Rapid technological progress – driven by things like smartphone usage, internet connectivity, and artificial intelligence – is the story of our times.
The ISC is keen to support Members with an extensive footprint in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to harness digital technologies and new ways of working towards their mission. More details, including how to apply, can be found below.
The digital age brings immense opportunities for science organizations to enhance their operations, expand their reach and increase their impact. Your organization might already be using digital technologies and new ways of working towards its mission.
Take, for example, the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD). To further their mission to support and promote women in science in low income countries, they created profiles of their 9,000+ members, and are developing an algorithm to keep those profiles up to date with members’ latest publications and activities.
Or take another ISC Member, the Nigerian Academy of Science. In response to COVID-19, the academy introduced digital voting mechanisms for the election of fellows, online platforms for grant applications, and shifted public lectures to online platforms.
There are multiple examples of how ISC Member organizations have responded to the challenges and opportunities of the digital age. To highlight this, the ISC released a report showcasing some of these inspiring case studies.
These engaging case studies show that there is strong potential for ISC Members to harness digital technologies and ways of working to further their objectives. Some of these objectives might be to:
However, science organizations are facing technological change at an ever-increasing pace, including the emergence of disruptive technology like artificial intelligence, and often need support as they deliver new, sometimes unfamiliar projects.
The ISC is setting up a small cohort of ISC Members who want to receive technical advice and training along their own digital journey, and for them join an active community of other changemakers.
The ISC is looking for Members in good standing with an extensive footprint in LMICs, and with an ambition to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the digital age within their organization.
Whether your Member organization is just starting out or your digital journey is well underway, your Member organization is equally eligible to apply. There is no need to have an existing digital project or plan to get involved.
The ISC is also looking to work with a diverse set of organizations, testing a wide variety of digital projects, and are open to all ideas in this space, whether that’s using digital tools or new ways of working to engage and connect, generate new value, or improve organizational systems and processes.
The ISC has ten places available for Members to join this four-month cohort. Your Member organization will receive tailored, expert support and the chance to meet and learn from peers, culminating in a tailored action plan.
Apply through the simple online application form below.
Still not sure, or have some questions? Join the dedicated online Q&A sessions on Thursday 14th November, at 8:00 and 16:00 UTC.
The deadline for submitting an application form is Saturday 30th November.