ICSU INTERNATIONAL
COUNCIL FOR
SCIENCE		 ICSU FOR BEGINNERS

PREAMBLE

The International Council of Scientific Unions was created in 1931 to promote international scientific activity in the different branches of science and their applications for the benefit of humanity. At an Extraordinary General Assembly in April 1998 the name was changed to ICSU: the International Council for Science. Since its creation, ICSU has vigorously pursued a policy of non-discrimination, affirming the rights and freedom of scientists throughout the world to engage in international scientific activity without regard to such factors as citizenship, religion, creed, political stance, ethnic origin, race, colour, language, age or sex.

ICSU is a non-governmental organisation with two categories of membership: National Scientific Members (scientific academies or research councils) which are national, multidisciplinary bodies (98 members), and Scientific Unions, which are international, disciplinary organisations (26 members). The complement of these two groups provides a wide spectrum of scientific expertise enabling members to address major international, interdisciplinary issues which none of them could handle alone. In addition, ICSU has 28 International or Regional Scientific Associates, which are organisations in the natural sciences or fields cognate to those of ICSU (such as the humanistic, medical, social and technical sciences) and whose scientific activities do not fall within the scope of a single Scientific Union Member of ICSU.

The Council seeks to accomplish its role in a number of ways. First, it initiates, designs and co-ordinates major international, interdisciplinary research programmes, such as the International Geophysical Year (1957-58), the International Biological Programme (1964-74), or the more recent International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme: A Study of Global Change (IGBP). Second, ICSU fosters interdisciplinary bodies, which undertake activities and research programmes of interest to several member bodies. Examples of such activities include antarctic, oceanic, space and water research, problems of the environment, solar-terrestrial physics, genetic experimentation and biotechnology.

In addition to these programmes and activities, which seek to break the barriers of specialisation, several bodies set up within ICSU address matters of common concern to all scientists, such as: capacity building in science; data; science and technology in developing countries; ethics; and freedom in the conduct of science.

The Council also acts as a focus for the exchange of ideas, the communication of scientific information and the development of scientific standards. Scientific conferences, congresses and symposia are organised by ICSU members all round the world - the total in excess of 600 a year, and a wide range of newsletters, handbooks, learned journals and proceedings of meetings is published. ICSU also assists in the creation of international and regional networks of scientists with similar interests. ICSU maintains close working relations with a number of intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, in particular with UNESCO, in co-operation with which a number of international programmes have been launched and are being run, and with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Finally, because ICSU is in contact, through its membership, with hundreds of thousands of scientists world-wide, it is being increasingly called upon to speak on behalf of the world scientific community and act as an adviser in matters ranging from ethics to the environment.

1. How are ICSU and it's governing bodies organised?

The highest governing body of ICSU is the General Assembly. Implementation of policy and day-to-day matters are dealt with by the Officers and the Executive Board.

The General Assembly, composed of the National Scientific Members and the International Scientific Unions, meets every three years and is responsible for setting the general direction, policies and priorities for ICSU for the next triennium, including the level of dues of its Members. Whilst only the full Members of ICSU may vote at the Assembly, all members of the ICSU family may attend (full Members, Associates, Observers, and interdisciplinary scientific bodies). It adopts Resolutions on matters of importance to its Members, which it is then the responsibility of the Executive Board to implement in between sessions of the Assembly.

The Executive Board is composed of six Officers and eight Ordinary Members (four from the National Scientific Members and four from the International Scientific Unions) elected by the General Assembly from nominations proposed by Members. It is responsible for policy implementation, formulation of issues needing to be addressed and the day-to-day administration of ICSU. It is assisted in these tasks by a Secretariat headed by an Executive Director. The Executive Board normally meets twice a year and, in addition, the Officers also meet separately twice a year.

ICSU has the following five Policy Committees and three Advisory Committees, which are Statutory bodies responsible to the Executive Board and the General Assembly):

Policy Committees:

  • Scientific Planning and Review
  • Governance
  • Finance and Fund-raising
  • Freedom in the Conduct of Science
  • Responsibility and Ethics in Science

Advisory Committees:

  • Dissemination of Scientific Information
  • Science and Technology in Developing Countries (COSTED) and International Scientific Networks
  • Environment

2. What are the roles of National Members and of Union Members?

  • National Members provide input on: national, international and societal needs as well as scientific; on priority areas for future ICSU activities; and on facilitating links with governments and intergovernmental organizations
  • Union Members provide scientific expertise and input on scientific priority areas for future ICSU activities and facilitate links with the scientific community and non-governmental international organizations
  • On financial matters, each Member has an equal vote; on other matters, votes are weighted so that the two sets of Members have an equal total vote
  • All pay dues at a level of their choosing

3. What are the obligations of membership in ICSU?

Both the Scientific Union and National Scientific Members of ICSU and the Scientific and Regional Associates are required to pay dues annually. The Scientific Union Members are required to submit annual reports, as are the Interdisciplinary Bodies, and Scientific and Regional Associates. The Secretariat sends out written requests for all these each year.

In addition, ICSU is a network of its members, who are encouraged to take advantage of this in a proactive manner. The strength and influence of ICSU depends not only on the responsiveness of its membership to requests for assistance but on the ideas and information communicated to ICSU on their own initiative.

