In an era of growing geopolitical competition, the role of science as a global public good has never been more important or more vulnerable.  Read the ISC's statement here: https://council.science/statements/science-geopolitical-competition/

2025 was a year that tested science's place in the world. International Science Council's CEO, Salvatore Aricò, reflects on the year's achievements and the responsibilities of science in a changing world.

Our 2025 Annual Report is out. In a year marked by geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological change, and growing pressures on science systems, we worked with our Members and partners to keep science open, trusted, and responsive: https://council.science/publications/annual-report-2025/

As the global voice for science, the ISC was happy to partake in discussions at the S7 meeting this week, hosted by our member Académie des sciences in Paris. Read the declarations here: https://www.academie-sciences.fr/en/s7-science-academies-g7-countries-meet-paris-speak-out-science

At the United Nations STI Forum, the ISC's Pacific delegation called for international mechanisms that can identify, validate, and adequately resource locally led adaptation solutions already demonstrating resilience against sea-level rise across Pacific communities.

➡️ The International Science Council is bringing together the global scientific community to articulate this position to put science forward at the highest level of decision-making:  https://council.science/news/call-for-input-science-priorities-for-the-next-un-secretary-general/

Please consider joining the @nisoinfo.bsky.social Working Group on Trust Markers for Increasing Credibility and Trust in Research! It's integrated to our work with @sciencecouncil.bsky.social, @asapbio.bsky.social and @cwts.nl on research assessment and publishing reform www.niso.org/press-releas...

Our colleague Rocio Gaudioso Pedraza wrote for @sciencecouncil.bsky.social's Open Science Round-Up on what research reform actually needs to succeed. As she puts it: #metadata is not an afterthought. It's the ground we build on. Check it out: council.science/blog/open-sc...

🌊 In the Pacific, rising seas are already threatening water, food and livelihoods, yet the knowledge and solutions Pacific communities have developed are not reaching decision-makers. At the UN #STIForum, we are bringing Pacific voices into the spaces where global decisions are made.

#IndigenousKnowledge: Join our webinar that explores Pacific Indigenous scholars' approaches in forest conservation, vernacular education, and the role of water in protecting land. 🔗Register: https://council.science/events/indigenous-knowledge-transdisciplinary-asia-pacific/

This week, the president of the French Academy of Sciences, Professor Françoise Combes, received ISC president Sir Peter Gluckman in a meeting which provided an opportunity to highlight the longstanding and strong ties between the ISC and France. @academiesciences.bsky.social

The European Commission’s expanded partnership with the International Science Council marks a significant step toward strengthening global research and innovation collaboration.  https://council.science/news/multilateral-dialogue-launch/ #DialogueForScience

We often call science a universal language. But when data infrastructure is fragmented, how can science speak to itself, let alone to the world? Read HIlary Hanahoe's speech here: council.science/blog/knowled... @researchdataall.bsky.social @agu.org

A new article published today explores why women remain underrepresented in scientific organizations. It draws on our 2026 report on gender equality in scientific organizations:

The ISC is closely following the UN Secretary-General candidates elections and have submitted questions to be posed to the candidates regarding the role of science in the future of multilateralism, during live interactive dialogues this week. 🎥 Watch live on UN Web TV: https://webtv.un.org/en

As conflict escalates in the region, the Swedish-Iranian disaster medicine scholar, Dr Ahmadreza Djalali, remains wrongfully imprisoned and sentenced to death. https://council.science/news/ahmadreza-djalalis-detention/ #CFRS

🚨 Deadline extended to 31 May 2026 📅 🖊️ Submit your proposal for @IUPAC.org Top 10 Emerging Technologies in Chemistry 2026 🧪 🌍 Open to everyone, help #IUPAC spotlight the next chemistry breakthroughs shaping our future. 🔗 iupac.org/the-top-ten-... #Chemistry #IUPAC #EmergingTechnology #innovation

In recognition of their outstanding contributions to global scientific cooperation and international science diplomacy, ISC President Peter Gluckman was awarded the Dimitrie Cantemir Medal and ISC CEO Salvatore Aricò received the Nicolae Milescu Spătarul Medal by the Academy of Sciences of Moldova.

In this blog, Vanessa McBride reflects on NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed journey beyond low Earth orbit since 1972, and what it reveals about our own planet. https://council.science/blog/moon-teach-us-earth/

Is it time for an international panel on inequality? A recent G20 report calls for a global expert panel on inequality based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/04/what-could-a-dedicated-international-panel-to-tackle-inequality-achieve/

Our latest gender report spotlights the Women in Physics Working Group of IUPAP, whose global efforts: from data collection to the International Conference on Women in Physics, are helping shift representation and leadership. https://council.science/blog/women-in-physics-international-unions/

In his new role as the Director of the ISC Regional Focal Point for Latin America and the Caribbean, Carlos Alberto Vargas Jiménez calls for a shift in Latin American science. Read here: https://council.science/news/latin-america-science-own-voice/

#CallForNominations for the ISC Fellowship 2026 intake are now open. Deadline 22 May 2026. https://council.science/news/isc-fellowship-call-2026/ The ISC Fellowship recognises eminent scientists and thought leaders who have made outstanding contributions to science as a global public good.

