# International Science Council

The International Science Council (ISC) is an international non-governmental organization that unites scientific bodies at various levels across the social and natural sciences. The ISC was formed with its inaugural general assembly on 4 July 2018 by the merger of the former International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Social Science Council (ISSC), making it one of the largest organisations of this type.
Daya Reddy, mathematician, served (2018–2021) as the ISC's inaugural President. Sir Peter Gluckman, pediatrician, biomedical scientist, and science-policy expert, was elected President in October 2021. Other ISC's inaugural Officers elected for the term of 2018–2021 were Elisa Reis (Vice President), Jinghai Li (Vice President), Renée van Kessel (Treasurer), and Alik Ismail-Zadeh (Secretary). Until February 2022, Heide Hackmann served as the Council's CEO. In 2023, Salvatore Aricò was elected Chief Executive Officer.

## Activities

The Council convenes and mobilizes the international scientific community on issues of major scientific and public importance. Activities focus on three areas of work:
* Stimulating and supporting international scientific research and scholarship, and communicating science that is relevant to international policy issues;
* Promoting the ability of science to contribute to major issues;
* Defending the free and responsible practice of science.
The Council is involved in co-sponsorship of a number of international research programmes, networks and committees.
The Council awards the Stein Rokkan Prize for Comparative Social Science Research.
The Council's present activities are guided by the Action Plan 2022-2024: Science and Society in Transition. At the heart of the Action Plan is a selection of projects and programmes that are relevant to all scientific fields and all parts of the world.

## Structure

The Council is governed by its Governing Board and is advised by a number of advisory bodies in thematic areas such as space, polar, climatic, and data research. It is headquartered in Paris with a regional office in Colombia. The Officers of the Governing Board are currently Peter Gluckman (President), Motoko Kotani (President-elect), Anne Husebekk (Vice-President for Freedom and Responsibility in Science), Salim Abdool Karim (Vice-President for Outreach and Engagement), and Sawako Shirahase (Vice-President for Finance of the Council).
The ISC's next assembly is scheduled to be held in Muscat in 2025.

## Members

In 2020, the International Science Council has 135 member organizations, 40 member unions and associations, and 30 affiliated members.

### Member unions and associations

| Acronym | Name | Scientific field |
| 4S | Society for Social Studies of Science | Social studies of science and technology (STS) |
| IALS | International Association of Legal Science | Legal science |
| IASSA | International Arctic Social Sciences Association | Social science relevant to the Arctic |
| IAU | International Astronomical Union | Astronomy |
| ICA | International Cartographic Association | Cartography |
| ICIAM | International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics | Mathematics |
| IEA | International Economic Association | Economics |
| IFSM | International Federation of Societies for Microscopy | Microscopy |
| IGU | International Geographical Union | Geography |
| IMU | International Mathematical Union | Mathematics |
| INQUA | International Union for Quaternary Research | Quaternary Period |
| IPRA | International Peace Research Association | Peace Research |
| IPSA | International Political Science Association | Political Science |
| ISA | International Sociological Association | Sociology |
| ISEE | International Society for Ecological Economics | Ecological Economics |
| ISPRS | International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing | Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing |
| IUBMB | International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology |
| IUBS | International Union of Biological Sciences | Biology |
| IUCr | International Union of Crystallography | Crystallography |
| IUFoST | International Union of Food Science and Technology | Food science and Food Technology |
| IUFRO | International Union of Forest Research Organizations | Forestry |
| IUGG | International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics | Geodesy and Geophysics |
| IUGS | International Union of Geological Sciences | Geology |
| IUHPST | International Union of History and Philosophy of Science | History of Science and Philosophy of Science |
| IUIS | International Union of Immunological Societies | Immunology |
| IUMRS | International Union of Materials Research Societies | Materials science |
| IUMS | International Union of Microbiological Societies | Microbiology |
| IUNS | International Union of Nutritional Sciences | Nutrition |
| IUPAB | International Union for Pure and Applied Biophysics | Biophysics |
| IUPAC | International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry | Chemistry |
| IUPAP | International Union of Pure and Applied Physics | Physics |
| IUPESM | International Union for Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine | Medical physics |
| IUPHAR | International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology | Pharmacology |
| IUPS | International Union of Physiological Sciences | Physiology |
| IUPsyS | International Union of Psychological Science | Psychology |
| IUSS | International Union of Soil Sciences | Soil science |
| IUSSP | International Union for the Scientific Study of Population | Demography |
| IUTAM | International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics | Mechanics |
| IUTOX | International Union of Toxicology | Toxicology |
| UIS | International Union of Speleology | Speleology |
| URSI | International Union of Radio Science | Radio science |
| WAPOR | World Association for Public Opinion Research | Public opinion research |
| WAU | World Anthropological Union | Anthropology |

