Content
- Call for applications for the position of Director of Scientific Programs of the IAI
- Almost 100 experts from 20 countries participated in the CEH workshop
- Join the Nobel Prize Summit – Solutions Session
- Two new funding opportunities for researchers
- SRI 2023 Program is now live
- Two new IAI alliances with international organizations
IAI Newsletter 2/23
Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is recruiting a Director of Science Programs
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The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is pleased to announce it is recruiting a Director to manage the IAI’s science program and activities. This Directorship is an executive position that reports directly to IAI’s Executive Director, who is responsible for implementing the IAI scientific agenda focused on global change.
The Science Director must have demonstrated scientific leadership skills and be able to design and implement innovative science programs in response to critical issues, opportunities, and risks related to global environmental change in the Americas. The incumbent will generate and communicate compelling scientific strategies and direction per the priorities of the Conference of the Parties as articulated in the IAI’s Strategic Plan, Scientific Agenda, Policy on Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and other relevant policies. The Science Director must also identify and foster equitable partnerships with key organizations and actors to further these priorities. Additionally, the incumbent will work independently and collaboratively in a transdisciplinary team environment while supervising staff, mentoring trainees, and coordinating activities across the Directorate.
The IAI Directorate will establish a search committee, with the participation of the Parties, the Chair of the IAI Executive Council, the Scientific Advisory Committee, and the Science-Policy Advisory Committee, to assist in evaluating candidates.
Applications should be sent by 24 May 2023. Should interested individuals have any questions, please contact Ms. Soledad Noya (soledad@dir.iai.int).
See the Notification:
http://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/notificaciones/nt-2023-15-es_0.pdf
See the Annex:
http://iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/nt-2023-15-en-annex.pdf
IAI Newsletter 2/23
Almost 100 experts from 20 countries participated in the workshop “Climate, Environment and Health for the Americas”
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From March 13 to 17, 2023, the workshop “Climate, Environment, and Health for the Americas” was held in San Martín de los Andes, organized by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), the Ministry of Public Health of the province of Neuquén, Argentina, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Global Consortium for Climate and Health Education (GCCHE). The province of Neuquén was selected as the venue for the event because it is one of the provinces where PAHO implements a proposal approved by the Green Climate Fund to strengthen the health sector’s response to climate change, with the national government and three provincial governments (Neuquén, Misiones, and Tucumán).
The objective of the workshop was to strengthen the capacities of researchers and decision-makers to address the complex problems that link climate, environment, and human health in the region from a transdisciplinary and intersectoral perspective. Likewise, meetings with local authorities from the government of the Argentine province of Neuquén and other provinces of Patagonia, national authorities from the Argentine government, and international organizations such as the World Meteorological Organization, focused on ways to develop greater regional collaboration and a coordinated agenda in the nexus of climate, environment, and health.
The workshop convened almost 100 experts from 20 countries in the Americas who represented academic, governmental, non-governmental, and international institutions. Thirteen transdisciplinary research teams also participated, which will receive funding from IAI to implement seed projects that will generate scientific knowledge to support decision-making in the Americas.
Finally, the call for the Belmont Forum Collaborative Research Action on Climate, Environment and Health II (CRA2) was announced, which seeks to support innovative and transformative initiatives that generate evidence-based solutions to improve the quality of life of vulnerable populations. The IAI will fund teams from its member countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. More information…
Among the attendees of the workshop were:
- Omar Gutiérrez, Governor of Neuquén, Argentina
- Marcos Koopmann, Vice Governor of Neuquén, Argentina
- Sebastián González, Chief of Cabinet of the Government of the Province of Neuquén, Argentina
- Carla Vizzotti, Minister of Health of Argentina
- Andrea Peve, Minister of Health of the Neuquén Province, Argentina
- Carlos Javier Darío Saloniti, Mayor of the City of San Martín de Los Andes, Neuquén, Argentina
- María Andrea Echauri, Advisor to the Minister of Health of Neuquén, Argentina
- Carolina Mura, Director of Institutional Relations of the Ministry of Health of the province of Neuquén, Argentina
- María de los Milagros Skansi, Director, Central Climate Monitoring Service, National Meteorological Service of Argentina
- Eva Jané Llopis, Representative of the Pan American Health Organization / World Health Organization, Argentina
- Daniel Buss; Head of Unit, Climate Change and Environmental Determinants of Health – Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Argentina
- Alejandra Ferrero, National Consultant on Environmental Determinants of Health and Climate Change, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Argentina
- Bárbara Tapia Cortés, Technical Coordinator of Services for the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
- Juan José Nieto, Director of the International Center for Research on El Niño Phenomenon (CIIFEN)
- Marcos Regis da Silva, Executive Director, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI)
- Marcella Ohira, Deputy Executive Director and Director of Capacity Building, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI)
- Anna Stewart-Ibarra, Scientific Director, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI)
Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/u3hzkPH6xC0
IAI Newsletter 2/23
Join the Nobel Prize Summit – Solutions Session
Mis- and disinformation in Latin America: the public, the media, the science
26 May 2023 10:00 EDT/ 11:00 UYT
Mis- and disinformation regarding scientific facts are widespread in social media, regular media, and daily life around the world. In Latin America, there is limited research on the topic, and limited public and private resources are dedicated to understand mechanisms, counteract fake news and misleading information, and provide related guidance or guidelines.
