Welcome to the
National Academies Keck Futures Initiative

The National Academies Keck Futures Initiative is a 15-year effort to catalyze interdisciplinary inquiry and to enhance communication among researchers, funding organizations, universities, and the general public.  The Initiative's objective is to enhance the climate for conducting interdisciplinary research, and to break down related institutional and systemic barriers.  The Initiative builds on three pillars of vital and sustained research:  interdisciplinary encounters that counterbalance specialization and isolation; the asking of new questions; and communication bridging languages, cultures, habits of thought, and institutions.  Toward these goals, the multifaceted Futures Initiative incorporates three core activities each year: Futures Conferences, Futures Grants and National Academies Communication Awards.  The National Academies also conducted a study on Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research.  The National Academies Keck Futures Initiative is funded through a generous grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation. 

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