The Mountain Societies Research Institute (MSRI) operates at the interface of science and society in Central Asia. As part of the University of Central Asia and the wider Aga Khan Development Network, MSRI engages in transdisciplinary research for development and regularly seeks to strengthen regional capacities, to inform policy and practice, and to promote open dialogue among key stakeholders about development issues. MSRI thus aims to improve the well-being and resilience of mountain communities in the context of rapidly changing economic, sociocultural, political, and environmental conditions. MSRI's integrated approach to research, both with and for the benefit of mountain societies, demands simultaneous understanding of social and ecological factors operating at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Broadly embedded within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, and more specifically the Sustainable Mountain Development agenda, the research and affiliated activities at MSRI also aim to elucidate and highlight the development challenges and opportunities of a long-neglected part of the world, greater Central Asia, extending from the Caucasus to western China. © 2018 Foggin et al.