Amy R. Beaudreault, PhD, is the Secretariat Lead for the Independent Science for Development Council (ISDC) within the CGIAR’s Independent Advisory and Evaluation Service (IAES). ISDC is the standing panel of eight global experts that provides scientific advice to the funders of CGIAR. She uses her expertise in global nutrition, agriculture, and food systems to support ISDC in all workplan activities. A highlight was serving as managing guest editor for a special issue in Agricultural Systems on inclusive innovation in 2023-24. In this role, she has been able to coauthor publications in Agricultural Systems, Nature Sustainable Agriculture, and Q Open. In addition, she has successfully directed two rounds of external CGIAR pooled funding proposal reviews in 2021 and 2024. 

With a 20-year history in newly created positions, she has cultivated novel pathways to advance academic and nonprofit institutions. Her experiences range from research, communication, policy, and program development to public-private engagement and stakeholder consensus building—all underscoring the vital role of science-based solutions.

Most recently she was a research fellow in the Global Food Security Project and the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC. In addition, she held leadership positions at the University of California, Davis’ World Food Center and the New York Academy of Sciences. Dr. Beaudreault has published in peer-reviewed journals, organized dozens of scientific symposiums, and nurtured international partnerships. She holds a BS in journalism from Ohio University, and an MS in agricultural communication, a PhD in agricultural education and extension, and a graduate certificate in survey research from The Ohio State University.