ACtioN Academy is a yearlong program designed to help members of SFI’s applied community dive into the foundations of complexity science and its application to contemporary issues. Deepening your understanding of the foundational theories in complexity science not only enriches your ability to apply these ideas in the real world, but also enhances your experience of all the other meetings and events we offer. The program will feature two in-person sessions, and six virtual sessions.
The program kicks off with an in-person “epistemic orientation.” SFI’s approach to scholarship and ideas is somewhat different from that of traditional universities. The epistemic orientation will introduce participants to the complexity perspective. The inaugural epistemic orientation will take place in NYC on the afternoon of November 5, 2025.
Six virtual sessions, approximately one every other month, form the core of the ACtioN Academy curriculum. Three of these focus on foundational ideas, drawing on SFI’s Foundational Papers in Complexity Science. Curated by SFI President David C. Krakauer, this series traces eighty-nine revolutionary works in complexity, each with an introduction by a leading contemporary complexity scientist. For each foundational session, ACtioN Academy participants will be assigned a paper from the foundational books, followed by a 60-minute discussion session led by the scholar who wrote that paper’s introduction.
The other three virtual sessions will focus on working papers currently being developed by members of the SFI research community. Each 90-minute session will begin with an hour-long presentation by the authors to a broader group from the SFI community. In the final 30 minutes, the authors will discuss their work with the smaller group of ACtioN Academy participants. The working papers chosen will be relevant to contemporary challenges.
The program will culminate with a second in-person event, held in Santa Fe the day before the Fall Symposium (usually in October). ACtioN Academy participants will be given the option of presenting a case study on complexity in their own work. Participants will also be invited to attend the Symposium.
This program was specifically designed to engage with members of our applied community whose schedules preclude them from participating in one of our in-person educational programs. To that end, we can accommodate individuals who wish to participate, but are unable to attend the in-person aspects of this program.
Enrollment in the 2025-2026 cohort will be limited. ACtioN members interested in participating should email action@santafe.edu for more information.