Rethinking S&T in U.S. Diplomacy: A Path to a More Adaptive State Department

Science and technology (S&T) are increasingly central to foreign policy, demanding institutional systems that can translate S&T insight into diplomatic strategy and action. Within the U.S. Department of State, integrating S&T expertise consistently across operations remains a complex challenge—one shaped more by structural limitations than by a lack of technical capacity. This paper presents a tiered and outcome-driven framework for strengthening S&T advisory capacity across senior leadership, domestic bureaus and offices, and overseas embassies and posts. Improvements are organized across three operational domains—structures, processes, and tools and trainings—and designed to achieve five strategic outcomes grounded in a theory of change approach. The framework is informed by a review of past efforts to institutionalize S&T within the Department and builds on lessons from previous reform reports while aligning with ongoing modernization initiatives. By linking recommendations to measurable implementation and outcome metrics, the framework provides a practical roadmap for embedding S&T into the Department’s decision-making culture at scale. Strengthening S&T integration is not merely a technical upgrade but a strategic shift—essential to ensuring U.S. diplomacy remains adaptive, credible, and resilient in an increasingly complex world.