### National members

| Country | Member organization |
| Albania | Academy of Sciences (ASA) |
| Angola | Foundation of Science and Development |
| Argentina | National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) |
| Armenia | Armenian National Academy of Sciences (NAS RA) |
| Australia | Australian Academy of Science |
| Austria | Austrian Academy of Sciences |
| Azerbaijan | Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS) |
| Belarus | National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB) |
| Belgium | Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium (RASAB) |
| Benin | National Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters (ANSALB) |
| Bolivia | Academia Nacional de Ciencias de Bolivia (ANCB) |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ANUBiH) |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republika Srpska (ANURS) |
| Botswana | Ministry of Infrastructure Science and Technology |
| Brazil | Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC) |
| Brazil | Association Nacional de Pos-Graduacao e Pesquisa em Ciencias Sociais (ANPOCS) |
| Bulgaria | Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) |
| Burkina Faso | Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (CNRST) |
| Cameroon | Cameroon Academy of Sciences (CAS) |
| Canada | National Research Council (Canada) (NRC) |
| Canada | Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) |
| Chile | Academia Chilena de Ciencias |
| China | China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) |
| China | Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) |
| Colombia | Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales |
| Costa Rica | Academia Nacional de Ciencias (Costa Rica) |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Académie des sciences, des arts, des cultures d'Afrique et des diasporas africaines (ASCAD) |
| Cuba | Cuban Academy of Sciences |
| Czech Republic | Czech Academy of Sciences |
| Denmark | Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters |
| Dominican Republic | Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic |
| Egypt | Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) |
| El Salvador | Viceministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología de El Salvador |
| Estonia | Estonian Academy of Sciences |
| Eswatini | National Research Council (Eswatini) |
| Ethiopia | Ethiopian Science and Technology Agency |
| Finland | Council of Finnish Academies |
| France | French Academy of Sciences |
| Georgia | Georgian National Academy of Sciences |
| Germany | German Research Foundation (DFG) |
| Ghana | Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences |
| Greece | Academy of Athens |
| Guatemala | Academia de Ciencias Médicas Fisicas y Naturales de Guatemala |
| Honduras | National Academy of Sciences of Honduras |
| Hungary | Hungarian Academy of Sciences |
| India | Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) |
| India | Indian National Science Academy (INSA) |
| Indonesia | National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) |
| Iran | University of Tehran |
| Iraq | Ministry of Science and Technology |
| Ireland | Royal Irish Academy |
| Israel | Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities |
| Italy | National Research Council |
| Jamaica | Scientific Research Council |
| Japan | Science Council of Japan |
| Jordan | Royal Scientific Society |
| Kazakhstan | Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences |
| Kenya | Kenya National Academy of Sciences |
| Laos | Lao National Science Council |
| Latvia | Latvian Academy of Sciences |
| Lebanon | National Council for Scientific Research |
| Lesotho | Department of Science and Technology |
| Lithuania | Lithuanian Academy of Sciences |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg National Research Fund |
| Madagascar | Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique |
| Malawi | National Commission for Science and Technology |
| Malaysia | Academy of Sciences Malaysia |
| Mauritius | Mauritius Academy of Science (MAST) |
| Mexico | Mexican Academy of Sciences |
| Mexico | Consejo Mexicano de Ciencias Sociales (COMECSO) |
| Moldova | Academy of Sciences of Moldova |
| Monaco | Centre Scientifique de Monaco |
| Mongolia | Mongolian Academy of Sciences |
| Montenegro | Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts |
| Morocco | Hassan II Academy for Science and Technology |
| Mozambique | Scientific Research Association of Mozambique (AICIMO) |
| Namibia | National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST) |
| Nepal | Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) |
| Netherlands | Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences |
| New Zealand | Royal Society Te Apārangi |
| Nigeria | Nigerian Academy of Science |
| North Korea | Academy of Sciences of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea |
| North Macedonia | Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts |
| Norway | Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters |
| Norway | University of Bergen |
| Oman | Research Council of Oman |
| Pakistan | Pakistan Association for the Advancement of Science |
| Panama | University of Panama |
| Peru | Academia Nacional de Ciencias |
| Philippines | National Research Council |
| Philippines | Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) |
| Poland | Polish Academy of Sciences |
| Portugal | Lisbon Academy of Sciences |
| Romania | Romanian Academy |
| Russia | Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) |
| Rwanda | College of Science and Technology (Rwanda) (KIST) |
| Saudi Arabia | King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) |
| Senegal | Senegal Academy of Science and Technology (ANSTS) |
| Serbia | Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts |
| Seychelles | Seychelles National Parks Authority |
| Singapore | Singapore National Academy of Science |
| Slovak Republic | Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) |
| Slovenia | Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts |
| South Africa | Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa (HSRC) |
| South Africa | National Research Foundation (NRF) |
| South Korea | Korean Social Science Research Council (KOSSREC) |
| South Korea | National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Korea |
| South Korea | Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) |
| Spain | Ministry for Science and Innovation (MCIN) |
| Sri Lanka | National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka (NSF) |
| Sudan | National Centre for Research (NCR) |
| Sweden | Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences |
| Switzerland | Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAHS) |
| Switzerland | Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences |
| Taiwan | Academia Sinica |
| Tajikistan | Tajik Academy of Sciences |
| Tanzania | Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology |
| Thailand | National Research Council of Thailand |
| Togo | Chancellerie des Universités du Togo |
| Tunisia | Tunis El Manar University |
| Turkey | The Science Academy Society of Turkey |
| Turkey | Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) |
| Turkey | Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA) |
| Uganda | Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) |
| Ukraine | National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NAS) |
| United Kingdom | British Academy |
| United Kingdom | Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) |
| United Kingdom | Royal Society |
| United States | National Academy of Sciences (NAS) |
| Uruguay | Comisión Consejo Nacional de Innovacion Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONICYT) |
| Uzbekistan | Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences (UzAS) |
| Vatican City | Pontifical Academy of Sciences |
| Venezuela | Fondo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (CONICIT) |
| Vietnam | Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA) |
| Zambia | Zambia Academy of Sciences |
| Zimbabwe | Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ) |

