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| This workshop for early stage researchers was a collaborative event involving Science Next Wave, the Marie Curie Fellowship Association and the MOBEX2 Project. | Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| 15th June 2005
| Date Posted - 21 July 2005 |
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| Recently a team led by Louise Ackers commenced work on an ESRC Science in Society funded project ‘MOBEX 2’ (co-funded by the Anglo-German Foundation) which explores the context of science mobility in Europe, focusing on flows from a new EU member state (Poland) and an accession state (Bulgaria) into the major host countries for scientists in the EU (the UK and Germany). From the outset of the project the MOBEX2 team are keen to create synergies with other projects working on interrelated areas of research.
The main purpose of this meeting is to draw together a small number of specialists who are dealing with issues surrounding skilled mobility in separate complementary studies. We plan to take this opportunity to share and develop mobility concepts, discuss methodologies and build synergies between current projects. We propose that at the meeting the participants will present a short paper introducing their current research, identifying areas of mutual interest (for instance, regionalisation of science policy, networking and skills transfer, return mobility and managing mobility).
| Centre for Study of Law and Policy in Europe, Leeds University | 12th May 2005. | Date Posted - 21.7.05 |
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| Within STS there are a few 'grand theories' such as ANT and SCOT. STS scholars have also put forward various programmatic statements, such as the Strong Programme and more recently the 'Third Wave' of science studies. In contrast, numerous detailed empirical studies exist which add to our understanding of particular concerns but may not, or are not intended to, generalise beyond their substantive areas of concern. Studies can often appear to trade-off abstraction and generalisation with the demands of remaining faithful to the complexity of their empirical material. While this may or may not be a necessary or desirable feature of STS, it is usually not explicitly discussed as a choice. Our aim is to make this gap, between the empirical richness of individual studies and the development of middle-range theory, the topic of focused and critical workshop discussion.
This workshop seeks four types of contribution in the form of a paper for circulation prior to the meeting.
· Whether or not we need 'middle-range theory' or other ways of bridging between focused studies and 'grand theories'
· Contributions which use on-going empirical research to reflect upon these 'middle-range' issues
· Contributions which focus on the problems of operationalising 'grand' STS theories
· Contributions which focus on ways of developing the skills of presenting such material.
| University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| 27-29 April 2005
| Last update 12 June 2005 |
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| Issues of science and society have been rising on the academic agenda over the last twenty years. In investigating the knowledges, attitudes and practices that frame these issues, social researchers have concentrated very largely on public-sector science, studying hospitals, universities, governments and NGOs and their publics. Very little research has been undertaken on the role of private sector institutions in science-society relations, despite the very clear role that businesses play in prominent contemporary concerns in areas such as waste management, energy supply, food quality and drug safety, among many others.
This situation is now changing. Government policy now highlights the importance of science and society issues in bringing new science and technology to the market. Businesses encountering issues of science and society are looking to academics to share knowledge and experience, and social researchers have begun to explore the commercial sector and its contributions to public scientific issues.
This meeting will explore how businesses and academics can bring their different expertise and resources to bear in developing a positive environment for social research on science and society issues in the commercial sector. Firstly, it will present examples of research that is being done in partnership with industry, and provide an opportunity for participants to comment and to make suggestions for future work. Secondly, it will explore the methodological and ethical challenges of social research in a commercial environment, and consider the risks and benefits for businesses and academics.
| RSA
Benjamin Franklin Room
8 John Adan Street
London WC2N 6EZ
| 21st April 2005
9.30am - 4.30pm
| Date Posted - January 2005 |
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| The purpose of the workshop is to identify issues surrounding concerns about the future science workforce, focusing on diversity, opportunity and training in the sciences for women and members of ethnic minorities. This is with the intention of identifying what we already know about the difficulties in this area, what constitutes the main gaps in our understanding of this area, and finally to agree on two or three key research questions that can be adequately addressed with the support of a small grant of c £45k. | Red Room
Old Bank Hotel
High Street
Oxford
| 1 - 2 February 2005
| Date Posted - 10 January 2005 |
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Great strides in science and medicine have improved our capacity to treat and cure serious illnesses. Our standard of living has improved as has our ability to live a long and active life.
