ISC Membership

The International Science Council is a global, non-governmental and non-profit-making organization that brings together 250+ international, regional and national science and research organizations across all scientific domains, including international scientific unions, associations and societies, national science academies, research council and other national science bodies, as well as scientific interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary bodies.

Through its Members, the ISC is unique in its capacity to convene, catalyse, and integrate scientific excellence, science advice and science-policy expertise from all fields of science and all regions of the world to address issues of major concern to science and society. Together, we advance science as a global public good.

ISC Members determine the ISC governance structure and chart the ISC’s strategic direction. They meet in-person every two years to assess progress on ISC activities, for which they nominate individuals to participate in expert groups, steering committees, advisory councils and other task forces:

Governance structures

• Governing Board
• Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in Science 
• Committee for Finance, Compliance and Risk
• Committee for Membership
• Nominations and Elections Committee

Working groups and committees

• Awards Selection Committee
• Dues Revision Working Group
• Science Education Consultative Group
• Working Group on Action in the Area of Inequality

Topical committees

• Advancing gender equality in scientific organizations taskforce and expert group
• Biological Weapons Convention expert group
• Centre for Science Futures advisory council
• Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability steering group
• Forum on Publishing and Research Assessment steering group
• Hazards Definition and Classification steering group
• Intergovernmental System Strategy steering group
• Integrated Research on Disaster Risk scientific committee
• Global Environment Outlook Assessment advisory group
• Global Risk Research Agenda for 2030 scientific advisory committee
• Ocean expert group
• Plastic Pollution expert group
• Science Diplomacy advisory group
• Science Missions for Sustainability Global Commission, oversight and selection committee
• Social Science Matters Programme steering group
• Strategic Foresight for the Environment expert panel
• The Future of Scientific Publishing steering group
• Urban Health and Wellbeing scientific committee

Regional committees

• Advisory Council of the ISC Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific
• Liaison Committee of the ISC Regional Focal Point for Latin America and the Caribbean
• Operational committees of the ISC Regional Focal Point for Latin America and the Caribbean
• Small Island Developing States Liaison Committee

ISC regional presences

• Africa (in progress)
• Asia and the Pacific: ISC Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific
• Latin America and the Caribbean: ISC Regional Focal Point for Latin America and the Caribbean
• Europe: ISC European Members Group
• Middle East (in progress)
• Central Asia and Transcaucasia (in progress)

Other Member groupings

• ISC Geounions
• Standing Committee for Gender Equality in Science (SCGES)

Member engagement platforms

• ISC General Assembly and mid-term meetings
• ISC Membership Notice Board
• ISC Member online meetings
• ISC Member WhatsApp community
• ISC forum of early- and mid-career researchers
• ISC Science Communications Network

Join the ISC membership

Add your community’s voice to the global scientific debates by joining the ISC membership.

• Why become a Member
• How to become a Member
• Explore current calls to action, opportunities and ISC events for Members

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