The complex and changing nature of science is driving new models for research. Grand challenges in areas such as health, energy, and the environment require collaboration across national borders and disciplinary boundaries. At the same time, scientists are increasingly being asked to demonstrate the social relevance of their research. The result is a growing demand for research that is collaborative, interdisciplinary, and policy relevant. This in turn creates a need for new cohorts of researchers and institutions that work at the interface of science and policy. In 2011, the Fulbright Foundation launched a new program to promote research that links science and society in innovative ways. The goal of the Fulbright Regional Network for Applied Research (NEXUS) Program is to foster collaborative and multidisciplinary research to address challenging issues across the Western Hemisphere. This symposium brings together Fulbrighters from several countries throughout the Americas to discuss their experiences after a year of sustained research and policy engagement. Expanding beyond the traditional boundaries of scientific research, scholars engaged stakeholders and policy-makers to develop new forms of collaborative research. This panel will review the experiences of the program's first cohort and provide insights into new modes of research, how to bridge the science-policy interface, and potential models for promoting collaborative, policy-relevant science.