The toolkit is organized into three parts:

1. Understand: Who the toolkit is for, what digital maturity means for science organizations, and how to get the most out of the resource.
2. Assess: An introduction to the ISC Digital Maturity Framework and self-assessment tool.
3. Take action: Guidance, case studies, and tools to build digital maturity in science organizations

By using this resource, science organizations can gain insights and identify practical steps to harness digital tools and ways of working in their context.

Strengthening digital maturity: a practical toolkit for science organizations

DOI: 10.24948/2025.13

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Accompanying resources

• Toolkit: Strengthening digital maturity for science organizations
• Tool #1: Digital Maturity Test
• Tool #2: User journey mapping
• Tool #3: Planning your conference

Funding acknowledgement: The toolkit was created following the experiences of eleven ISC Members who took part in the project, supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors.

The post Strengthening digital maturity: a practical toolkit for science organizations appeared first on International Science Council.

It introduces the ISC Digital Maturity Framework, a tool designed specifically for science organizations to assess their current state and identify opportunities for improvement.

The paper calls for leadership commitment and investment in digital skills, data, and systems. It offers practical next steps and a companion toolkit to help organizations move from assessment to action and to ensure that no one is left behind in the digital age.

Harnessing ‘digital’ for science in lower-resource settings

DOI: 10.24948/2025.12

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Accompanying resources

• Toolkit: Strengthening digital maturity for science organizations
• Tool #1: Digital Maturity Test
• Tool #2: User journey mapping
• Tool #3: Planning your conference

Funding acknowledgement: The toolkit was created following the experiences of eleven ISC Members who took part in the project, supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors.

The post Harnessing “digital” for science in lower-resource settings appeared first on International Science Council.

The first section introduces the foundational concepts and discusses the advantages and challenges of making scientific data AI-ready.

The second section examines the key considerations for data readiness for AI, and conversely, AI to curate data. We build on data standards while discussing AI-specific considerations such as machine-readability and bias mitigation, while highlighting ethical and environmental considerations around data readiness for AI in science.

The third section discusses data readiness within the framework of Open Science, presents two case studies that illustrate how Open Science practices can support AI-readiness for scientific research.

Recommendations

• Convergence to existing data frameworks and standards, for example, FAIR-R and Croissant, should be used by scientists and data stewards.
• Data governance structures should go beyond technical standards to promote equity, access to compute resources, and capacity-building.
• Investment in data infrastructure and skills development is a prerequisite for efficient and competitive use of AI in science.
• Recognition of data stewardship careers in science, and incentives to encourage these skills, is a cornerstone implementation pathway of the above investment.

Data and AI for science: Key considerations

September 2025

DOI: 10.24948/2025.11

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This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors.

The post Data and AI for science: Key considerations appeared first on International Science Council.

Although evidence on the specific environmental impacts of AI in scientific research is still emerging, the paper provides conceptual frameworks and practical tools to help assess the environmental implications of the full AI lifecycle within scientific projects.

The first section introduces key frameworks for understanding environmental impacts in a holistic way.

The second section outlines an approach for defining and measuring environmental costs across the AI lifecycle.

The third section presents concrete strategies for reducing the direct environmental footprint of scientific projects that use or depend on resource-intensive AI applications.

Key takeaways

• There is limited awareness and evidence about the environmental costs of using artificial intelligence (AI) in scientific research. This article offers frameworks and tools scientists and research institutions can consider to assess the environmental impacts of their research as part of a more sustainable, ethical and responsible use of AI in science.
• Addressing the environmental impact of AI requires a multi-dimensional approach. Scientists and researchers who are planning to incorporate AI into their workflows need to assess tools in light of their scientific value, social equity and environmental costs across the entire AI life cycle, with attention to rebound effects and long-term consequences.
• Adopting more resource-efficient AI models has environmental and social benefits. Smaller, local and frugal approaches to AI can improve accessibility, affordability, transparency and social inclusion around the use of AI, especially in diverse and resource-constrained research contexts.

Considerations on the environmental impact of AI in science

September 2025

DOI: 10.24948/2025.10

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This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors.

The post Considerations on the environmental impact of AI in science appeared first on International Science Council.

The paper examines how AI is contributing to the research process itself and provides some contextualized examples that illustrate applications of the techniques described. The paper aims to inform the rich debate within the science and science policy community by clarifying some of the concepts and techniques encompassed within the term ‘AI’.

