AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy 2026: Call Closed

The 2026 AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy is a completed opportunity, not an open application. AAAS and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) held the annual in-person course in Trieste, Italy, from 20–23 July 2026. TWAS’s science diplomacy page now identifies the 2026 listing as closed and reports the course activity in Trieste. Anyone finding this page after the 2026 cycle should treat it as a record of that cycle and use the official opportunity page for a later annual announcement.

This distinction matters because the old listing was easy to misread. The previous version of this page used a generic “TWAS Onlineforms” title and sent readers directly to an application form. That form is not a current call to action. The official TWAS opportunity page is the durable reference point for future editions: AAAS-TWAS Course on Science Diplomacy. No later annual deadline is confirmed in the official information reviewed for this update, so this page does not invent one.

At a glance: the completed 2026 cycle

What the course was designed to do

The course was established to introduce scientists, decisionmakers, diplomats and other stakeholders to science diplomacy concepts, contemporary international policy issues, and practical skills for work where science and diplomacy meet. The official description names science, technology, environment and health as areas of policy interest. That makes the course relevant to people whose work crosses institutional or national boundaries, not only to professional diplomats.

Science diplomacy is a practical bridge. Researchers may contribute evidence to international agreements, regional programs or public decisions. Officials may need to interpret uncertainty, commission research, coordinate across ministries or explain why a scientific partnership matters. Diplomats may use joint research to maintain channels between countries. A course built around these situations can be useful when a participant needs to communicate beyond their own discipline or institution.

The defining feature was the participant-pair model. Each application joined an early-career scientist with a decisionmaker working on science, technology or innovation matters. The pair did not have to have worked together before, but both people needed a shared interest and had to explain why the partnership made sense. The model was intended to build a longer-term connection between scientific and policy work rather than treat the course as a solo conference visit.

The funding was an expense package, not a general cash award described as a salary or prize. For selected funded pairs, the organizers stated that they would cover transportation, accommodation, visa processing fees, meals and incidentals. A small number of self-supported pairs could also be selected, including pairs from high-income countries. Those participants were responsible for their own costs connected with attendance, while meals and transportation within Trieste were offered by the organizers.

Eligibility in the 2026 call

The call was open to applicants from any country, but places and financial support were constrained. TWAS gave priority to countries that had not been represented in the course during the previous five years, and organizer funding was limited to successful pairs from the published priority-country list. Applicants from other countries could still be considered as self-supported participants if selected and able to pay their travel and other attendance costs.

The pair had to include both of the following roles:

1. Early-Career Scientist (ECS): preferably 40 or below, with a completed PhD. The scientist’s research and wider engagement needed to have international policymaking implications or applications.
2. Decisionmaker (DM): a person working in the policymaking arena on science, technology or innovation matters. The decisionmaker did not need a PhD and had no stated age limit. Eligible categories included a local or national government official, policymaker, diplomat, civil servant, representative of a research-funding institution, or staff member or expert at an international organization such as the UN.

TWAS also stated that both participants should ideally live or work in the same country while working at different institutions. They needed a common interest in science, technology and innovation, but they did not have to be existing collaborators. Both had to identify one another before applying, commit to every day of the in-person course, and be able to participate in English. A person who had already attended an AAAS-TWAS course on science diplomacy, including a regional workshop, was not eligible for this cycle. Women, refugee scientists and displaced scientists were especially encouraged to apply.

The eligibility test was therefore more specific than “interested in diplomacy.” A computational biologist working on cross-border disease surveillance could fit the scientist role if the research had policy relevance. A ministry official handling research priorities could fit the decisionmaker role. A pair connecting those two perspectives would need a clear shared issue and a credible reason to learn together.

The 2026 timeline, now historical

TWAS listed 8 December 2025 as the opening date. The deadline was extended to 4 February 2026, at midnight in the CET time zone. The official page said successful candidates would be informed at the end of April 2026. Those dates are no longer an application schedule: the call is closed and the course has already taken place.

