The International Science Council (ISC), in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and partners, is implementing a pilot project to develop a Media Toolkit based on the Hazard Information Profiles (HIPs). HIPs provide scientifically grounded, standardized definitions of hazards and are widely used by technical agencies. However, there is a recognized need to translate this knowledge into accessible, media-oriented formats.
The consultancy is designed for a junior to mid-level professional with experience in journalism, media relations, or science communication. Direct experience with disaster risk reporting is a big advantage.
The International Science Council Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific (ISC RFP-AP) is pleased to announce the launch of the third round of the Asia-Pacific Academic Mentoring Program, launching in September 2026. Following two successful rounds in 2024 and 2025, the program continues to connect early-career researchers (ECRs) from across Asia and the Pacific with senior scientists and academic leaders based in Australia. Designed to support the next generation of scientific leaders in the region, this year-long program offers practical workshops, monthly one-on-one mentoring sessions, a launch event in Canberra, and participation in Science at the Shine Dome, Australia’s premier science event.
Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), negotiations on research and systematic observation are considered under the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA). Since 2005, scientists and policymakers have identified important gaps in climate research in their deliberations under the SBSTA. The UNFCCC has called for input from ISC Members and the wider scientific community to highlight progress made in filling these gaps.
How is AI changing your scientific field? Researchers from all disciplines are invited to submit essays. The best submissions will be published and awarded a total of €16,000. Whether in molecular biology, climate research, literary studies, or archaeology—virtually every field of science is affected by the rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI). Models that were still considered experimental just a few years ago have now become indispensable tools.
The OeAW invites researchers from all disciplines to share their perspectives: What does AI mean for the methodology, creativity, and theoretical foundations of your field? What opportunities does it present, and what are its limitations? The competition is open to individuals and groups; submissions may be written in either German or English. Essays with references, subject to a limit of 10,000–15,000 characters (including spaces) may be submitted until 30 April 2026. An interdisciplinary jury will select the best entries, awarding €8,000 for first place, €6,000 for second place, and €2,000 for third place. With this prize question, the OeAW continues a more than 250-year-old tradition in which academies have sought answers to the pressing challenges of their time.
AI is a critical lever to unlock scientific breakthroughs and understand the fundamental mechanisms of human health and climate systems. Building on the success of the inaugural AI for Science fund, Google.org is launching a supercharged initiative at the intersection of artificial intelligence and scientific discovery. By empowering researchers with catalytic funding and technical expertise, we aim to accelerate our understanding of key scientific questions—achieving Nobel-level breakthroughs and enabling science at digital speed.
The Google.org Impact Challenge: AI for Science is a $30M global open-call designed to empower researchers and organizations with the funding, tools, and technical expertise they need to accelerate scientific breakthroughs. Beyond funding, organizations may participate in a Google.org Accelerator and receive six months of dedicated pro bono technical support from Google experts and access to Google Cloud credits to help bring these projects to life.
The VinFuture Prize was established to honor scientific research and breakthrough technological innovations that can make a significant difference in the daily lives of millions of people. The awards honor outstanding inventors and researchers from universities, academies, research labs around the globe, as well as inventors in a professional research environment. The VinFuture Prizes consists of: A Grand Prize of US$ 3 million, awarded annually for breakthrough research and technological innovations that positively improve the quality of human life, and create a more equitable and sustainable world for future generations. The Grand Prize would be open to all, regardless of the candidate’s nationality, age, gender, social status, or economic background. And three additional Special Prizes of US$ 500,000 each with a focus on promoting diversity, equity, and new fields of study will also be awarded annually to: Innovator(s) from Developing Country(ies); Women Innovator(s); Innovator(s) with Outstanding Achievements in Emerging Fields.
Nominations are now open for the Al-Sumait Prize for African Development 2026. The prize aims to recognize and appreciate the best studies, scientific projects, applied research, and initiatives with high impact for the advancement of economic, social, human resources, and infrastructure development in the African continent. The Al-Sumait Prize for African Development is an annual award initiated by the Late Amir of the State of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, after a Kuwaiti physician, the late Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sumait, who dedicated his life towards helping the disadvantaged in Africa in many fields including health, food security, and education. The subject for the 2026 prize cycle is Education.
