SDSC’s Christine Kirkpatrick Brings Focus to Data at Multiple UN Events

By Aanika Tipirneni and Kimberly Bruch , SDSC Communications?

For the past several years, Christine Kirkpatrick of the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at 美国加州大学圣迭戈分校 has been active in numerous programs through the International Science Council (ISC) Committee on Data (CODATA), where she serves as Secretary General. Most recently, Kirkpatrick was invited to speak at a United Nations (UN) Headquarters event that highlighted the importance of data policy and open science in times of crisis.?

“The Ninth Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) examined how science can assist with reaching UN goals for humanity,” said Kirkpatrick, who is the director of the Research Data Services Division at SDSC and principal investigator for the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) FARR-RCN. “The forum highlighted themes focused on ending poverty and hunger, combating climate change, promoting peaceful and inclusive societies and creating global partnerships for sustainable development – with many talks regarding the emergency of AI and how it interrelates to the SDGs.”?

?She explained that there was also a Science in Times of Crisis event that was co-located with the STI SDG activities – providing an array of scientists, engineers and technologists an opportunity to share best practices during times of distress such as global conflicts, natural disasters and cascading events that include a combination of both. At this event, Kirkpatrick represented the working group on Data Policy for Times of Crisis Facilitated by Open Science (UNESCO-CODATA DPTC).?

“A key CODATA partner is UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – and their contribution to Open Science frameworks and implementation is phenomenal,” she said. “Being able to meet with worldwide leaders at the United Nations headquarters was an honor and my talk specifically emphasized the critical importance of Open Science Principles and the working group’s contributions to the UNESCO toolkit.”??

The effort includes guidance for policymakers and scientists, a checklist and a data policy fact sheet – all in service of planning for and understanding risk related to (cascading) disasters.??

“Through the use of data, governments, non-government organization leaders and researchers can be better prepared to make decisions and respond to any number of crisis – from earthquakes to floods, from infectious disease to cyberattacks,” Kirkpatrick said.?

Kirkpatrick and colleagues from around the world gathered to discuss ways that science and engineering discoveries can be more accessible, efficient and collaborative. Kirkpatrick underscored the roles of the International Science Council (ISC) and CODATA in this mission.??

She explained how the ISC brings together over 250 international scientific unions and associations to position science as a global public good. CODATA, a key component of the ISC, focuses on promoting Open Science and FAIR data. By advancing these principles, the ISC and CODATA enhance scientific collaboration and innovation – ultimately enabling more effective responses to global crises.?

She explained that the toolkit has been designed to be flexible and customizable to assist policymakers create data policies that promote open science during crises, promote collaboration during crisis response and research, and raise awareness about the importance of open science. She said that it also aligns with international laws and principles like the International Health Regulations and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, advocating for evidence-based risk assessment, disaster reduction, and sustainable development.?

In addition to these events, Kirkpatrick was invited to participate in a UN project called the Group of Friends on Science for Action and recently spoke at one of their meetings, which was hosted at the Permanent Mission of India to the UN and co-chaired by the UN ambassadors of Belgium, India and South Africa, with several other UN ambassadors in attendance. She said that this working group was formed to serve as an informal forum for UN countries to engage in open exchanges and debates on utilizing science in policy and decision-making processes.??

“Speaking with the Group of Friends on Science for Action was a wonderful way to cap an invigorating week of discussion at the UN – top of mind was the conflict between the opportunity of AI, including sovereign AI or national AI platforms, and the tremendous resources needed to sustain create sovereign AI resources,” Kirkpatrick said. “There’s a tension to resolve between technology innovation and climate change – especially as the usage of water and electricity grow with AI demand – and SDSC leadership is very much aligned with the mission of this working group as we are always looking for ways to mobilize science, engineering and technology while addressing pressing global challenges.”??

“I hope these partnerships grow into recurrent dialogue, so our new knowledge and innovations are put into practice for the benefit of all,” she said.?