Schmidt Science Fellows

Our ambition for the Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings, in association with Schmidt Science Fellows, is to support institutions in fostering environments where interdisciplinary science can thrive. Congratulations to every university recognized as an exemplar in the 2025 Rankings. https://lnkd.in/dBiVuqtj

Meet a few of our Schmidt Science Fellows, whose portraits hang at the Smithsonian right now, in honor of the power of interdisciplinary science and coinciding with the release of a new ranking of global universities that are creating the conditions for boundary-breaking discoveries. The knowledge of how to fight disease and pandemics in new ways, how to build a healthier, more resilient, and more secure world for more people is ready for us to uncover when we bring the lenses of different disciplines to investigate problems. At the Schmidt Science Fellows program, we experience this revelation over and over again in the projects of the scientists we support. The more we look, the more we see interconnections in our physical universe, from the smallest subatomic particle to the luminescent creatures in the deepest Ocean to the farthest galaxy in Space. It’s a fabric, we’re in it, and the more our practice of science helps us understand this, using all the tools we are fortunate to have developed, the more humans can thrive. We’re the reason we do science at all. If you were to study the universe with only a microscope, you would miss the stars. Portraits by @weareoutright

The launch of the inaugural Interdisciplinary Science Rankings has demonstrated an inspiring global ambition to do science differently. https://lnkd.in/dBiVuqtj By bringing together perspectives, ideas, and skills, interdisciplinary science broadens our view and enhances our ability to innovate and solve the complex problems facing science and society.   But it is challenging to do science differently, to cross the lines, to break down the barriers. Our aspiration in supporting the Times Higher Education Rankings was to fuel a global conversation: How can we best support the most creative and courageous interdisciplinary science at the individual, institutional, national, and international level? What can we do differently? With 749 institutions from 92 countries participating (the largest Rankings debut in Times Higher Education’s history) and more than 250 academic leaders, business leaders, researchers, funders, and policymakers joining a dedicated Forum to explore how we drive positive culture change, that conversation is now live. Massachusetts Institute of Technology was ranked number one and its Vice-President for Research Ian Waitz described the inaugural Rankings as an “impressive and audacious” project that would drive progress at scale across the research sector. And whilst established research regions performed strongly, the Rankings are also remarkable for the diversity of engaged institutions. Phil Baty, Times Higher Education’s Chief Global Engagement Officer, said the Rankings demonstrated a “real hunger across the world’s higher education sector to show their commitment to interdisciplinarity science and a desire to better understand, benchmark, and recognize their interdisciplinary work." And our Founding Executive Director Dr. Megan Kenna underlined the vital need to develop and adopt new approaches to science.  “The solutions we need for the 21st century will not come from a single discipline. “They will come from the fertile intersection of fields like biology and data science or engineering and economics. “They will come from bringing together people who don’t think alike but who think differently, creatively, and courageously.” She added: “These rankings are more than a list — they are a statement of values, declaring that the future of science is collaborative, inclusive, and unafraid of complexity.”

Over 400 years ago, the scientific revolution gave birth to the modern world - but today, the challenges the world faces call not for a scientific revolution, but for a revolution in science. So said Dr. Megan Kenna, at an inspirational evening dinner hosted by Megan, Schmidt Science Fellows and Schmidt Sciences to mark the launch of the inaugural Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings. She said: The scientific revolution "was an era of extraordinary courage and creativity, led by figures like Galileo and Newton, who dared to challenge conventions and redefine what was possible. "That revolution brought us the scientific method, disciplines like physics and chemistry, and the foundation for engineering and modern medicine. "But today, the challenges the world faces call not for a scientific revolution, but for a revolution in science.  "For a change in how science is done. "Because in recent decades, the structures of academia, research funding, and publication have rewarded an ever-increasing and narrow specialization. "While depth of expertise is essential, so too is breadth of knowledge and the ability to connect ideas across disciplines. And yet the culture that has grown up around science too often encourages researchers to stay in their lanes and to take incremental steps rather than bold leaps. "But let me remind you: that the most profound breakthroughs of the past century—the double-helix structure of DNA, the COVID-19 vaccine, and artificial intelligence—they did not emerge from scientists staying in their own lanes. They came from the scientists that were willing to cross them. "Likewise, the solutions we need for the 21st century will not come from a single discipline. They will come from the fertile intersection of fields like biology and data science or engineering and economics. "They will come from bringing together people who don’t think alike -- but who think differently, creatively, and courageously. "This is why the inaugural Interdisciplinary Science Ranking we celebrate tonight is so vital. For the first time, we are recognizing and championing the universities breaking barriers and harnessing the power of interdisciplinarity." View the rankings here: https://lnkd.in/dQTmDyet With huge thanks to Duncan Ross, Billy Wong, Sol Ramos and Jhesselle Leonor for their work to deliver this project, to Keith Burnett and Ruth Arnold for advocating for THE, to Megan, Matt Goode and all at Schmidt Science Fellows for their vision and drive, and to Wendy Schmidt and Stu Feldman and everyone at Schmidt Sciences for their world-changing philanthropy. #THEUnirankings #THEISR #THEISF