With the support of the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), UNESCO-TWAS is launching a new programme to strengthen the research capacity of selected countries in the MENA region. The programme is aimed at young scientists from a number of selected Middle Eastern and North African countries (see “Eligibility criteria” below), as well as for diaspora from these countries. It focuses on capacity building in science and education in the target countries, with particular emphasis on research and academic training, as well as interdisciplinary collaborations with German laboratories. Grants are awarded to promising and competitive research projects in key areas relevant to the ‘High-Tech Agenda Germany (HTAD)’: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum Technologies, Microelectronics, Biotechnology, Fusion and Climate-Neutral Energy Transition, Technology for Climate-Neutral Mobility, Aerospace, Health Research, Marine, Climate and Sustainability Research, Humanities and Social Sciences.
The TWAS-DFG Cooperation Visits Programme provides postdoctoral researchers living and working in the MENA region with the opportunity to make a three-month ‘Cooperation Visit’ to a research institute in Germany. Such visits must be undertaken within 12 months of the award.
The aim of the visit is to initiate research collaboration between the scientists from the MENA region and the German scientists with the ultimate goal of developing longer-term links, perhaps through other Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, or German Research Foundation) programmes. DFG will cover travel expenses and provide subsistence costs for the stay in Germany. The administration and financial operation of TWAS is undertaken by UNESCO in accordance with an agreement signed by the two organizations.
DFG Invites Highly Qualified Researchers in Early Career Phases in the Field of AI Methods to Submit Proposals under the Emmy Noether Programme – The objective of this call is to attract the next generation of highly qualified researchers in AI method development by offering early-career opportunities involving a high degree of independence. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to establish and lead an Emmy Noether Group for a period of up to six years, enabling them to refine their research profile, enhance their international visibility and become eligible for a professorship.
The LAC Connections Symposium 2026 will be held in partnership with the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, InterAmerican Network of Academies of Sciences, and FAPESP on August 25-27, 2026, in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Connections to Sustain Science in Latin America programme brings together outstanding early/mid-career scientists, engineers, and medical professionals (within 15 years of PhD graduation) from across the Americas—including North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean—to explore exciting advances and opportunities in their fields.
Future Earth announced the opening of applications for its 2026 Early-Career Fellowship (ECF), a global initiative supporting emerging researchers working on interdisciplinary solutions to sustainable development challenges. The programme promotes innovation, collaboration, and knowledge sharing in alignment with global sustainability goals.
The ISC is seeking contributions to the position paper for the 2026 UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The call seeks practical examples showing how science and engineering have helped deliver sustainable development in the real world, from shaping policy and investment decisions to enabling implementation, partnerships, governance and financing. Selected contributions will help shape the group’s official input to the UN forum in July 2026 and may be featured in the final position paper with full acknowledgment of contributors.
The AASSA Prof. Yoo Hang Kim Young Women Scientists Award supports early-career women researchers from AASSA member academies in low- and middle-income countries to present original research at an AASSA-recognized international conference. Eligible nominations must be submitted by an AASSA member academy or society. Awards provide up to USD 2,000 for travel, registration and accommodation. Submit applications using the official form. Applications close 30 April 2026; nominations from member academies are due 25 May 2026.
The Seeds of Science, Asia program is run by the International Science Council’s Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific (ISC-RFP-AP) in collaboration with International Network for Governmental Science Advice (INGSA-Asia). The Seeds of Science initiative aims to encourage and to empower science and policy communities to work together towards more adaptive, evidence-informed and forward-looking governance across Asia and Australia.
Seeds of Science Asia, Round Two applications are now open. This year, the Seeds of Science Asia will be offering grants of up to A$15,000 each to successful applicants with well-outlined proposals to organise workshops, trainings, focused advocacies and wider activities promoting science advice at an institutional or national level in their respective countries. Successful applicants will be mentored by experts in the science-policy nexus who will provide valuable guidance and support for the successful implementation of their workshops.
The Stein Rokkan Prize for Comparative Social Science Research, awarded by the International Science Council, the University of Bergen and the ECPR, recognises substantial and original contributions in comparative social science. Nominations must be submitted via the ECPR Nomination Form by scientific institutions such as universities, research centres or academies, with only one nomination allowed per institution. Candidates may come from any social science discipline and need not belong to ISC or ECPR member institutions. Eligible works must be published monographs released in the two years before the award, thus for 2026 they would have had to have been released in 2024 or 2025. Works in any language may be submitted with an English summary. Self-nominations are not accepted.
