Despite the constant improvement of science and technology and social development, some monumental problems defy solution. These grand challenges can be social, such as inclusivity and equality, technical, like cures for cancer and finding new energy sources, or both. Tom Kalil, formerly of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy described grand challenges as “ambitious but achievable.” Grand challenges should be measurable with defined targets and indicators. Their goals should motivate people, inspire individuals to spend a significant proportion of their lives working to solve these complex issues. Continue reading →

The numerous large-scale, societal problems that the world faces are known as Grand Challenges. These challenges are faced by individuals and communities’ worldwide and require multifaceted and creative approaches to combat. From ending hunger, to sustainable energy, to developing more inclusive education practices, improving health, reducing the cost of care and more, Grand Challenges are at the forefront of development work. Groups like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, US AID, The US White House, and Grand Challenges Canada, an initiative supported by the Canadian Government, all place emphasis and focus on Grand Challenges and in order to complete the challenges, an emphasis on “moonshot” ideas. Moonshot ideas, a word derived from the US Apollo missions, meaning an ambitious and radical, yet achievable solution, that addresses a huge problem.  The United Nations has also placed a focus on Grand Challenges and “moonshot” ideas creating the SDG goals that attempt to solve 17 Grand Challenges that the UN has outlined, by focusing on numerous aspects of the issues and promoting creative and interdisciplinary ideas.

However, with the focus on Grand Challenges also comes a focus on science and technological innovations as being the moonshot ideas that have the potential of solving the numerous issues. A large amount of funding is put towards creating new vaccines, studying technological efforts that are already in place, inventing new forms of sustainable energy, and while science and technology have the potential to make a great impact, unfortunately, there are shortcomings. As Branscomb discusses in his paper, the emphasis on research is not as effective as governments and independent actors would hope, often producing ideas that are just theoretical and not able to be easily applied. Branscomb argues the need for more of a focus on applied research, to be able to “create knowledge that is as socially useful as it is scientifically meritorious”. Furthermore, I would argue that there is also a need for an emphasis on ideologies and public support in order for Grand Challenges, particularly the SDGs, to make progress.

When we look at the ideas, the Apollo 11 mission, it wasn’t completed and wasn’t successful simply because of government-funded technological innovations made by NASA that allowed for the first humans to reach the moon. Apollo 11 mission was so successful because they had support. NASA and the “Space Race” had many Americans’ full support. In the US, for instance, pushed math and science in schools to get kids interested and publicized the space race heavily. This need for public engagement is necessary with the SDGs in order to create a passion for solving Grand Challenges among the public. In order to ensure that Grand Challenges will continue to be funded, continued to be actively researched, and continue to be in the forefront on peoples’ minds, the individual member of the public needs to feel connected and part of the solution.

As we discussed in our first meeting, grand challenges are challenging societal problems for which there are no concrete solutions.  Examples of grand challenges today are finding solutions to climate change, curing cancer, developing clean energy and resources, and ending global hunger.  Grand challenges often require science and technological innovations to understand and unearth possible solutions.  In addition, grand challenges are large, ambitious goals that are physically attainable within a designated timeline (Kalil). One such example of an ambitious goal with a timeline is President Kennedy’s plan to send a man to the moon known as “moonshot.”  The moonshot video explains that when faced with a grand challenge, one must utilize “moonshot thinking” which is explained in the video as choosing to be bothered by the idea that things are impossible.  In other words, you believe things can change and happen if you work hard and take risks.

To solve a grand challenge, “moonshot thinking” and multidisciplinary collaboration between fields is necessary.  To do this, fundamental research and education is paramount in defining global goals and discovering solutions.  In his article, Branscomb argues that to solve grand challenges “Jeffersonian science” and shifting scientific products to new industries must occur. Jeffersonian science is defined as a type of policy that promotes science that is more focused than pure research but more creative than applied research (Branscomb).  This combines top-down and bottom-up strategies to encourage basic science that may lead to knowledge that will make grand challenges easier to solve (Branscomb).

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are examples of grand challenges that have been clearly identified with a timeline of 2030.  This short, 15 year, timeline is attainable and achievable, two important aspects of grand challenges described by Tom Kalil.  Solutions for these global goals are being researched and realized by the entire global community.  The world-wide focus of the SDGs allows for increased innovation from a variety of players. Academics, scientists, tech, industry and various other fields must come together to “moonshot” and think beyond what they ever thought possible.  The USAID website lists nine grand challenges.  They believe that science and technology, coupled with other industries and global organizations, will find breakthrough solutions to these challenges.  As described in Kalil’s article, these grand challenges are intrinsically motivating and capture the imagination of the public. This is important because the more individuals believe in the possibility of finding a solution, the harder they will work in their field.  This then leads to increased innovation and creativity in not only their own field but in others as well as ideas are shared and spread.  In addition, Tom Kalil believes that people need to devote their entire career to one goal.

