Collaborative Research: USGCRP Core Support for Future Earth International Global Change Activities

George Mason University, Fairfax VA

Investigators

Abstract

Future Earth is a global organization working to advance understanding and informed decision making for transformations to sustainability, supporting goals of the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). Seeking solutions to some of the world’s most pressing and complex sustainability challenges, Future Earth furthers transdisciplinary approaches that benefit from both a diversity of academic expertise and lived experience to ground research in a societal frame. The Future Earth US Hub contributes to this work through coordinating relevant research and innovation across the world, fostering inclusive and cross-cutting global networks including Future Earth’s national and regional committees, increasing the dissemination and impact of accessible science and science-policy documents, establishing accessible platforms and convening opportunities to raise the visibility of sustainability advances globally, and evaluating progress towards these transformational goals. This award supports global leadership of these activities by the Future Earth US Hub. Working with both domestic and global partners, the Future Earth US Hub will facilitate transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaborations and mobilize novel, innovative research and transformative ideas connected to action. The Hub will support the development of next generation sustainability leaders in areas such as systems thinking and evidence-based decision-making, develop targeted initiatives in network development and capacity building in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania, highlight informed sustainability options in Future Earth’s award-winning publication Anthropocene, and grow the annual Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress, which already in its third year, has emerged as the leading global gathering for sustainability science. In addition, the US Hub will develop multi-sector action coalitions around specific opportunities to connect US researchers with the extensive global network of Future Earth and accelerate knowledge-based change. 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.