This programme facilitates and develops the scientific community of early-career researchers in Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries. The National Academies work with academic institutions, NGOs, and science academy partners via the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences (IANAS) to provide connections, accessible science material, and guidance for early-career scientists, enabling them to stay connected to research frontiers, develop networks, build leadership skills, and see viable ways of pursuing their careers in Latin America. This program consists of an online knowledge repository and networking workshops.
The InterAcademy Partnership is highlighting a major new research funding opportunity for scientists in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. UNESCO‑TWAS, with the support of the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), has launched the Grants for Transformative and Collaborative Research in the Middle East and North Africa (GTCR‑MENA) programme to strengthen research capacity and foster collaborations between researchers in the MENA region and German laboratories.
The call invites Principal Investigators with a PhD to submit competitive research proposals in key scientific fields aligned with Germany’s High‑Tech Agenda (HTAD). Eligible areas include Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Technologies, Microelectronics, Biotechnology, Fusion and Climate‑Neutral Energy Transition, Technology for Climate‑Neutral Mobility, Aerospace, Health Research, Marine, Climate and Sustainability Research and selected Humanities and Social Sciences topics.
The Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) launches its Introduction to Responsible Research Assessment Course. This online, self-paced course provides an approachable, entry-level curriculum for anyone at any career stage and in a variety of roles to learn about responsible research assessment (RRA). The course is free for individuals to take but it requires registration and provides the option of issuing a certificate for each of its four lessons and one for its full content
The Australian Academy of Science’s honorific awards celebrate exceptional scientific contributions, recognising individuals from early‑career researchers to those with distinguished, lifelong achievements. These awards highlight excellence across the scientific community and aim to promote the advancement of science nationally and internationally.
Nominations are open to everyone, and the Academy encourages members of the community to put forward deserving scientists. Submissions close on 1 May 2026. Each award has specific eligibility requirements that must be met. Interested nominators are encouraged to review the relevant award page to ensure their candidate aligns with the criteria before beginning the nomination process.
The Geneva Science-Policy Interface (GSPI) have announced that registrations are now open for their annual Science-Policy Summer School: “Science and Policy for Environmental Action”, taking place from 22-26 June 2026 at the University of Geneva.
This program brings together early-career researchers (PhD candidates and postdocs), policy professionals, and practitioners to develop practical skills in knowledge brokering, science-policy collaborations, and global policy engagement. Participants will gain hands-on experience and guidance from 20+ experts from Geneva and beyond.
Applications are accepted until classes are filled.
The Einstein Award for Promoting Quality in Research in cooperation with the QUEST Center for Responsible Research at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité honors researchers, institutions, and early-career researchers around the globe whose work helps to fundamentally advance the quality, transparency, and reproducibility of science and research.
The award is presented in three categories:
- The Individual Award honors individual researchers or small teams of collaborating researchers.
- The Institutional Award recognizes organizations and research institutions.
- The Early Career Award highlights innovative project proposals by researchers at the beginning of their careers.
In their search for the Science Breakthroughs of the Year 2026, the Falling Walls Global Call welcomes applications and nominations in the following categories:
- Life Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Engineering & Technology
- Social Sciences & Humanities
- Art & Science
- Women’s Impact Award (Female Science Talents)
- Science Engagement (Falling Walls Engage)
- Science Start-ups (Falling Walls Venture)
Winners from across categories will be invited to speak at the Falling Walls Science Summit, 6-9 November 2026, in Berlin, and engage with more than 2000 science leaders from over 100 countries.
UNESCO is building a global roster of science experts to support its work and strengthen collaboration among Member States. The roster highlights specialists across fields such as basic sciences, engineering, life sciences, emerging technologies, science policy, open science, education and communication. Participants may be considered for evaluations and technical support roles, helping advance UNESCO’s mission. The roster aims to include experts from across all regions and disciplines, with a focus on scientific excellence and representation.
Internationally renowned professors in the humanities and social sciences, currently based in the USA, are invited to apply for an exciting opportunity to conduct research at an academic institution in Germany while maintaining ties with their home institution.
