advice on emerging issues in science and technology to the UN Secretary-General and senior leadership. The Board is composed of seven independent scientists, six UN chief scientists, and supported by several large networks and scientific institutions. As part of the SAB’s global network of scientific institutions, the International Science Council (ISC) contributes to the Board’s work by offering advice and access to global multi-disciplinary scientific expertise.
The ISC has previously provided input to the SAB through both formal and informal channels. It has shared key ISC publications and facilitated horizon scanning exercises to help identify emerging future trends. Additionally, the ISC has supported collaboration between the SAB and the UN Group of Friends on Science for Action, including around the Summit of the Future in 2024.
The ISC is calling for resources to inform our work on contributing scientific insights and policy advice relevant to the five key priority areas of work of the Scientific Advisory Board, including deep-sea environment, solar radiation modification, biological research on aging, decarbonization, and artificial intelligence verification. By gathering and reviewing these resources, the ISC seeks to gain a comprehensive understanding of the scientific landscape, identify synergies, and discover opportunities for collaboration within its network.
The International Science Council will be curating scientific content in the five areas highlighted above. The ISC therefore invites its Members and partners to submit relevant scientific resources to support its work on the five areas of focus described in this call. This includes contributions of scientific articles, research reports, policy briefs, case studies, project assessments, and any other resources that align with the five topics: deep-sea mining, solar radiation modification, biological research on aging, decarbonization, and artificial intelligence verification.
By gathering and reviewing these resources, the ISC seeks to gain a comprehensive understanding of the scientific landscape, identify synergies, and discover opportunities for collaboration within its network.
Members, partners and beyond can submit their resources via the ISC’s resources submission form below by 5 December 2024.
Submission of resources form [Click here]
The International Science Council (ISC) is seeking nominations of experts to contribute scientific insights and policy advice for the United Nations Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). This collaboration aims to support the UN with impartial, evidence-based guidance on emerging scientific and technological issues, with an emphasis on complex global concerns where technology, ethics, governance, and sustainability intersect. Selected experts may contribute to roundtable discussions and science briefs addressing high-stakes areas, helping to inform the United Nations Secretary-General and other UN Officials on potential responses to pressing global challenges.
Recently, the Secretary-General and the Scientific Advisory Board agreed on five key areas of focus: deep-sea mining, solar radiation modification, biological research on aging, decarbonization, and artificial intelligence verification. From November 2024 to March 2025, the SAB will be organizing expert roundtables and producing science briefs for each theme with the goal of offering experts an opportunity to describe the latest scientific, technological, and environmental issues on each of the five areas of focus.
Additionally, the ISC is also seeking the submission of resources (reports, briefs, etc.) from members, partners, and the broader scientific community on the five areas of focus in this call to inform the ISC’s work on these topics – please see the end of this document for more information. Such resources may also be featured by the SAB on its website, recognized as elements for ‘further reading’ alongside the results of the SAB expert roundtable discussions and science briefs.
Selected experts will be expected to contribute to the SAB’s roundtables and science briefs by addressing the following key overarching and guiding questions for each of the five areas of focus:
Comprehensive information pertaining to each area of focus can be reviewed by accessing the PDF provided below:
Download the call for nominations (pdf)
The ISC seeks experts who can provide authoritative, evidence-based insights in one or more of the designated fields. We welcome nominees with the following qualifications:
The ISC encourages nominations of experts representing diverse age groups, genders, geographic regions, and disciplinary backgrounds. Regional representation, particularly from developing countries, is an essential aspect of the ISC’s commitment to ensuring all scientific perspectives are heard.
We strongly encourage ISC Member organizations to nominate experts who meet these criteria. Self-nominations are also welcome, especially from individuals with relevant expertise who may not have direct connections with an ISC Member organization. All nominees are encouraged to submit a CV as well as a nomination letter (for ISC Member nominations) or a cover letter (for self-nominations) via the ISC’s online submission form.
The call for nominations is closed.
For further information on this call for nominations, please contact James Waddell at [email protected]
Photo by Jim Beaudoin on Unsplash