Be part of the game-changing collective action that shapes the future of science and humanity.
We are at a critical turning point. The slow progress on sustainability challenges reminds us of the urgency to think big and act boldly. The global science community is ready to meet this moment but cannot do it alone. We need forward-thinking funders and partners willing to embrace innovation, and power this ambitious mission-driven approach.
The Global Commission on Science Missions for Sustainability‘s novel report, unveiled at the 2023 UN High-Level Political Forum, “Flipping the Science Model: A Roadmap to Science Missions for Sustainability,” outlines this visionary model. It seeks to elevate the collaboration between science, policy, and society to new heights, tailored for our unprecedented era. The goal is to render knowledge fully actionable, integrated, and engaged, aiming for solutions that match the scale of humanity’s most critical challenges.
“The scientific missions initiated by the ISC aim to identify and swiftly implement collective actions to maximize the benefits of science within this timeframe, responding to the pressing urgency of the situation”.
Following a call that attracted over 250 global submissions, we proudly present a shortlist of multi-stakeholder consortia, each ready to pilot this transformative model. These Missions will integrate diverse expertise, skills, and resources to co-design solutions, learning as they go and adapting in real time.
The Science Missions for Sustainability project is an officially endorsed Programme under the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development.
Join a visionary community advancing actionable knowledge and solutions.
We invite diverse partners – national agencies, foundations, philanthropies, development banks, and more – to join us in pioneering a transdisciplinary and engaged science model. Together, we can create a proof of concept that demonstrates how science, shaped by collaboration and inclusivity, can address today’s most pressing sustainability challenges with actionable knowledge and solutions.
History: the Global Forum of Funders
Acknowledging the pressing need to leverage science for sustainable development, the ISC and partners initiated the Global Forum of Funders – a collaborative platform bringing together leaders from national research funding agencies, international development aid agencies, private foundations, and scientific institutions.
Recognizing the imperative to fully leverage science for sustainable development, the International Science Council launched the Global Forum of Funders (GFF) initiative in 2019. Collaborating with esteemed organizations such as the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and others, the ISC established the GFF as an inclusive platform. Comprising leaders from national research funding agencies, development aid agencies, private foundations, and scientific institutions, the GFF is dedicated to amplifying collective efforts within global funding and science systems to enhance the impact of science on SDG implementation.
The inaugural Forum convened in 2019, hosted by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C. Eighty leaders representing various sectors launched the Decade of Global Sustainability Science Action. Throughout the Decade, science funders and the research community aim to adopt a holistic approach to addressing global challenges, emphasizing transdisciplinary knowledge creation, promoting mission-driven research, and supporting essential enabling activities such as capacity development and knowledge brokerage.
Furthermore, science funders entrusted the International Science Council with crafting a priority action agenda for science to facilitate societal transformations toward sustainability. Following a global call and extensive literature review, the ISC developed two key reports: “Unleashing Science: Delivering Missions for Sustainability” and “A Synthesis of Research Gaps for Science to Enable Societies to Accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” published in 2021.
The Unleashing Science report called for a concerted effort to produce actionable knowledge through a set of science missions for sustainability, leveraging purpose-driven science alongside the engagement of policymakers, civil society, and the private sector. Presented at the second session of the GFF in April 2021, the report garnered substantial attention, leading to the ISC being tasked with spearheading a consultative process to identify institutional arrangements and funding mechanisms for implementing these missions.
This initiative led to the formation of the Global Commission on Science Missions for Sustainability, which, with support from the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), developed a model for implementing Science Missions for Sustainability. This model is outlined in the Flipping the Science Model: A Roadmap to Science Missions for Sustainability report.
To pilot the Science Missions for Sustainability model, the International Science Council has initiated a global call. The Council invites visionary funders to champion the development and execution of Science Missions for Sustainability worldwide. These missions are designed to deploy global transdisciplinary science at the necessary pace and scale to address our most pressing sustainability challenges.
For those interested in joining the coalition of visionary funders and partners, please contact Katsia Paulavets at [email protected].
The initiative is led by the International Science Council in partnership with the Swedish Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), National Science Foundation (USA), National Research Foundation (South Africa), International Development Research Centre (Canada), UK Research and Innovation, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (Austria), Future Earth, Belmont Forum and Volkswagen Stiftung.
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