The program supports research on the future of democracy, fundamental rights and academic freedom, and the future of transatlantic relations. Funding provides annual research stays in Germany for collaboration and exchange with German colleagues, while also enabling continued contributions to academic and public debates in the USA.
Deadline: Applications can be submitted at any time starting January 15, 2026
The ISC has appointed a Steering Group to guide the work of the Forum on Publishing and Research Assessment, which brings together a broad community of stakeholders to advance global dialogue and action on the future of publishing and research assessment systems: https://council.science/news/steering-group-research-assessment/.
If you are working on reform in scientific publishing or research assessment and would like to contribute to this project, please consider joining the Forum by completing the online form at https://council.science/our-work/forum-science-publishing-assessment/.
Membership of the Forum entails contributing expertise and perspectives to collective discussions on the future of publishing and research assessment, engaging in consultations, reviewing and commenting on emerging outputs, and helping shape the Forum’s priorities and activities over time.
The Earth System Governance (ESG) Data Directory provides a shared space to list both existing and upcoming environmental governance-related datasets and databases, with links to where more information or downloads are available. It serves as an open resource for the community, supporting transparency, collaboration, and more efficient research—especially for early-career scholars.
The goal is simple: to make existing data more visible and accessible to those who can build on it. You can contribute by submitting information below on relevant datasets or databases to be included in the directory.
GYA alumna Lisa Herzog (University of Groningen, Netherlands), together with a group of colleagues including GYA founding member Amal Amin (National Research Center, Egypt), regularly reflect on issues of fairness and equity in global science and conclude that they need some comparative numbers to convince organizers of global science events to move away from what they perceive as a pattern of mostly-Western-and-a-few-token-non-Western-speakers.
They’ve set up a survey, and request that you both fill it in, and share on your networks.
EMCRs are invited to use the research funding database provided by scientifyRESEARCH. The open/free version of the database is available to all. A premium version can be accessed for a fee and would have broader functionality, e.g., additional eligibility filters and no ads. A free grant alert service, whereby researchers can sign up to receive email notifications if a relevant grant is posted, can be accessed here: https://www.scientifyresearch.org/content-alert/
This is a continuously updated repository of federal and private funding opportunities that are intended for late postdoctoral investigators and early-career faculty, usually those at or below the rank of assistant professor. Some opportunities may also be open to mid-career faculty; this has been designated in the eligibility requirements. The opportunities are pre-sorted chronologically and alphabetically, and can be searched by funding amount and subject matter.
The Climate Impacts Awards, fund researchers to take on important questions relating to life, health, and wellbeing, with creative approaches that push boundaries. They plan to spend £16 billion by 2032 to advance scientific discovery and take on the world’s most urgent health issues. They believe ground-breaking discoveries are more likely to occur in collaborations between a diverse range of people, so they are working with partners and the teams they fund to support a thriving, inclusive research culture.
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) are open to all domains of research and innovation, chosen freely by the applicants in a fully bottom-up manner. Any type of organisation can apply for Horizon Europe funding as long as they have the operational and financial capacity to carry out the tasks they propose.
The UN Foundation and the IPCC are partnering to make climate science more accessible to global youth. The initiative, called #SayItWithScience, uses art to rapidly communicate climate solutions to new audiences. To make IPCC science more accessible, UNF is calling on young artists to help visualize climate solutions and energize the call to “unite behind the science.” As part of the Say It With Science initiative, this artwork would be credited in public communications and could potentially feature in upcoming report releases by the IPCC on the latest science of climate change.
The YAE initially recruited about 100 members from the pool of ERC Starting Grant holders. Since 1st January 2014, the YAE has been open to leading young scholars whose excellence at the international level has been recognised by their peers (for instance, holders of prestigious European or national research grants or awards) for bottom-up nominations (or self-nominations).
The ISC is convening a global network of science communicators across our community to learn, collaborate, network, and collectively advance science as a global public good. The network is open to all interested staff, office bearers, or representatives of ISC Members, affiliated bodies and partners, but will be particularly useful for those in communications-related roles – managing social media and websites, writing blogs and press releases, producing multimedia content, working with press, and doing other similar work.