Scientists Without Borders

Visit the Scientists Without Borders Web site

Scientists Without Borders^SM is a novel initiative that aims to mobilize and coordinate science-based activities that improve quality of life in the developing world. Conceived by the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) and the United Nations Millennium Project and guided by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Scientists Without Borders helps match needs with resources and enables its members to join forces across organizations, disciplines, and distances to deliver an impact that they could not achieve independently.

We have successfully created a free, robust international community Web site and database that builds bridges among scientists and organizations from disparate specialties and locations. "Members"—individuals, projects, and organizations that work, or would like to work, in the developing world—enter information about themselves, including their needs and/or resources. Potential partners can then be contacted directly through the site. With a few clicks, the opportunity for meaningful collaboration is born.

Since its launch in May 2008, Scientists Without Borders has achieved much success, including:

• Registering 614 experts, 125 projects, and 170 organizations from across the globe
• Building a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, whose MDG Monitor links Web users directly to the Scientists Without Borders Web site
• Attracting community members who represent breadth in every sense—CEOs of world-class companies from the developed world have registered on the site, as have undergraduates from some of the planet’s poorest countries
• Engaging the participation of busy experts at the top of their fields

Now that Scientists Without Borders has proven its utility, we seek to expand its reach by growing the network to maximize the program’s potential and expanding the Web portal’s capabilities to more seamlessly connect members and allow them to share ideas. We propose to:

• Expand our partnerships to enhance our reach into local communities.
• Partner with Science, Technology, and Health Ministers of various countries (with pilot projects in Ghana, Rwanda, and Tanzania) to act as global advocates.
• Create an industry advisory council to cultivate industry leaders.
• Develop Web site functionality to improve meaningful matches and provide targeted information for members.
• Build community tools that allow users to form learning clusters to be able to communicate in groups and cultivate a sense of belonging to the community.

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