Building Capacity for Science-Informed Policy in the Americas through Regional Collaboration, Global Change Science Synthesis, Science Diplomacy, and Transdisciplinary Networks

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The Inter-American Institute (IAI) for Global Change Research will establish an innovative science-policy program for the Americas with the following aims: (1) To create a science diplomacy center with innovative training approaches, including Science, Technology, Policy Fellows (STeP) and in-person and virtual science diplomacy professional development seminars; (2) To develop a transdisciplinary (TD) science training program to enhance the capacity of professionals and institutions across Latin America and the Caribbean to conduct TD science that will inform end users from public and private sectors. Although scientific capacity in the Americas has been increasing in the last two decades, there are still significant discrepancies among countries. In this project, IAI will focus on effectively addressing the disparities in capacity between large and small nations. These efforts will allow for greater inclusion of early career scientists and practitioners from underrepresented countries into regional networks, thereby providing a more diverse and realistic panorama of global change challenges and improving the Americas’ ability to cope with and thrive under global change. The IAI will define TD approaches through training and collaborative development of instructional materials, synthesizing and disseminating results and best practices in the design and implementation of TD methodologies, tailored for the region. Targeted training materials on science diplomacy and TD science will reach a broad audience of scientists and non-scientists throughout the region, increasing the capacity of the Americas to generate scientific information that is useful for stakeholders to jointly address global change issues. This project will also support a broader conversation on the ethical principles associated with TD research. Training exchanges and the STeP Fellowship program will prepare the next generation of science-policy leaders, individuals who are well equipped to effectively integrate scientific information into decision making processes for the public and private sector. These fellows will also be connected to other regional and global fellow networks, increasing their collaboration opportunities. TD trainings will aim at increasing the inclusion of people and countries that have been historically underrepresented in the sciences, thereby fomenting a more equitable and diverse science-policy community.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.