This session organized by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) highlights institutionalized efforts in the region challenging mis-and disinformation, such as the Instituto Questão de Ciência, and knowledge on the particulars of anti-science information in different countries related to the causes and consequences of global environmental change.
Moderator: Jerónimo Giorgi, Latinoamérica 21
Speakers:
Speakers:
Marco Schneider, Researcher, Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology (Ibict); Professor of Communication, Fluminense Federal University (UFF); Chair, International Center for Information Ethics; and Member, Brazilian Network to Combat Disinformation
Natalia Pasternak, science writer and communicator, President, Instituto Questão de Ciência; Senior Research Scholar, Center for Science and Society; Professor of Science Policy, School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Columbia University; and Professor of Science Diplomacy, School of Public Administration, Fundação Getúlio Vargas (Brazil)
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3hhelWshRkiDHn9kSinR2w#/registration
Empowering Science Diplomacy Emerging Leadership Across the Americas
26 May 2023 13:00 EDT / 14:00 UYT
The active involvement of future leaders, particularly from the Global South, is crucial for fair and equitable evidence-based decision-making in tackling the intricate challenges of global change. The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Science Technology and Policy (STeP) Program’s fellows are transforming leadership as international and national institutions call for more proactive and efficient strategies to strengthen the advisory role of science in governance and diplomacy. The goal is to enhance the synthesis, adoption, and utilization of reliable information while combating mis- and disinformation.
This solution-focused session assembles science diplomacy experts and IAI STeP fellows from across the Americas to discuss their recent experiences in mobilizing knowledge from various scientific fields, socioeconomic sectors, and levels of government, all with the shared objective of expanding the availability of science advice and science diplomacy for sustainability in the Americas. The session will provide insight into the context in which this innovative model operates, serving as an inclusive, transdisciplinary, transboundary, and multisectoral learning opportunity for early career researchers. This approach aims to develop practical power skills and foster an international science-policy community of practice.
Moderator: Kim Portmess, Science Technology and Policy (STeP) Fellowship Program Consultant, Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
Speakers:
- Marcella Ohira, Deputy Executive Director, IAI
- Larisse Faroni-Perez, IAI STeP Fellow; Presidente, Instituto Geração Oceano X (GOX); Fellow, Brazilian Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems Services (BPBES)
- Fany Ramos Quispe, IAI STeP Fellow, Belmont Forum Secretariat, IAI STeP Fellow
- Carlos Matsumoto, General Coordinator of Multilateral Cooperation, Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations, and Communications of Brazil
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81306360024?pwd=VENVVTZUaTViZm1WTWJhRlhmQ05NZz09
IAI Newsletter 2/23
Two new funding opportunities for researchers
Call for Applications: International Mobility Research Fellowship Program for Latin American and Caribbean early-career scientists on past global changes
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Deadline: 18 August 2023 at 23:00 UYT
The Past Global Changes (PAGES) project and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) announce the 2023 International Mobility Research Fellowship Program for Latin American and Caribbean early-career scientists on past global changes. The Fellowship Program is funded by PAGES.
The program aims to contribute to the development of collaborative research and the promotion of paleoscience networks in Latin America and the Caribbean. The fellowship supports Latin American and Caribbean early-career scientists pursuing international research experience in paleoscience.
The fellowships will be awarded for a short duration, typically one to three months. The fellowships will be awarded annually and must be used within 12 months.