The course schedule itself was 20 July 2026 for the welcome dinner, 21–23 July 2026 for the workshop, and 24 July 2026 for participants’ return travel. TWAS’s science diplomacy page reports 2026 course activity in Trieste, so readers should not plan travel or attempt to join this edition now.

Application materials and process used for 2026

The 2026 process used one online application for the pair, submitted through the TWAS web portal rather than by email. The Early-Career Scientist was responsible for completing both sections and submitting the pair’s application. The decisionmaker had to provide information and consent materials to the scientist before submission. Applications without an identified partner were incomplete and were not considered.

The official requirements for the 2026 cycle included the following:

• The Early-Career Scientist’s passport identification page, CV of no more than three pages, two or three signed reference letters on official letterhead, and a signed supporting statement from the head or director of the current employer.
• The Decisionmaker’s passport identification page and CV of no more than three pages.
• The signed Co-Applicant Decisionmaker Information and Consent form, completed by the decisionmaker and uploaded by the Early-Career Scientist.
• English-language application materials and an indication of English proficiency.

These requirements are useful preparation guidance for a future edition, but they are not a promise that the next form will be identical. TWAS may change the documents, age preference, funding countries, dates or selection rules. Anyone preparing for a later call should read the new official page as soon as it is published and follow that year’s instructions.

How to prepare for a future annual call

There is no confirmed future deadline in the official information reviewed for this update. The sensible next step is monitoring the official TWAS opportunity page, not reusing the closed 2026 application link. The official page is where a new opening date, course dates, priority-country list, funding terms and application button should appear if the annual course is offered again.

In the meantime, a prospective pair can prepare a one-page partnership outline. Name the policy problem, identify the scientist’s evidence or research contribution, identify the decisionmaker’s policy responsibility, and explain why the two institutions should learn together. A specific topic such as regional water security, health surveillance, climate adaptation or research cooperation is easier to evaluate than a general statement about wanting to “make an impact.”

The pair should also agree on a practical post-course use for the training. That might be a joint briefing, a workshop for colleagues, a cross-agency consultation or a plan for improving how research is presented to a ministry or international partner. The official course description emphasizes building skills and connections at the intersection of science and diplomacy; a credible follow-through plan shows why this particular pair belongs in that setting.

Keep the evidence concrete. The scientist can point to an international collaboration, advisory activity, policy-facing publication, public-health program or cross-border problem. The decisionmaker can describe responsibility for policy design, funding, regulation, diplomatic work or intergovernmental coordination. Neither applicant needs to claim influence they do not have; a clear account of current work is stronger than a grand promise.

Finally, keep identity and logistics ready: current CVs, passport pages, institutional contacts, references and permission for travel if required by the employer. Do not prepare documents against the old application form indefinitely. Use the 2026 requirements as a checklist for readiness, then replace them with the instructions on the next official TWAS page.

What to remember before treating this as an opportunity

The 2026 course was selective, pair-based and tied to a real in-person commitment. It was open geographically, but financial support was not universal. A selected self-supported pair still needed to afford travel and other attendance costs. The scientist needed a completed PhD and policy-relevant research; the decisionmaker needed a genuine role in science, technology or innovation policy. Both people needed to attend the full program.

Those conditions make the course a poor fit for someone looking for an individual travel grant, an unrestricted stipend, a remote class or a generic networking event. It is a better fit for a scientist and policy professional who can identify a shared international issue and use the training to improve the connection between evidence and decisions.

The 2026 application call and course are finished. There is no current application deadline to meet and no verified later cycle to enter. Keep this listing for context, and check TWAS directly for the next annual announcement before writing a new application.

Source and status

The official source for any future annual call is the TWAS opportunity page. The related TWAS science diplomacy page provides the broader program context and reports the 2026 course activity. The direct 2026 application form is intentionally not linked here as an active destination.