The next-generation of ground-breaking scientific discoveries are most likely to come through the work of new interdisciplinary #science teams. Phil Baty, Chief Knowledge Officer of the Times Higher Education, shares the #universities leading the way on that front #education: https://lnkd.in/eT-RwppR

The inaugural Times Higher Education Interdisciplinary Science Rankings in association with Schmidt Science Fellows, is live! Explore the groundbreaking Rankings that redefine global research excellence here: https://lnkd.in/epSySqFF For the first time ever, academic institutions are being recognized for interdisciplinary science excellence, evaluated through detailed methodology and comprehensive data. This platform, the largest Rankings debut in Times Higher Education’s history,  will accelerate global progress in interdisciplinary research by championing best practice wherever it is found and by highlighting the trends and practices that are driving success. By developing relevant, clear, and measurable metrics for the Rankings, our intention is to help universities across the world track their progress in creating environments where interdisciplinary science can flourish. Dr. Megan Kenna, our Founding Executive Director, said: “This Ranking marks a pivotal step in advancing interdisciplinary research worldwide. “It provides institutions with critical insights to strengthen their efforts, learn from global leaders, and create environments where innovative thinking thrives. “ By championing interdisciplinary science, we are not only addressing today’s most pressing challenges but also empowering future generations to drive innovation and tackle the unknowns of tomorrow.” 📣 Congratulations to Massachusetts Institute of Technology on the number one Ranking 📣 Thank you to the 749 institutions across 92 countries who participated in the inaugural Rankings 📣 Thank you to all who engaged with us over the past two years through roundtables, masterclasses, and workshops and helped us refine the approach. 📣 Thank you to everyone at Times Higher Education, Phil Baty, Duncan Ross, Billy Wong, Sol R., Jhesselle Leonor and Dominic Garcia for bringing your rigor and expertise and making the Rankings a reality. We will continue this engagement as we strengthen the Rankings and next year’s work will evolve to reflect our learnings and suggestions from universities. The 2026 Interdisciplinary Science Ranking data collection cycle commences on Monday 13 January 2025. By embracing interdisciplinarity, universities are not only solving today’s most pressing challenges but paving the way for a brighter, more innovative future.

The inaugural Interdisciplinary Science Rankings, powered by Times Higher Education in association with Schmidt Science Fellows, will be revealed tomorrow (November 21). ✅ First-ever robust recognition of interdisciplinary science ✅ 749 institutions ✅ 92 countries ✅ Largest ever Times Higher Education debut Rankings Watch this space...

📢 WE ARE RECRUITING 📢 Could you help drive the success of our flagship Science Leadership Program (SLP)? With residential convenings hosted in some of the world’s most dynamic and innovative centers of science, our SLP is at the core of the Fellowship experience.  It supports our Fellows to develop the skills, experience, and networks necessary to become the next generation of science leaders, building a global community to enrich and amplify their work. We are now seeking a highly organized Program Manager with a passion for developing the next generation of science leaders to play a vital role in ensuring operational and programmatic excellence and continuous improvement across all aspects of the program. Interested? https://lnkd.in/evaYBUmp

"For scientists, the collaborative energy of dialogue is invaluable. Dialogue creates the bridge between disciplines and can catalyze new thinking. " Sarah Rozenthuler is a leading Author, Chartered Psychologist, and Leadership Coach ...and a valued contributor to our Science Leadership Program. https://lnkd.in/ejCf7Kmr Read her compelling INSIGHT article to discover how dialogue can help scientists unlock potential...and why we place such an emphasis on our Fellows developing this essential practice. We were grateful to have Sarah at our first Science Leadership Program convening for our 2024 Fellows in Oxford. 

At Schmidt Science Fellows, we are proud to be working with Times Higher Education on the first ever Interdisciplinary Science Rankings - We believe that by championing and celebrating the universities supporting interdisciplinary science, developing new, robust, transparent metrics, and working with the research community to find the best ways to support interdisciplinarity, we can accelerate discovery and The Interdisciplinary Science Rankings is now the best-supported ranking launch ever seen with 749 universities from 92 countries participating - there is support and enthusiasm not just for interdisciplinary approaches but for this conversation. We will be publishing the ranking and revealing the first universities to top the list on 21 November - and at the same time, we are bringing together leaders from science, universities, policymaking, and industry for an Interdisciplinary Science Forum in Washington DC to discuss how we can change institutions, career structures, incentives, funding, and policy to support more and better interdisciplinary science. There is still time to grab a ticket and join speakers and delegates from UK Research and Innovation, National Science Foundation (NSF), Northwestern University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Toronto, Schmidt Sciences, TÜBİTAK, The University of Hong Kong, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, University of Groningen, CIFAR, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and many more - check out the agenda and speakers here - https://lnkd.in/eWGhPpaz