American Geosciences Institute to Serve as U.S. Adhering Organization for Six International Science Unions
The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce that it will now serve as the adhering organization for continued U.S. membership in six International Science Unions (ISUs): IUBS (Biological Sciences), IUGG (Geodesy and Geophysics), IUGS (Geological Sciences), INQUA (Quaternary Research), IUSS (Soil Sciences), and IGU (International Geographical Union). The existing U.S. National Committees (USNCs) for each union will continue their work, and their chairs will also serve on the new, integrated USNC for Earth and Life Science Unions.
The USNC for Earth and Life Science Unions will provide a single point of contact and facilitate communications between the USNCs for each of the six unions and federal agencies. AGI has also signed a new Memorandum of Intent (MOI) with the U.S. National Science Foundation that, pending availability of funds, intends to provide funding for annual U.S. membership dues for five of the unions (IUBS, IUGG, IUGS, INQUA, and IUSS). The USNCs of these five unions were previously housed within the Board on International Scientific Organizations (BISO) at the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). This agreement became effective September 1, 2026, and the new organizational structure will enable seamless and sustained U.S. engagement in these important international scientific bodies.
Speaking on behalf of the six USNC chairs represented on the new USNC for Earth and Life Science Unions, Bradley Cramer, chair of the USNC for IUGS said, “We strongly believe this is the best way forward for the U.S. scientific community to continue providing global leadership, while strengthening the organization, oversight, funding, and integration of federal efforts across the global Earth and life sciences landscape.”
For more information, please contact AGI’s Interim Executive Director, Christopher M. Keane at keane@americangeosciences.org.
For more information about individual USNCs, please contact the appropriate USNC Chair:
- IUBS: Gillian Bowser – Colorado State University – gbowser@coloradostate.edu
- IUGG: Amanda Clarke – Arizona State University – amanda.clarke@asu.edu
- IUGS: Brad Cramer – University of Iowa – bradley-cramer@uiowa.edu
- INQUA: Natalie Kehrwald – United States Geological Survey – nkehrwald@usgs.gov
- IUSS: Gene Kelly – Colorado State University – eugene.kelly@coloradostate.edu
- IGU: Kristen Kurland – Carnegie Mellon University – kurland@andrew.cmu.edu
About AGI
The American Geosciences Institute (AGI), a federation of scientific and professional organizations representing over a quarter-million geoscientists, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to serving the geoscience community and addressing the needs of society. AGI headquarters are in Alexandria, Virginia.