Successful applicants will be notified no later than 31 October 2023.
Check the details of the call here: https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/Final%20call%20for%20applications%202023%20IAI_PAGES.pdf
Please submit your proposal via the application form: https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/Final%20Application%20Form%202023%20PAGES_IAI.docx
Collaborative Research Action on Climate, Environment, and Health II
The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research invites researchers from eligible countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to join the new Belmont Forum Collaborative Research Action on Climate, Environment, and Health.
Institutions eligible for IAI awards are colleges, universities, professional societies, not-for-profit organizations, or governmental institutions which have formal research programs. Early and mid-career scholars are encouraged to apply and take key responsibilities in the project, including as Principal Investigator (IP) and Co-PI. Any scientist from natural and social sciences, and the humanities, or stakeholder (as described in the call text) is eligible to apply as PI, Co-PI, or key investigator.
Teams may apply with a transdisciplinary project focusing on:
- Decision-science of environmental behavior and implementation
- Food, environment and biological security
- Climate Risks to Ecosystems and Populations
Research projects should consider
- Scalable implementation plans
- Enhanced Early Warning System predictability
- Innovative, open data solutions
Collaborative research approaches should address
- Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
- A focus on vulnerable communities
- A focus on Indigenous and local communities
Projects can build capacity by
- Strengthening communities of practice
- Developing Low and Low Middle-Income Countries’ workforce
The IAI will support research projects for up to 3 years.
Apply until July 15, 2023 with your preliminary proposal.
IAI-supported teams must be part of a consortium with countries funded by additional agencies. More information at: https://www.belmontforum.org/cras#ceh2023
IAI annex to apply for funds: IAI Annex Belmont Forum CRA CEH2.docx.pdf
IAI Newsletter 2/23
The Sustainability Research + Innovation 2023 program is now available!
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The program is now available for the world’s largest transdisciplinary gathering that brings together leading experts in the global sustainability community. For the first time, the Congress is being held in Panama, bringing the event to the Latin American and the Caribbean region.
Join SRI2023, the world’s largest gathering on Sustainability Research & Innovation, to be held in Panama from June 26th to 30th, 2023.
Be part of the entire SRI2023 experience, including sessions, networking, and more, by registering soon!
See the agenda here: https://2023.sricongress.org/agenda
Not-to-miss sessions
Monday June 26 – 11:00 – 12:30 EDT
Creating innovation ecosystems to bring urban strategies to action
With Maria Uhle, Program Director for International Activities, Directorate for Geosciences, National Science Foundation / Chair of the IAI’s Executive Council and US Focal Point at the IAI
Monday June 26 – 11:00 – 12:30 EDT
With Kim Portmess, Program Consultant at Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI)
Monday June 26 – 13:30 – 15:00 EDT
What Does (just, equitable, and inclusive) Leadership Look Like?
With Kim Portmess, Program Consultant at Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI)
Monday June 26 – – 13:30 – 15:00 EDT
With Laila Sandroni, IAI STeP Fellow, and Anahi Urquiza, Director of Innovation – Universidad de Chile / Member of the IAI’s Scientific Advisory Committee
Monday June 26 – – 15:00 – 17:00 EDT
Overlooked no more: Centering youth voices in science diplomacy and Negotiations for global climate action
With Fany Ramos Quispe, IAI STeP Fellow at the Belmont Forum.
