The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), along with Thailand Science Research and Innovation (TSRI), co-hosted the 14th annual Global Research Council (GRC) meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, from May 18 to 22, 2026. This five-day event brought together the heads of funding agencies from around the world.

The GRC has a long-term objective of fostering multilateral research and collaboration across continents to benefit both developing and developed nations. NSERC has played, and continues to play, a leading role on behalf of Canada in the GRC by chairing and leading several governance and working groups. This year’s discussion topics were Research for Sustainable Communities and Open Science.

NSERC facilitated the development of the two discussion papers that were the focus of the five regional meetings of the GRC in late fall 2025: Reimagining Inclusive Open Science for Equity, Justice, written by Professor Leslie Chan, Director of the Knowledge Equity Lab at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and Sustainability and Research for Sustainable Communities, written by Professor Ursula Eicker, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities and Communities at Concordia University.

Since the GRC meeting in Bangkok, two Statements of Principles on Open Science and Research for Sustainable Communities have now been endorsed and published:

• Statement of Principles: Open Science – A shared vision for making research more open, inclusive, and equitable while respecting cultural, ethical, and security considerations. It emphasizes community‑led governance, responsible data sharing, and sustainable public infrastructure, with particular attention to Indigenous Knowledge, regional diversity, and reducing global research inequities. The principles guide research funders in advancing open science in ways that build trust, strengthen collaboration, and deliver meaningful societal impact.
• Statement of Principles: Research for Sustainable Communities – A shared vision for using publicly funded research to help communities become more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient in the face of climate change, inequality, and rapid urbanization. It emphasizes working with communities—valuing local and Indigenous Knowledge—and measuring success through social and environmental benefits rather than academic outputs alone. The paper also highlights the importance of open science, responsible use of AI, and flexible, context‑sensitive funding to ensure research delivers lasting, community‑driven change.

A Joint Call to Action: Open Science and Research for Sustainable Communities was also published, urging research funders and institutions worldwide to embed open science, ethical AI, and community-engaged research into policies, funding, and evaluation systems to ensure research directly supports sustainable, inclusive, and resilient communities.

NSERC is also pleased to have taken the GRC meeting as an opportunity to sign collaboration agreements with the German Research Foundation (DFG), the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), and the Research Council of Norway (RCN). Such international collaborations are critical to broadening our horizons while exploring new opportunities for cutting-edge research and innovation.

NSERC is proud to have played a leading role in advancing a collective vision for open science and sustainable, community-driven research grounded in Canadian values. The Global Research Council provides an essential forum for research funders to align around shared principles that strengthen research worldwide, and we would like to express our sincere thanks to our co-host, TSRI, for their invaluable support in planning this meeting. Extending our international memoranda of understanding further reinforces our commitment to global collaboration and ensures Canadian researchers are well positioned to succeed through strong, trusted partnerships.

Together at GRC 2026, let us welcome the world with the warmth of Thai hospitality and showcase the strength of global collaboration in science, research, and innovation.

• NSERC’s President is chair of the GRC Governing Board, and NSERC provides leadership on its various working groups, helping to advance shared priorities on issues such as responsible research assessment practices, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and equitable international and multilateral collaboration to address global challenges.
• As co-chair of the GRC Responsible Research Assessment Working Group, NSERC is pleased to have contributed, in collaboration with DORA, to the development of A Practical Guide to Implementing Responsible Research Assessment for Research Funding Organisations and the Responsible Research Assessment Self-assessment Tool for Funders. Together, these resources are designed to support funders in implementing more responsible approaches to research assessment.