Key takeaways

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the scientific enterprise beyond computational assistance: AI is contributing to hypothesis generation and extending traditional methods of theory and experimentation.
• AI is not a monolithic technology, but encompasses a constellation of paradigms, each defined by distinct approaches to learning, inference or knowledge generation with different applications in the scientific context.
• A multitude of different AI techniques address descriptive, predictive, generative and optimization challenges within science.
• AI has found applications in research on medicine, climate science, genomics, social science and more.
• The reliance of AI on data means that computer science, mathematics and statistics intersect with social issues, including ethical questions and integrity of research.

Types of AI and their use in science

September 2025

DOI: 10.24948/2025.09

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This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of IDRC or its Board of Governors.

The post Types of AI and their use in science appeared first on International Science Council.

Through interviews and consultations with global experts across disciplines, the paper highlights opportunities to revise the HDI and develop complementary indices. Recommendations include integrating subjective wellbeing, improving disaggregation, and exploring new dimensions such as environmental sustainability and agency.

There seems to be a broad agreement that the HDI continues to have value as a measure and there are options to build on its foundations to construct a more inclusive, nuanced and future-oriented measurement framework.

How do we measure wellbeing? Rethinking the Human Development Index. International Science Council

DOI: 10.24948/2025.08

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Funding acknowledgement: UNDP Human Development Report Office

The post How do we measure wellbeing? Rethinking the Human Development Index appeared first on International Science Council.

Three discussion papers synthesize the Expert Group’s reflections and recommendations to support BWC States Parties and broader stakeholders. 

Hear directly from members of the ISC Expert Group about their recommendations and the role of science in strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention. 

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Thematic papers 

Strengthening compliance and verification under the biological weapons convention  

This paper outlines a practical, science-informed framework for compliance and verification under the BWC. It proposes tools and indicators to support risk assessment, detection and deterrence of biological weapons, and introduces a sliding scale to evaluate levels of compliance based on national capacities. 

Strengthening compliance and verification under the biological weapons convention

DOI: 10.24948/2025.02
Publication date: 07 July 2025
Publisher: International Science Council

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Strengthening international cooperation and assistance under the biological weapons convention 

Focusing on Article X of the BWC, this paper provides guidance to enhance international cooperation and assistance efforts to enhance biosafety and biosecurity. It outlines mechanisms to identify and respond to capacity building needs, improve oversight of projects and prioritization of funding, and promote scientific collaboration, emphasizing the need for equitable access to resources, technology and knowledge. 

Strengthening international cooperation and assistance under the biological weapons convention

DOI: 10.24948/2025.06
Publication date: 07 July 2025
Publisher: International Science Council

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Strengthening science and technology under the biological weapons convention 

This paper provides key considerations for designing and implementing a scientific advisory mechanism under the BWC under consideration by State Parties. It includes recommendations on the design and governance of the mechanism, and the prioritization of scientific topics to inform policy and ensure timely, credible and transparent science advice to support the treaty implementation.

Strengthening science and technology under the biological weapons convention

DOI: 10.24948/2025.07
Publication date: 30 June 2025
Publisher: International Science Council

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Picture by mikkelwilliam on iStock.

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The post Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention through science appeared first on International Science Council.

Five years to course correct –  Science and engineering for a world off track

DOI: 10.24948/2025.03
Publication date: 30 June 2025
Publisher: International Science Council

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Theme 1: The importance of international scientific cooperation in addressing global challenges

• Open science infrastructures partnership for SDG capacity building in the Global South
• Enabling reliable and trustworthy crisis response: Open science-based data policies for global resilience

Theme 2: Science as a tool for cooperation and peacebuilding

• Management of tuna fisheries in the Pacific Small Island Developing States
• Using international science cooperation to combat illegal logging: A global assessment to inform UN biodiversity governance

Theme 3: Harnessing technology for sustainable development

• From research to impact: transforming sustainability data disclosure from cost to investment through science-based AI modelling
• Turning industrial CO2 into aquaculture feed: Large-scale microalgae cultivation in Northern Norway
• Renewable energy meets ecological restoration: An integrated model for inclusive development in high-altitude Qinghai, China
• Science for smarter cities: Using urban systems research to reshape commuting in China’s megacities

Theme 4: Bridging science, policy and plural knowledge for transformative action

• Coordinating science advice across government: Germany’s national dialogue between scientific advisory councils
• Restoring coral reefs in Belize: A science-based, communityled approach to marine ecosystem recovery
• Bringing together Indigenous and scientific knowledge systems: Climate advice for the Great Barrier Reef