4. What kind of activities does ICSU support, how and when?

What:

Global and/or interdisciplinary through financial aid and advice on organizational matters and encouragement and help with implementation of specific activities. Upon request ICSU can provide an evaluation mechanism for activities or institutions and can act as the voice of science providing visibility for its members and their activities to the inter-governmental and non-governmental world in general. ICSU particularly encourages interdisciplinary activities and can act as a clearinghouse for members to put them in contact with like-minded bodies, both within and outside the ICSU family. Certain of the ICSU Scientific Committees (known as Interdisciplinary Bodies) have specific remits of broad general interest to all members, for example the Committee on Capacity Building in Science and the World Data Centres. An extensive programme on risk assessment is being carried out on ICSU's behalf by its Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment.

How:

Financial aid

International Scientific Union Members of ICSU and the Interdisciplinary Bodies created by ICSU may apply for funding of specific projects through the ICSU Grants Programme. This Programme is divided into two parts: large grants (US$50,000-100,000) particularly aimed at new initiatives, and small grants (up to US$50,000) to be used as seed money. Application forms for requests for grants are sent to members around June of each year and must be received by 31 March of the succeeding year for allocation the year after that. The following are the present priority themes for funding in 2002:

  • Science and Technology for Sustainable Development;
  • Capacity Building and Science Education;
  • Science / Policy Interface;
  • Dissemination of Information on Science and Technology;
  • Emerging Science and Technology - Creation of New Knowledge.

ICSU can also assist in requests for financial support addressed to other agencies and in identifying appropriate agencies to contact. The ICSU Grants' Programme can be useful leverage when seeking other funding.

Implementation of and publicity for specific activities

ICSU can encourage and promote specific activities, particularly new initiatives, through acting as a clearing house for information, providing its imprimatur as appropriate, publicising activities of members (e.g. in the ICSU Newsletter, Science International, and through ICSU's webpage and website links) and can also help in identifying appropriate partners both within ICSU and in the wider community (intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations). Members are encouraged to organise fora on specific activities at the time of the ICSU General Assembly.

Example of activities where ICSU can act as a source of advice and as a clearinghouse for information:

  • travel grant programmes;
  • capacity building: (curriculum activities, training opportunities, speaker bureaus);
  • young scientist exchange;
  • access to ICSU's database of members, partner organizations and individuals.

Evaluation mechanism

When requested, ICSU will mobilise resources to provide a peer review system for evaluation of activities or institutions.

Voice of science/visibility

As the major non-governmental scientific organization worldwide, through its two categories of membership ICSU provides an impartial voice for science and a greater impact on international fora than members could achieve alone.

5. How can I participate in a particular activity?

Volunteer! Either by writing directly to the relevant bodies (groups, committees, etc.) or by participation in meetings of the ICSU family.

6. What kind of quality assessment activities does ICSU have?

  • Programme reviews - all ICSU interdisciplinary bodies are subject to statutory review every six years and may be discontinued if the review is unsatisfactory
  • Appointment by Executive Board of Chairs and membership for Programmes and some ICSU interdisciplinary bodies through an international search ensures the high quality of the scientists involved
  • Encouragement of self-reviews by Unions and National Members
  • Review process of statements and grants
  • Financial audit

7. How does ICSU disseminate Policy?

Through the General Assembly Resolutions and through ICSU Statements, information, position/state of the art assessment reports disseminated to the ICSU international network of members and of partner organizations both intergovernmental and non-governmental. These may be either ICSU initiated (at the request of Members of ICSU) or ICSU-sponsored after consultation within the ICSU family. ICSU has issued Statements on: Gene Patenting (1992), Freedom in the Conduct of Science (1995), Use of Animals in Research and Education (1996). In addition, the ICSU/CODATA Ad hoc Group on Data and Information has issued a Set of Principles for Dissemination of Scientific Data (1999).

8. How does ICSU relate to the UN system?

ICSU has official relations with several members of the UN system and sponsors joint programmes with different UN agencies, notably with WMO and UNESCO (e.g., WCRP, the Global Observing Systems, DIVERSITAS). UNESCO, with which ICSU has particularly close relations funds approximately half of the ICSU Grants' Programme. Through these relations, members of ICSU have access to UN bodies that relate to their interests and that may assist them in achieving their aims.

9. How is ICSU evolving? Where is it going?

ICSU evolved from the International Research Council, which was founded in 1919 and initially comprised only National Scientific Members. It progressively embraced an increasing number of Scientific Union Members to give it the broad scientific and international base that it has today. Several organizational changes have resulted from an in-depth assessment which was completed in 1996. The urgent global needs that have in part been recognised through science now present both challenges and opportunities for ICSU that are increasingly likely to require interdisciplinary approaches.

10. Where do I get information on ICSU programmes and whom do I contact?

ICSU Secretariat
51, Bd de Montmorency
75016 Paris, France.
Tel.: 33 (0) 1 45 25 03 29
Fax: 33 (0) 1 42 88 94 31
Email: secretariat@icsu.org
www.icsu.org