2022 Annual Meeting
The 10th GRC Annual Meeting, was held from 28 May – 2 June 2022 in Panama City, Panama. The Meeting was hosted by National Secretary of The National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT) and co-hosted by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). In total, 140 delegates from 40 countries attended the Annual Meeting, with 45 Heads of Research Councils participating to share best practices and discuss common research funding policy priorities and issues.
The two timely and interlinked topics for this year's Annual Meeting were “Research Ethics, Integrity, and Culture in the Context of Rapid Results” and “Science and Technology Workforce Development” with Statements of Principles (SoPs) for each having been endorsed by GRC participant organizations at this Annual Meeting, following extensive consultation with GRC participants and the GRC’s Governing Board.
Over the course of the Annual Meeting, GRC participants discussed potential strategies towards action around these topics, acknowledging the ongoing need for international collaboration and the promotion of knowledge co-creation in the face of global grand challenges. In this context, the hosts of the Annual Meeting compiled a collection of Case Studies on Research Ethics, Integrity, and Culture in the Context of Rapid Results and Science and Technology Workforce drawing together examples submitted by GRC participant organizations. These case studies highlight the diversity and cultural nuance of GRC participants’ approaches to and experiences in this area. as well as the interplay of the mission- orientated research and public engagement topics.
Participants heard keynote talks on Research Ethics, Integrity and Culture in the Context of Rapid Results by Prue Williams of New Zealand (MBIE) and another by Dame Prof. Ottoline Leyser (UKRI) entitled “By everyone, for everyone: diversifying the research and innovation workforce”.
The Annual Meeting participants advanced discussions led by two GRC Working Groups. The first was a stakeholder panel discussion by the Responsible Research Assessment Working Group on its International Vision and Objectives, and the second was a Mutual Learning Session by the Gender Working Group on Bullying and Harassment in Research.
Meeting participants attended two side events, “How can research and research councils contribute to sustainable development of the Amazon region?” led by FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation) and NWO (Netherlands Research Council), and “Multilateral Funding for Research: What are the Challenges? What is the role of the GRC?” led by RCN (Research Council of Norway), DFG (German Research Foundation), FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation) and JST (Japan Science & Technology Agency).
SENACYT National Secretary Dr. Eduardo Ortega-Barría said: "For SENACYT, co-sponsoring this event is a clear demonstration of our interest in collaborating with the world in strengthening science, technological development and innovation. In Panama you will find a vigorous scientific ecosystem. One that cares about cooperating with the world in the search for solutions to the immense challenges facing our planet. "
NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan emphasized in his remarks how the initials of the GRC described the importance of international cooperation, specifically the importance of Growing international research collaborations through shared values, openness integrity and reciprocity; Responding collectively to advance discovery; and to Collaborating to democratize talent and ideas across all nations.
The 11th Annual Meeting will be held in The Hague, Netherlands from 28 May to 2 June 2023, and co-hosted by NWO (Netherlands) and FAPESP (Brazil).
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