### Transnational members

* Arab Council for the Social Sciences (ACSS)
* Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils (AASSREC)
* Caribbean Academy of Sciences
* Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales (CLACSO)
* Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA)
* Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO)
* Union Académique Internationale (UAI)
* Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA)
* University of the South Pacific

### Affiliated members

* Academy of Social Sciences (ACSS)
* African Academy of Sciences (AAS)
* Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (AASSA)
* Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)
* European Association of Development and Training Institutes (EADI)
* European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR)
* Fédération Internationale des Géomètres (FIG)
* Global Young Academy (GYA)
* International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)
* International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR)
* International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP)
* International Commission for Acoustics (ICA)
* International Commission for Optics (ICO)
* International Commission on Illumination (CIE)
* International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS)
* International Council for Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI)
* International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP)
* International Federation of Data Organizations for Social Science (IFDO)
* International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)
* International Foundation for Science (IFS)
* International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
* International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE)
* International Society for Porous Media (InterPore)
* International Studies Association (ISA)
* International Union for Vacuum Science, Technique and Applications (IUVSTA)
* International Water Association (IWA)
* Pacific Science Association (PSA)
* Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE)
* Social Science Research Council (SSRC)
* The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
* Transnational Institute (TNI)

### GeoUnions

A subset of ISC dealing with Earth and space sciences forms the GeoUnions network:
* International Astronomical Union
* International Cartographic Association
* International Geographical Union
* International Union of Quaternary Research
* International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
* International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics
* International Union of Geological Sciences
* International Union of Speleology
* International Union of Soil Sciences
* International Union of Radio Sciences
The ISC GeoUnions partially overlap with the UN-GGIM Geospatial Societies.