At the 2025 SRI Congress in Chicago, the Belmont Forum’s Advancing Leadership Program (ALP) was featured in two sessions. A panel titled “Empowering Boundary Spanning Changemakers” highlighted the ALP’s mission to develop inclusive, transdisciplinary leadership for global challenges. Speakers from academia, science diplomacy, Indigenous communities, and funders shared insights on co-leading with non-academic actors, the role of mentorship, and overcoming collaboration challenges across sectors and cultures. ALP also co-led an interactive workshop with Inclusive Innovation, titled “Navigating Hierarchy,” which offered participants a sample hands-on experience of the program’s curriculum. The session focused on examining power and privilege using past Calls for Research Action (CRAs) case studies and a “power and privilege wheel” tool, which sparked meaningful reflection and interest in applying the approach and tool in participants’ work.
The ALP was also presented at the Belmont Forum Plenary (Open Day) to members, partners, and observers. The program has gone through several iterations of development, particularly due to the changing global political and financial landscape. Hence, for many, this was the first time experiencing a comprehensive presentation of the program’s structure. This includes detailing the ALP’s integration with Belmont Forum’s Collaborative Research Actions (CRAs), including its structure as a one-year fellowship for TD Pairs (researcher and societal actor), supported by a dedicated training curriculum, mentorship, and a strong emphasis on impact through practical outputs and reflection tools. Overall, the ALP was presented as a complementary, embedded component of the CRA ecosystem, enhancing visibility, leadership development, and long-term collaboration across the global TD community.
By Anne-Teresa Birthwright