International Science Reserve
The International Science Reserve is an initiative of the New York Academy of Sciences that mobilizes a global network of scientists and partners to prepare for and help mitigate complex, transnational crises. It coordinates readiness exercises, scenario planning, and access to specialized scientific resources when emergencies are declared. The concept was profiled in 2021 by Axios as a "LinkedIn for science" intended to enable rapid, cross-border collaboration ahead of future pandemics and climate-related disasters.
History
Planning for the ISR was publicly discussed in mid-2021, and the initiative was formally activated on with the announcement of its Executive Board and an initial focus on wildfire prevention and management. On the same day, Axios reported that more than 1,000 "rapid response" scientists in the ISR community were set to tackle wildfires through scenario-based readiness exercises.In June 2022, the ISR published a white paper summarizing lessons from its first readiness exercise on wildfires, including recruitment of more than 1,000 scientists from over 90 countries and simulated scenarios in the United States, Greece, and Indonesia. A contemporaneous industry article also described the wildfire exercise and its aims to match researchers with specialized resources during crises.
In August 2024, the ISR and the Center for Advanced Preparedness and Threat Response Simulation launched a free "serious game" to help scientists and decision-makers practice choices in evolving public-health emergencies.