Yet we worry incessantly about the food we eat, the air we breathe, the amount of exercise we take and the number of vitamins we ingest. We scrutinise our bodies and minds for signs of malaise. Why are we so troubled by our health - and what can be done to make it better?
This event is not organised or funded by the Science in Society programme. Any detail relating to it contained on this site is provided for information only.
| The Museum of London, London Wall, London, EC2Y 5HN (Barbican tube)
| Saturday 12 February 2005
10.30am - 5.45pm
| Date Posted - 19 January 2005 |
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| This training event is provided for ESRC funded researchers undertaking research of potential relevance to policy and practice. | Harrington Hall Hotel, London
5-25 Harrington Gardens
South Kensington
London
SW7 4JN
| Monday 28th February - Tuesday 1st March 2005
| Date Posted - 05.01.05 |
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| This event is not organised or funded by the Science in Society programme. Any detail relating to it contained on this site is provided for information only.
For the attention of European and national policy-makers, parliamentarians, opinion leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, scientists, representatives of civil society groups, science mediators:
Registration is open!
Discover amazing initiatives from across Europe; share experience and visions: Discuss cross-cutting issues of the Science and Society agenda:
Engage in a Community debate for shaping the next European Science and Society policy | Brussels, Belgium
| 9-11 March 2005
| Date Posted - 09.12.04 |
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| The Prime Minister has recently put climate change and the threat to our planet at the top of the political agenda. But scientists are divided over the scale of the threat and the possible solutions.
The panellists for this debate represent a wide spectrum of views on the issues facing our planet. This will be an opportunity to discuss and debate in an informed way the issues and challenges which, many claim, threaten our very future | Royal Society, Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG
| 2nd November 2004
6.30pm - 8.00pm
| Date Posted - 14.10.04 |
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| Rapid developments in science are raising new ethical and social issues. How far should scientists pursue research into areas such as healthcare, food production and the environment?
These issues will be explored by our panellists, who represent a wide spectrum of views. | Royal Society of Edinburgh
22-26 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PQ
| 9th November 2004
6.30pm - 8.00pm
| Date Posted - 14.10.04 |
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| A connoisseur, as applied to connoisseurship in art, antiques, or fine food and wine, is one who has cultivated a specialised expertise concerning the quality, provenance, cultural significance and financial value of the artefacts or products of a particular domain or discipline and the means by which they are produced. An integral part of connoisseurship is an ability to judge the particular distinguishing characteristics of artists who have produced the work in question so as to be able to engage in authoritative attribution. This requires detailed knowledge of the artistic production process and the strengths and weaknesses of particular artists in relation to it. Connoisseurs, however, are not themselves practitioners of what they judge, but this lack of practice is not believed to undermine their authority to judge practitioners or to communicate their judgements to wider publics. Given the current public mistrust of many of the processes and outcomes of science and technology, it is pertinent to ask to what extent connoisseurship could (or already does) exist in relation to science, how it could be fostered and maintained, and the role that connoisseurs of science would then have, as public intellectuals, in the wider legitimisation (or not, as the case may be) of particular science-based processes and products. This workshop will bring together a small number of reflexive members of four communities: scientists and technologists, social scientists concerned with issues of trust, legitimacy and authority in science, those responsible for the wider governance of science, and connoisseurs from other domains. It is hoped that the workshop will contribute to the literature in the form of a book or journal special issues. | Minster Lovell Mill, Oxfordshire
| 11-12 March 2004 | 16.09.2004 |
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| The objective of this workshop is to look at the concept of Scarcity - or the predicted rates of resource depletion- through the critical stance of social and political analysis. The aims of debate will be to develop approaches to understanding scarcity that avoid the assumptions commonly repeated in natural-science or economic methodologies that scarcity is a uniform and inherently measurable thing, but instead rooted in social and political practices. The workshop will aim, however, to gain uniform principles about the deliberative institutions that govern the experience or, and adaptation to scarcity in developing countries. By so doing, the workshop will contribute to general debates concerning Science in Society by seeking to develop institutional approaches to the prediction and experience of biophysical scarcity, which will provide alternatives to existing scientific and technological practices in development policy. | Overseas Development Institute
11 Westminster Bridge Road
London SE1 7JD
| 19th November 2003
| Date Posted - 13.10.04 |
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| Research about science and research about NGOs both have long pedigrees but have rarely connected. Yet it is increasingly accepted that, if science is to build a new civic relationship with society, debates about science must become increasingly diverse and participatory. To facilitate this, it is important to know how science and messages about science are understood, used and communicated by a range of social actors. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of all types have become important in this diverse process of scientific debate and communication. Arguably, their role is pivotal because, in a climate of public scepticism and distrust of regulators and politicians, NGOs may, in comparison, provide a more trusted face. In recognition of this, policy-makers and researchers are increasingly seeking legitimate and effective ways to involve NGOs in science-related debates and decisions.
