SMITHSONIAN GRAND CHALLENGES CONSORTIA

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1 SMITHSONIAN GRAND CHALLENGES CONSORTIA Collaborative Thinking to Advance Knowledge and Find Solutions Smithsonian Institution

2 FOUR GRAND CHALLENGES Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet: Sustainability and biodiversity go hand in hand. We build on our long history of environmental research to create and disseminate knowledge that helps ecosystems and species to flourish. Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe: Are we alone? What are the origins, and the ultimate fate, of our planet and our Universe? To answer these questions, we study how planets, stars, and galaxies form and evolve, and how environments suitable for life are created. Understanding the American Experience: The Smithsonian embodies the nation s memory, the one place that tells America s whole story. Consortia programs bring a fresh perspective to the study of our national heritage and the significance of its icons; they shed light on what distinguishes us and what binds us together. Valuing World Cultures: With a presence in 100-plus countries, and with collections that span the globe, the Smithsonian connects cultures and empowers people to better appreciate and interact with one another.

3 Imagine what can happen when we bring together smart people from diverse fields to tackle issues that pose significant challenges to our nation, planet, and Universe. In a world where problems are too complex for any one branch of knowledge to solve alone, answers are more readily found where disciplines intersect. At the Smithsonian, our expertise runs deep and broad, encompassing history, art, science, and culture and built upon our unsurpassed collections of 138 million objects and specimens. In 2009, the Smithsonian community defined four Grand Challenges drawn from its research strengths and institutional aspirations. To stimulate intellectual exchange and collaboration, the Smithsonian, working with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, formed the Consortia to focus on the Grand Challenges. The charge is to incubate, develop, and support collaborations across the Institution s multiple disciplines, connecting Smithsonian collections and intellectual capital in ways that combine fresh thinking with emerging technology to explore weighty questions and design appropriate answers. The Smithsonian Advantage Catalyst and convener, the Smithsonian is uniquely equipped for this endeavor. We have brought artists together with astrophysicists to interpret the cosmos. Marine biologists researching how the ocean is changing today work side by side with paleobiologists who understand how and why the ocean changed millions of years ago. We advance knowledge in ways that contribute to a healthier, sustainable planet. The Smithsonian supports a singular range of scholarship and research sites throughout the world. With 160 years of research in science, history, art, and culture, we undertake studies that yield data and information enriched by scholars working in many areas. Through large-scale and traveling exhibitions, external partnerships, publications, documentaries, and online and in-person education programs, we share our results directly with the public. INDICATORS OF SUCCESS The Grand Challenges Consortia have raised the Smithsonian s research profile and brought new resources to big endeavors through: More than 100 interdisciplinary research projects that explore important issues such as sustainability, the demographics of the nation, and revitalization of culture after man-made or natural disasters. Collaborations that involve more than 365 scholars, scientists, and educators from 40 Smithsonian museums, research institutes, and outreach programs. Innovative partnerships with organizations such as national laboratories, regional museums, and relief agencies.

4 Grand Challenges Consortia Signature Programs The Consortia create opportunities for interdisciplinary scholarship, research, and education, within the Smithsonian and beyond it. Below are examples of signature programs. Living in the Anthropocene The Smithsonian is documenting how human societies are shaping environmental change, and at the same time is promoting global, long-term thinking that integrates the humanities, the arts, and the sciences to meet the new challenges of this Age of Humans. American Innovation and Creativity With American Innovation and Creativity, the Smithsonian and its partners mount exhibitions, design public events, and create digital resources that explain how knowledge, imagination, creativity, and education crystallize into innovations that benefit the world and keep America competitive. Global Earth Observatories To understand rapid environmental change and its impacts across the whole Earth system, the Smithsonian established three long-term observatories to monitor forests (ForestGEO), the ocean (Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network), and tribal lands (IndigenousGEO). Our American Journey: The Smithsonian Immigration & Migration Initiative Our American Journey illuminates how waves of immigration and migration shaped the American experience, helping citizens see themselves within the nation s broader narrative and showing how a rich blend of cultures made us who we are.

5 Biodiversity Genomics An organism s genome the sum of its genes can teach us a lot about how it evolved and how it functions. The Smithsonian integrates genomic data into existing biological, environmental, and conservation studies to decipher nature s mysteries and sustain global biodiversity. Preserving Cultural Heritage To preserve the places, things, and traditions that make us who we are, even in the face of war or natural disaster, the Smithsonian has established the Cultural Crisis Recovery Center, creating partnerships and action plans to rescue and restore cultural heritage when disaster strikes at home or abroad. Conservation Commons The diversity of life on Earth underpins human economies and well-being. Using the Smithsonian s convening power, the Conservation Commons applies conservation science to natural and human-altered environments, trains new biodiversity professionals, and helps imperiled species and habitats recover. Urban Waterways Urban Waterways looks at an extensive national network of rivers, including those in Washington, D.C., using the latest technology to engage citizens, raise awareness, and instill appreciation for rivers and their role in sustainable urban development. Life in the Cosmos Smithsonian researchers develop new observational tools, examine the environment, measure global change, and study the evolution of the Universe, answering important questions about our planet and its place in the cosmos and disseminating the results to scholars and the public.

6 The Civil War 150 Consortia team receives a Secretary s Award for Excellence for the book Smithsonian Civil War: Inside the National Collection, highlighting research and objects across 13 museums. How You Can Connect The Grand Challenges Consortia are creating an exciting new culture within the Smithsonian, one where collaboration is the norm. What s more, Consortia projects benefit from the added value of the Smithsonian s sophisticated education programs that translate impact into public learning opportunities as well as connections to the Smithsonian Channel, Smithsonian Books, and Smithsonian Magazine which broadcast those opportunities worldwide. Would you like to connect with the Consortia through philanthropy, research collaboration, or public programming? To discuss your idea, or simply to learn more about what the Consortia do in your area of interest, contact: Michelle Delaney, Director of the Grand Challenges Consortia for the Humanities Understanding the American Experience Valuing World Cultures Pierre Comizzoli, Director of the Grand Challenges Consortia for Science Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe Understanding and Sustaining a Biodiverse Planet Consortia@si.edu Phone: (202) SI Building Room 107, MRC 052, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C Consortia@si.edu Web: