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

美洲全球变化研究所（IAI）将为美洲建立一个创新的科学政策项目，其目标如下：(1)创建一个具有创新培训方法的科学外交中心，包括科学、技术、政策研究员（STeP）以及面对面和虚拟科学外交专业发展研讨会；(2)制定一个跨学科（TD）科学培训计划，以提高拉丁美洲和加勒比地区专业人员和机构开展TD科学的能力，为公共和私营部门的最终用户提供信息。尽管美洲的科学能力在过去二十年中一直在增加，但各国之间仍然存在重大差异。在这个项目中，IAI将侧重于有效解决大国和小国之间的能力差距。这些努力将使来自代表性不足的国家的早期职业科学家和实践者更多地融入区域网络，从而提供一个更多样化和更现实的全球变化挑战全景，并提高美洲应对全球变化和在全球变化下蓬勃发展的能力。IAI将通过培训和合作开发教学材料、综合和传播设计和实施适合本区域的TD方法的结果和最佳实践来确定TD方法。关于科学外交和气候变化科学的有针对性的培训材料将覆盖整个区域的科学家和非科学家的广泛受众，从而提高美洲产生科学信息的能力，这些信息对利益相关者共同解决全球变化问题有用。该项目还将支持对与TD研究相关的伦理原则进行更广泛的讨论。培训交流和STeP奖学金计划将培养下一代科学政策领袖，这些人有能力将科学信息有效地纳入公共和私营部门的决策过程。这些研究员还将与其他区域和全球研究员网络联系起来，增加他们的合作机会。TD培训的目标是增加历史上在科学领域代表性不足的人和国家的参与，从而形成一个更加公平和多样化的科学政策共同体。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.