International Science Reserve Honored as a Fast Company World Changing Idea

Fast Company honored the ISR as a World Changing Idea for its ongoing work to create a global scientific network focused on rapid crisis response.

New York, NY | May 2, 2023 – The International Science Reserve (ISR), an initiative of the New York Academy of Sciences, today announced that Fast Company honored the ISR as a World Changing Idea for its ongoing work with private and public partners to create a global scientific network focused on rapid crisis response.

The initiative was honored under the annual awards’ new “Rapid Response” category.

“Scientists from around the world want to contribute when there is a global crisis – from climate-related disasters to pandemics. The International Science Reserve is a hub for solutions, connecting scientists to collaborate across borders. That way, we can make sure that solutions are informed by the expertise and insights of researchers in lower-resource contexts, equipping them with cutting-edge tools so that they can better respond to emerging threats,” said Dr. Mila Rosenthal, Executive Director of the International Science Reserve.

This year’s World Changing Ideas Awards were chosen by a panel of Fast Company editors and reporters, who selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 2,200 entries across urban design, education, nature, politics, technology, corporate social responsibility, and more.

Dr. Rosenthal added, “We are grateful that Fast Company recognized the ISR as a ‘World Changing Idea,’ and we encourage scientists from every discipline to join the ISR network to help tackle the next crisis, together.”

A Network of Over 2,000 Scientists from Over 90 Countries

The New York Academy of Sciences launched ISR in 2022 with partners and collaborators including IBM, Google, Pfizer, UL Solutions, and the National Science Foundation.

Since 2022, the International Science Reserve has seeded a network of over 2,000 scientists from over 90 countries. The ISR has worked with its public and private partners to map and make resources more accessible to their network’s researchers, including high-performance computing, geospatial-temporal data sets, and machine learning or AI for terrain mapping and visualization.

In January, the ISR launched a first-of-its-kind partnership with IBM to increase access during crisis to real-time, complex data sets and modeling that will allow for a more effective and systematic global approach to emerging disasters and threats.

About the International Science Reserve

The International Science Reserve is an open network of scientists and scientific institutions, bringing together specialized technical resources for scientists to collaborate on preparing and responding to complex and urgent global crises. In transnational health emergencies and climate-related disasters, researchers in the ISR network will work together to help people and protect communities. Learn more about the initiative Fast Company named a “World Changing Idea” in 2023: www.isr.nyas.org

About Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards

World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Company’s major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With the goals of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all.