Call for expressions of interest to ISC Members to join the SCI2SDG working group

ISC Member, the International Society for Porous Media (InterPore), in collaboration with other Members, including the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), the International Geographical Union (IGU), the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), the Urban Health & Wellbeing (UHWB) and the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR), has launched a project called Mapping Contributions of Scientific Institutions to UN SDGs (SCI2SDG) to map how science that is produced within the ISC Member organizations contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The project is led by Dr. Tannaz Pak, Project Principal Investigator and ISC focal point at the International Society for Porous Media (InterPore), and supported by Prof. Alik Ismail-Zadeh, Research Professor at the Institute of Applied Geosciences at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, as Project Advisor.

Why the project matters

• Global SDG progress is off track. The 2025 UN SDG Progress Report warns that only a fraction of targets are on course to be achieved by 2030, with contributions from scientific community often under-recognised or poorly connected to policy action.
• The International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development calls for stronger alignment between research communities and sustainability priorities.
• The ISC Strategic Framework emphasises agenda-setting, science-policy engagement, and inclusivity, and the SCI2SDG responds directly to this call.
• Building a coordinated, Member-driven mapping effort can amplify the ISC’s collective voice and strengthen influence with global sustainability policy stakeholders.

Timeline

• Survey (Nov 2025 – Jan 2026): Collect structured data on Members’ SDG-related research and initiatives.
• Analysis & Mapping (Feb – Mar 2026): Synthesise data to identify thematic strengths, gaps, and emerging opportunities.
• First Webinar (Apr 2026): Share initial findings with ISC Members, gather feedback, and refine analysis with Members’ contribution.
• Thematic Focus Groups (May – Jun 2026): Convene groups around shared priorities (e.g. water, health, climate) to co-develop joint actions.
• Collaborative Online Seminars (Jul – Sep 2026): Cross-group dialogue to refine priorities and propose concrete collaborative outputs.
• Dissemination & Futures (Nov 2026): Final report and forward-looking recommendations exploring sustainability frameworks beyond 2030.
• Future-Facing Component: SCI2SDG will go beyond documenting current contributions. It will help ISC and its Members look ahead to post-2030 sustainability frameworks, exploring scenarios and recommendations for how science can remain central to the next generation of global sustainability agendas.

Why ISC Members should participate

• Visibility & Recognition: Showcase your organization’s contributions to the SDGs in a collective ISC platform.
• Collaboration & Networking: Build new partnerships across disciplines and regions through thematic focus groups.
• Policy Relevance & Agenda-Setting: Inform the future sustainability agenda and strengthen science’s role in global policy frameworks.
• Capacity Building: Engage with peers and learn from international approaches to science-policy impact.

Join the working group

Every ISC Member is invited to nominate a representative or appoint someone with relevant expertise to join the working group and lead the contribution their Member organization. Should you be interested in joining the working group, please submit your expression of interest via the online form.

Contact

Should you have any questions, please contact Dr. Tannaz Pak, Project Principal Investigator and ISC focal point at the International Society for Porous Media (InterPore).