Prologue

Challenges for International Scientific Partnerships (CISP) is an American Academy initiative that aims to articulate the benefits of international collaboration and recommend solutions to the most pressing challenges associated with the design and operation of partnerships. This initiative, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan, William and Flora Hewlett, and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundations, seeks to identify policy recommendations and best practices to mitigate challenges for international science collaborations, including physical facilities, distributed networks, and peer-to-peer partnerships. The project is cochaired by Arthur Bienenstock (Stanford University) and Peter Michelson (Stanford University).

The Emerging Science Partners (ESP) working group explores the importance of U.S. partnerships with ESPs and the issues particular to U.S. scientific collaborations at all scales with countries seeking to boost their scientific capacity, particularly those with limited resources to do so. This working group frames discussions around how the United States can be a better collaborator in its partnerships with emerging science partner countries and work to increase equity in these collaborations. The ESP working group is cochaired by Shirley Malcom (American Association for the Advancement of Science) and Olufunmilayo Olopade (University of Chicago).

The Large-Scale Science (LSS) working group approaches international collaborations through the lens of issues particular to large-scale science and not peer-to-peer or small-scale international work. This group has been tasked with exploring how the United States can enhance its role in these partnerships, both in physical facilities (e.g., the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN) and distributed networks (e.g., the Human Cell Atlas). The group is focusing on recommendations that will bolster U.S. ability to partake in large-scale collaboration efforts as a meaningfully engaged partner. The LSS working group is led by CISP cochairs Arthur Bienenstock and Peter Michelson.
 

This report, Global Connections: Emerging Science Partners, describes the importance of strengthening collaborations between the United States and emerging science partner countries. It provides a series of recommendations for both strengthening these partnerships and making them more equitable. The project has also released two other reports: America and the International Future of Science, on the importance of international scientific collaboration at all scales, and Bold Ambition: International Large-Scale Science, on best practices for building large-scale scientific collaborations in the future.