Progress in publishing reform and progress in research assessment reform depend on each other, and treating them separately slows both down. https://council.science/blog/publishing-research-reform/

#Consultancy: The ISC is looking for a Media Consultant who will support the development of a media toolkit based on the Hazard Information Profiles (HIPs). Deadline 20 April. https://council.science/news/consultancy-hazards/

Women make up nearly 5% of early-career polar researchers, but representation drops at senior levels. SCAR is addressing this through providing caregiving-related career breaks, helping support non-linear careers. https://council.science/blog/consideration-for-caregiving-responsibilities-scar/

Africa holds the minerals powering the energy transition, but mineral capacity alone won’t define its future. Science will. The real question isn’t what lies beneath the ground: it’s who understands it, maps it, and governs it. https://council.science/blog/science-will-shape-africas-energy-future/

Global innovation is growing, but its benefits remain deeply unequal. In our new blog, Walter Gaspar explores how #intellectualproperty shapes #innovation, access to knowledge, and inequality, especially across the Global South. https://council.science/blog/global-south-intellectual-property/

In their meeting, ISC President-elect Robbert Dijkgraaf and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres agreed that trusted knowledge must have a central place in international governance.

The Academic Freedom Index 2026 is out, and the findings demand attention. Developed by V-Dem and FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, the index shows concerning declines across multiple regions. https://academic-freedom-index.net/

Can we trust science if we don’t know who funds it? This question was at the heart of our recent webinar on research #funding transparency. Watch the recording: https://council.science/events/research-funding-transparency/ #CFRS

#Vacancy: We are looking for a strategic and results-driven Head of Fundraising and Development. Application deadline extended to 29 March 2026. https://council.science/news/head-of-fundraising-and-development/

In our latest blog, Dr Chinwe Chukwudi explores how outdated and centralized policies are slowing the uptake of transformative technologies to tackle neglected tropical diseases like sleeping sickness. Read more: https://council.science/blog/health-innovations-fail-global-south/

A win for #OpenScience: The Royal Society’s eight subscription journals will be published as fully open access in 2026 through the Subscribe to Open (S2O) model, backed by library support. https://council.science/blog/open-science-round-up-making-preprints-count/

#WomenInScience: How did the Hungarian Academy of Sciences double its proportion of women members in a decade? Read more here: https://council.science/blog/women-advancement-targeted-grants/

In our latest blog, Luisa F. Echeverría-King explores why sustainable funding for #science, #technology and #innovation is critical for Latin America and the Caribbean. https://council.science/blog/funding-the-future-of-science-in-latin-america/

#ExpressionOfInterest: We invite qualified institutes around the world to submit an Expression of Interest to become IRDR International Centres of Excellence (IRDR ICoEs). Deadline 17 April 2026. 🔗 https://www.irdrinternational.org/news/877#ExpressionOfInterest

#InternationalWomensDay In 2026 women are still not able to fully participate in science practice and remain underrepresented. ➡️ Evidence and recommendations for action: https://council.science/publications/towards-gender-equality-in-scientific-organizations/

#RaisinaDialogue: This week, meet us at the Raisina Dialogue, where we are focusing on strengthening global capacity for #ScienceDiplomacy. 🔗 https://council.science/events/isc-at-raisina-dialogue-2026/

👩‍🔬 A comprehensive gender audit can provide the evidence needed to drive institutional reform. At the Slovak Academy of Sciences, it formed the basis of a formal Gender Equality Plan. Read the full case study: https://council.science/blog/from-gender-audit-to-institutional-reform/

#CallForNominations: 2026 Stein Rokkan Prize. Deadline: 1 May 2026 🔗https://ecpr.eu/prizes/stein-rokkan#CallForNominations The #SteinRokkanPrize for Comparative Social Science Research recognizes an outstanding published monograph that makes a significant contribution to the field.

#Podcast: What can science do and not do in policy? On The Science Diplomat podcast, our president Peter Gluckman unpacks the boundaries between evidence and political decision-making. 🎧 https://council.science/podcasts/podcast-peter-gluckman-science-advice/

#CallForExpertInput: AI use in research is growing fast. Transparency is key to maintaining integrity. Help shape a new Global Reporting Standard on AI Disclosure in Research. Submit your input by Feb 28! 🔗 https://council.science/our-work/ai-disclosure-in-research/

👩‍🔬 From 3.3% in 2000 to nearly 39% women members in 2025. The Science Council of Japan shows how reforms to nomination processes can significantly shift representation of women in scientific organizations. 🔗 https://council.science/blog/gender-equality-at-the-science-council-of-japan/

🏆 Warm congratulations to @valentimvicente on receiving the Stein Rokkan Prize for Comparative Social Science Research for his book "The Normalization of the Radical Right: A Norms Theory of Political Supply and Demand". https://council.science/news/vicente-valentim-wins-2025-stein-rokkan-prize/

#Webinar: The International Science Council (ISC)’s Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in Science (CFRS) is hosting a webinar on Research Funding Transparency. 📆 18 March 2026 🕗 13:30 UTC 🔗 Register here: https://council.science/events/research-funding-transparency/

#AI is rapidly reshaping how science is conducted, governed, and funded, often at a pace that outstrips the ability of national research systems to adapt. Read the latest edition with 26 country case studies: https://council.science/publications/ai-science-systems/

#Vacancy: We are looking for a strategic and results-driven Head of Fundraising and Development to lead our income generation efforts and secure the future of the global voice for science. Deadline: 15 March 2026 Apply: https://council.science/news/head-of-fundraising-and-development/

💡 Women represent about 1/3 of researchers, yet they remain underrepresented in scientific organizations. On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we launch a new report examining this gap: https://council.science/publications/towards-gender-equality-in-scientific-organizations/.

New Member spotlight: UK Young Academy (UKYA). At the ISC, supporting early- and mid-career researchers and the young academies that represent them is central to a strong, inclusive global science system. https://council.science/blog/uk-young-academy/