In September 1994, the first ForumAlpinum took place in Disentis, Switzerland. At this event, the need for interdisciplinarity and cooperation in Alpine research was recognised as urgent to ensure synergies among the existing research projects and programmes, as well as the policies, linking and bridging three levels – scientists and policymakers, different disciplines and cooperation between countries and languages. Five years later, the International Scientific Committee on Research in the Alps – ISCAR for short – was founded to pursue these goals. Its main mission is to promote research and scientific results and by the exchange with the policy level, provide insights for better planning. Through the science-policy dialogue and the involvement of affected interest groups, the research results could quickly lead to data-based decisions and measures. ISCAR aims at exchanging the latest research findings, setting new research priorities, promoting interdisciplinary research, identifying practical needs and knowledge gaps, and transferring knowledge between science, politics, business and society. The aim of the paper is to critically review ISCAR’s role at the Alpine level and to provide insights for strengthening the position of science in the Alpine governance structure.