Theme 5: Multistakeholder and transdisciplinary collaboration to advance integrated SDG implementation

• Science in action for community-led forest management in Upper Katanga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Ginger tissue culture for food security: A science-based partnership model for sustainable agriculture in Samoa

Theme 6: Building capacity and diverse leadership in science

• Reforming science from within: Advancing gender equality in global scientific organizations
• Immersive design and ancestral knowledge for inclusive education and climate action in Vaupés, Colombia

Theme 7: Public engagement and science literacy as foundations for trust in science

• Citizen science for microplastics monitoring: Empowering Malaysian schools through environmental literacy
• A-Z science and health literacy for young learners in Malaysia

With just five years to 2030, science and engineering are demonstrating their potential to drive progress across the Sustainable Development Goals, but this potential is threatened by rising geopolitical tensions, shrinking scientific freedoms, and underinvestment. To stay on course, governments must protect science as a global public good, support inclusive and transdisciplinary collaboration, and align policy and funding with long-term sustainability goals. Science and engineering can be powerful tools for peace, equity, and innovation, but their impact depends on responsible governance, diverse leadership, and public trust.

Now is the time to reinforce the foundations that connect knowledge to action – through bold political will and renewed commitment to global cooperation.

Five years to course correct –  Science and engineering for a world off track

DOI: 10.24948/2025.03
Publication date: 30 June 2025
Publisher: International Science Council

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Cover image: Jules Marvin Eguilos via Unsplash

The post Five years to course correct –  Science and engineering for a world off track appeared first on International Science Council.

The brief highlights the ocean’s transformative potential to generate co-benefits across multiple interconnected global challenges, including climate, biodiversity, equity and peace. Showcasing real-world case studies, the brief demonstrates how collaborative, science-driven approaches are driving cross-sectoral collaboration, holistic solutions and ocean science diplomacy.

Co-producing ocean actionable knowledge for transformative solutions and global cooperation

International Science Council (2025). Co-producing ocean actionable knowledge for transformative solutions and global cooperation. Paris.

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Key messages

1. The ocean faces escalating threats from a multitude of co-occurring and interacting stressors, pushing it towards critical tipping points. Through the degradation of marine ecosystems, these threats could trigger irreversible changes undermining Earth’s stability, with cascading impacts for global climate, food security, social equity and human wellbeing. As these pressures intensify, they demand urgent action to prevent further degradation of the ocean and its critical role in maintaining planetary stability.
2. Safeguarding ocean resilience offers a unique opportunity to generate co-benefits that address multiple global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and poverty. Strengthening ocean health is therefore integral to advancing sustainable development, improving social equity and enhancing community wellbeing worldwide.
3. Effective governance and sustainable management require integrated, science-based approaches that bridge disciplines, sectors and actors. Within these approaches, transdisciplinary, participatory research drawing from diverse knowledge systems –including local and Indigenous knowledge – is essential for fostering collaboration and innovation, and delivering positive and synergistic ocean health that supports societal needs.
4. Protecting the ocean is a strategic imperative for promoting global peace and cooperation. Science can provide a platform for building trust and diplomacy, and addressing inequalities in access to knowledge, capacity and decision-making. Collaborative science in particular can foster mutual understanding, reduce tensions, and support fair and equitable participation for inclusive ocean governance.
5. Securing the ocean’s role as a foundation for human wellbeing and planetary stability requires urgent, coordinated action. In ensuring such action is effective, strategic investments in scientific capacity, technology transfer, and the sharing of data and knowledge are crucial – especially in the context of a fragmented geopolitical landscape with leadership and funding vacuums.

The post Co-producing ocean actionable knowledge for transformative solutions and global cooperation appeared first on International Science Council.

First published in 2021 and now updated, the HIPs offer standardized definitions and key characteristics for a wide range of hazards across key clusters: 

1. Meteorological and Hydrological  
2. Extraterrestrial  
3. Geological  
4. Environmental  
5. Chemical  
6. Biological  
7. Technological  
8. Societal  

The profiles also now include improved machine-readability, making them more usable in digital platforms, early warning systems, and risk assessment tools. 

Widely used by governments, UN agencies, researchers, and disaster practitioners, the HIPs support more coherent risk analysis, planning, and reporting – strengthening the implementation of the Sendai Framework, the Sustainable Development Goals, and climate adaptation strategies. 

The post Update of the UNDRR-ISC hazard information profiles appeared first on International Science Council.