With Fany Ramos Quispe, STeP Fellow at the Belmont Forum
Tuesday June 27 – 8:30 – 10:30 EDT
With Lily House-Peters, Associate Professor, California State University, Gabriela Alonso Yanez, University of Calgary and Marshalee Valentine, Co-founder/President of the Board – Jamaican Women in Coffee JAWiC
Tuesday June 27 – 13:30 – 15:00 EDT
Cultural Diversity and Science: Dialogues from Latin America
With Fany Ramos Quispe, STeP Fellow at the Belmont Forum
Tuesday June 27 – 8:30 – 10:30 EDT
With Matias Mastrángelo, IAI STeP Fellow at the IAI Directorate
Thursday June 29 – 11:00 – 12:30 EDT
With Anna Stewart, IAI Executive Director and Nicole Arbour, Executive Director, Belmont Forum
Thursday June 29 – 11:00 – 12:30 EDT
Co-creation approaches to address interdisciplinary sustainability challenges
With Omar López Alfano, Chair of the IAI Scientific Advisory Committee
Friday June 30 – 13:30 – 15:00 EDT
Stakeholder engagement for transdisciplinary and inclusive biodiversity conservation
With Matias Mastrángelo, IAI STeP Fellow at the IAI Directorate
Friday June 30 – 13:30 – 15:00 EDT
Tracking Research Funding Flows to Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)
With Omar López Alfano, Chair of the IAI Scientific Advisory Committee, Anna Stewart, IAI Executive Director, and Maria Uhle, Program Director for International Activities, Directorate for Geosciences, National Science Foundation / Chair of the IAI’s Executive Council and US Focal Point at the IAI
IAI Newsletter 2/23
Two new IAI alliances with international organizations
The IAI announces a new initiative to promote the integrated management of sargassum
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The IAI will be leading an initiative to develop a project identification form (PIF) under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) on “Promoting the Integrated Management of Sargassum: Building Resilient Tourism and Fisheries Sectors through the Conservation of Marine Ecosystems (SARGMARINE).”
The Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) will fund this work. The initiative promotes the integrated management of sargassum in the Caribbean and Latin America, aligning with national strategies and decisions adopted through multilateral environmental agreements.
It results from the IAI Directorate’s efforts to meet requests from Parties to develop initiatives and projects related to sargassum. The initiative aims to structure and prepare a PIF document in coordination with CAF, the University of West Indies, the Caribbean Environment Programme (CEP) of UNEP, NOAA, and other relevant partners.
The project beneficiary countries have yet to be confirmed, but country representatives will be involved in developing the PIF. The SARGMARINE project is designed within the strategy framework proposed in the UNEPCEP 2021 Sargassum White paper, which identifies a range of possible interventions and management strategies that may be broadly categorized as either adaptation or mitigation.
The expected results include the following:
- Improved planning and response through country-driven monitoring and evaluation initiatives and exposure and vulnerability assessments of sargassum influxes;
- Improved forecasting products tailored to tourism and fisheries sectors that support the establishment of national sargassum early warning systems;
- Informed decision-making and action through the determination of the feasibility of sargassum valorization as a means of alleviating impacts
- Policy recommendations for local governments to promote blue-growth initiatives and foster the development of the blue economy.
The project was highlighted on March 3 at a side event hosted by CAF during the Our Ocean 2023 meeting in Panama City, Panama.
The IAI is grateful for the financial support received from CAF that made this initiative possible.
For more information, please contact Dr. Anna Stewart Ibarra at astewart@dir.iai.int.
Notification: https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/nt-2023-06-en%20SARGASSUM.pdf
The IAI and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) sign an MoU to strengthen cooperation and exchange of information in the Americas
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The IAI Directorate and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation and exchange of information in the Americas.
The WMO is the United Nations system´s authoritative voice on the state and behavior of the Earth´s atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces, and the resulting distribution of water resources.
WMO and IAI share common objectives about pursuing international cooperation and the complete and open exchange of scientific information relevant to global change. They also identify the need to generate scientific information in a transdisciplinary and comprehensive manner that can guide global change mitigation and adaptation efforts and contribute to policy decisions.
The IAI is collaborating with the WMO Regional Office for the Americas to support capacity building and seed grant projects at the nexus of health, climate, and the environment. The IAI and WMO also participated in joint sessions in the framework of the VIII Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean, held 28 Feb – 02 March 2023 in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
Joint activities under this framework may include efforts with the WMO Regional Office for the Americas to support developing and implementing early warning systems in response to the UN Early Warning Systems for All Initiative, which Executive Action Plan (2023-2027) was presented at the UNFCCC twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) which was held from 6 to 18 November 2022 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The IAI and the WMO also plan to discuss joint capacity-building initiatives to enhance the scientific and technological capacities in the region.
The IAI Directorate hopes that this MoU will provide IAI Parties with greater capacity to meet the following objectives in Article II of the Agreement establishing the IAI:
- Improve the scientific and technical capabilities and research infrastructure of the States of the region by identifying and promoting the development of facilities for the implementation of data management and by the scientific and technical training of professionals;
- Foster standardization, collection, analysis, and exchange of scientific data relevant to global change; and,
- Improve public awareness and provide scientific information to governments for the development of public policy relevant to global change.
The full text of the MoU is available at: https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/nt-2023-07-en%20OMM.pdf
