U.S. Engagement and Leadership in the International Science Council

Abstract: U.S. Engagement and Leadership in the International Science Council The International Science Council (ISC) is the world’s leading international organization dedicated to advancing science, coordinating scientific priorities across borders, setting global standards, and informing science-based policymaking. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS), a founding member and the official U.S. adhering body to the ISC, represents U.S. science on this influential global platform. In an increasingly competitive and geopolitically complex landscape, this initiative reimagines U.S. global science leadership. It aims to ensure that NSF-supported researchers not only engage internationally but help shape the global science agenda. Through ISC, U.S. researchers will gain access to coordinated multinational initiatives, infrastructure, and scientific communities focused on advancing frontier research in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum science, biotechnology, and translational research—fields critical to national priorities. The initiative also contributes to NSF’s mission by fostering a globally engaged, internationally competitive scientific workforce. It provides a foundational platform that U.S. institutions can leverage to build long-term scientific collaborations, promote innovation, and support U.S. economic growth and national security. Moreover, engagement with like-minded organizations within the ISC is critical to ensuring that core values—such as scientific integrity, openness, transparency, and the use of evidence in policy—are upheld and reflected in ISC’s priorities and operations. The award will strive to achieve the following four goals: Goal 1: Strengthen U.S. leadership and representation to ensure that U.S. science priorities are well represented in ISC decision-making bodies and initiatives. Goal 2: Expand engagement of the U.S. scientific community in ISC activities by creating opportunities for researchers across career stages and institutions to participate in and benefit from internationally developed and funded programs. Goal 3: Align NSF-supported research with international science agendas by connecting U.S. research priorities with global initiatives, enabling researchers to contribute to and benefit from coordinated, multinational efforts. Goal 4: Promote U.S. leadership in collaboration with like-minded countries in the trajectory and operations of the ISC. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.