I am passionate about SDG two, zero hunger, and SDG ten, reduced inequalities.  Food security is a major grand challenge that will only be solved if various political, economic, and agricultural actors come together in search of a solution.  However, I grapple with the idea that technological advancements are the solution to global food insecurity.  In my opinion, indigenous agriculture techniques should be looked and taken into consideration when searching for a solution to this challenge.

One difference between the MDGs and the SDGs is the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the SDGs.  Disability, linked with development, is a grand challenge for the world due to the large number of individuals living with some form of disability.  As discussed, persons with disabilities face barriers in access to education, transportation, employment, and representation in government.  These problems were put in place by society as barriers to those with disabilities and it is a grand challenge to reverse these barriers and establish more inclusive development practices.

The first time I was exposed to the Sustainable Development Goals was while reading an article published in The Economist that was published in March of 2015. The article was titled “The 169 commandments”, and the overall tone of the article was rather negative toward the SDGs. This tone, and the stance The Economist took with regard to the SDGs, is the exact opposite of the “moonshot thinking” we were all encouraged to practice by Professor Cogburn.

One critique leveled at the SDGs by The Economist is that “Every lobby group has pitched in for its own special interest”, and as such the number of goals ballooned from the relatively modest ones set out in the MDGs. Rather than being a negative, the early engagement of “every lobby group” is what will make the SDGs successful. As USAID states on their website, “[Grand Challenges for Development] engage non-traditional solvers… around critical development problems in a variety ways through partnerships, prizes, challenge grant funding, crowdsourcing, and more to identify innovations that work.” This engagement with non-traditional solvers clearly took place early on in the formation of the SDGs if “every lobby group” had a chance to suggest ideas. Foundations, businesses, and academia can more fully and deeply participate in the SDGs given the range of development issues they cover.

An additional benefit of the wide range of issues covered by the SDGs is that even developed countries, like the United States, can benefit from them. Lewis Branscomb stated as much in 2009 in an article that defined grand challenges as “technically complex societal problems that have stubbornly defied solution.” Innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues can, and will, be found through the SDGs, and the United States can use some of those solutions to solve domestic issues. For example, solutions to Goal 6 “Clean Water and Sanitation” could hugely benefit the United States as the failure of clean water and sanitation systems in the U.S. have come to the fore of domestic politics recently.

A “ Grand Challenge” can be described as a challenge that ambitious but achievable, captures the publics imagination, and requires many different disciplines to solve. Grand challenges currently include challenges of renewable energy, challenges of public health, and other challenges which have captured the imagination and labor of many people. Grand Challenges require “moonshot thinking” which describes taking a chance and trying to creating exploring new ideas even when nobody has tried it before. Moonshot thinking is named after one of the greatest examples of a Grand Challenge: the moon landing of 1969. No one knew how to get to the moon, it had never been done before, but they still attempted and worked across disciplines, and eventually we got to the moon. Moonshot thinking encourages people to try the impossible in the hopes that grand challenges will be solved. The concept of grand challenges is important for this class because many challenges in the realm of development such as ending poverty and hunger are possible but very ambitious. There are many different organizations working towards these goals in the hopes of making the world a better place.

The United Nations created the Millennium Development Goals as well as the Sustainable Development Goals to provide a framework for solving some of the most persistent grand challenges that exist today. The Millennium Development goals and Sustainable Development Goals s deal with such topics as health, education, equality, and protecting the environment. The goals are ambitious, but not impossible, and require new ways of thinking in order for them to be achieved. While the goals themselves are Grand Challenges, there is another challenge included within them: how to make the goals a reality for every member of the population, not just the populations that are usually included in development initiatives. In order for the grand challenges of the SDGs to truly be solved they must be solved for all populations including older persons and persons with disabilities. Including marginalized populations such as persons with disabilities is a grand challenge within itself because they have traditionally been excluded from many institutions and few institutions and systems have been built with people with disabilities in mind. However, through technological advances that allow for more participation, collaboration, and moonshot thinking, the achievement of the SDGs that include everyone, especially marginalized populations, are possible and within reach. Our projects will contribute to the moonshot thinking that is making these goals and the inclusion within these goals a reality.