The Science in Society Programme is supporting innovative research in this area as part of its goal to explore and facilitate the changing relations between science and society. This interactive workshop will both disseminate results from the Programme and provide an opportunity for stakeholder groups to discuss how best to build this new civic relationship. We will focus specifically on debates about environmental science and its consequences for public health. | The Deep Business Centre, Hull
| 17 June 2003
| Date Posted - 11.10.2004 |
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| North-South Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) operating in developing countries are considered as mechanisms for technology transfer and development, national capacity building, and market access. Presentations at this workshop draw on recent research about the role of PPPs in the African agricultural biotechnology innovation systems. The workshop is particularly relevant to policy makers and development practitioners. We have invited a dynamic group of academics and participants from government and non-government agencies involved in funding agricultural research and in developing related policy.
The workshop is organised by the Development Policy and Practice (DPP) department of the Open University. DPP is the main centre in the Open University for teaching and research in International Development (see http://dpp.open.ac.uk/about.htm).
The workshop is funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Science in Society Programme.
| The Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London
28 Russell Square
London WC1B 5DS
| 19th November 2004 from 9.30am
| 07.10.2004 |
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| The world is wealthier than it has ever been, and yet every day we read about starvation, disease and natural disasters. Are we inventing for our own convenience or the benefit of society? Have the advances in science improved our lot or are they a distraction from the major problems facing our society today? | Atlantic Suite, Hanover International Hotel, Schooner Way, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff Bay, CF10 4RT
| 24th November 2004
| Date Posted - 14.10.04 |
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| A workshop sponsored by the Max Planck Project Group on Common Goods and the ESRC Science in Society programme. | Said Business School, University of Oxford
| 4th - 6th April 2003
| Date Posted - 01.01.04 |
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| The topic of the workshop is Democratic Governance of Technological Change in an Era of Globalization. Discussion will focus on three areas of social science theory - democracy, technology, and globalization - in the context of four broadly defined technological clusters – biotechnology and IT and energy and freshwater. White papers will be commissioned on each of these seven areas to stimulate debate and discussion among invited participants from North America, the UK and continental Europe. As well as sharing in an enlightening series of discussions we hope, by the end of the workshop, to be able to assess the feasibility of a multi-year, investigator-driven, international programme of interdisciplinary research. Such a programme might be loosely coordinated, broader in scope, but comparable in ambition to the Human Choice and Climate Change programme that concluded in 1998. | FLAD, Lisbon
| 23rd - 25th February 2003
| Date Posted - 13.10.04 |
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| The meeting this year will focus on the work that has been completed by several projects in the programme. It will provide an excellent opportunity for interaction with other researchers and with some of our users and beneficiaries, as well as to discover more about the research that has been undertaken by colleagues around the country as part of the programme. We will discuss the projects themselves, as well as look at the way in which the results can be disseminated, inlcuding through the book series proposed with Earthscan. Adrian Alsop from the ESRC will also address the meeting and will talk about the future of Science in Society, for both the remainder of the programme, which is due to end in July 2007, and after that date. | Cranage Hall Conference Centre, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire
CW4 8EW
| 29th and 30th November 2004
| 16.09.2004 |
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