The meeting brought together funders from government, philanthropy, and industry to explore new mechanisms for financing actionable science. It also marked a reconvening of the Global Forum of Funders, first launched by the ISC and partners in 2019 with the goal of designing a global framework for mission-oriented science to support the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Since the Global Forum of Funders first convened in 2019, the need for mission-oriented sustainability science has only grown. While scientific advancements continue at an unprecedented pace, progress on global challenges remains slow. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the power of open science and global collaboration, particularly in the rapid development of vaccines. However, despite these successes, collective progress on the SDGs- measured by numerous indicators and metrics – continues to lag.
At the same time, global inequalities are deepening, both within and between countries, driven by climate pressures, conflicts, and extreme events. These challenges reinforce the need for targeted, transdisciplinary research efforts that can translate knowledge into concrete solutions.
Meanwhile, the geopolitical landscape has shifted, adding new pressures to science funding. National research budgets, still recovering from the economic impacts of COVID-19, are under increasing strain, particularly as defence expenditures rise. While international science funding has always faced constraints, a more nationalist political climate threatens to further limit global scientific collaboration.
Since the 2019 convening of the Global Forum of Funders, the ISC has developed a roadmap for transdisciplinary mission science for sustainability, outlined in five reports. In 2023, this roadmap was put into action with a call for transdisciplinary science aligned with its findings. As ISC President-elect Robbert Dijkgraaf noted, the ISC and the broader community “applied the scientific method”, committing to testing the transdisciplinary mission approach and iteratively refining the model.
At the same time, science funders were engaged—either to support missions aligned with their thematic priorities or to explore pooled funding mechanisms. In early 2025, the Science Missions for Sustainability were formally endorsed as a programme of the UN International Decade of Sciences for Sustainability (IDSSD), and the first pilot science missions were announced.
The meeting highlighted several key barriers to funding this type of research:
A key takeaway from the discussions is that advancing actionable science requires a whole-of-society approach, as outlined in ISC reports. This also applies to funding models, which must evolve to effectively support these initiatives. Development funders are critical partners in this process, as their focus extends beyond knowledge generation to real-world implementation.
While the scientific community produces an ever-increasing volume of knowledge each year – if publications serve as a proxy- only a small fraction of this research leads to transformative change. To maximize impact, the structures governing scientific research must also evolve. However, current norms around career advancement and research incentives continue to pose significant barriers to transdisciplinary collaboration.
Shifting the way science is conducted, funded, and rewarded will not happen overnight. Systemic change requires creating a movement. The IDSSD is expected to play a key role in amplifying this movement, while the science missions will serve as a proof of concept, helping to mainstream this approach in the future.
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