Support for the NAS/NRC Committee on Geography and for U.S. Participation in International Geographical, Psychological, and History of Science Unions

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As both the foci and the character of scientific inquiries have become more global in nature, increasing attention is being given to developing frameworks through which scientists from different nations may work together to advance fundamental knowledge. A critical part of the scientific infrastructure fostering such collaborations is the International Council for Science (ICSU) and its 22 member scientific unions. This award provides support for U.S. participation in three of those unions. Five years of support are provided for U.S. participation in the International Geographical Union and for operations of the Committee on Geography at the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council, which serves as the U.S. National Committee for the IGU. One year of support is provided for U.S. participation in the International Union of Psychological Sciences (IUPsyS) and for operations of the U.S. National Committee for the IUPsyS, and one year of support is provided for U.S. participation in the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science (IUHPS). In addition to activities associated with these three international scientific unions, this award also provides core support for other activities of the Committee on Geography. The overall goals of this committee are to clarify and set priorities for geography research; to identify the role of geography in major policy issues; to support and assure the quality of geography content in education; and to encourage and facilitate the involvement of geographers in the IGU. In pursuit of the first three goals, the committee is engaged in a series of independently funded studies, including studies that examine data needs for place-based decision making; research priorities in geography at the U.S. Geological Survey, and the processes through which children develop spatial thinking.This award will facilitate activities designed to increase and enhance participation by U.S. scientists in international collaborative activities in the geographic and psychological scientists as well as by historians and philosophers of science. These collaborations will complement research and educational efforts in the U.S. and elsewhere and facilitate continued evolution of a global scientific community. The award also will assist the Committee on Geography in continuing its efforts to focus and generate geographic inquiry and education in ways that will better meet the needs of academics, practitioners, educators, and students as well as government decision makers and the public as a whole.