Institute for Science and Society
Encyclopedia
The Institute for Science and Society (ISS) is an international centre of excellence in Science and Technology Studies
located at the University of Nottingham
, UK. It was founded in 1998 as the Genetics and Society Unit (GSU) and was later (2001) renamed the Institute for the Study of Genetics, Biorisks and Society (IGBiS) before its remit was expanded in 2006 to cover the social, legal, ethical and cultural implications of any field of science, medicine or technology, at which point it became ISS.
Current and recent projects include investigations of the contribution of science to governance (e.g. from biometric monitoring, lie detection
technologies and ubiquitous computing), the translation of science into practice (e.g. the clinical uptake of new developments in pharmaceuticals, genetics
and regenerative medicine
) and communication, in both directions, between scientific and public arenas (e.g. public images of science in broadcast and print media and scientific understandings of public engagement
in fields such as nanotechnology
, synthetic biology bioenergycarbon capture and water use. Other projects focus on the regulation, governance and ethics of science in areas such as such as stem cell
banking, epidemics and climate change
especially its discursive construction.
Since its foundation, the Institute has been variously supported by grants and contracts from the Leverhulme
and Wellcome Trust
s, the Economic and Social Research Council
(ESRC), the Natural Environment Research Council
(NERC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
(BBSRC), the Medical Research Council
(MRC), The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC), the European Union
and the National Health Service
(NHS).
ISS has active partnerships with other social science and humanities departments, particularly in organisational, socio-legal and linguistics studies, and maintains close links with science departments (in areas including microbiology
, civil engineering
, nanotechnology
and regenerative medicine
) at the University of Nottingham
and beyond.
The Institute's staff and student body includes internationally-renowned academics, early-career researchers, and a community of postgraduates. The Director is Professor Paul Martin. Dr. Sujatha Raman and Professor Brigitte Nerlich are co-directors of the Institute.
The Institute has a new website
We welcome PhD students on any topic relating to science in society issues.
Science and technology studies
Science, technology and society is the study of how social, political, and cultural values affect scientific research and technological innovation, and how these, in turn, affect society, politics and culture...
located at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
, UK. It was founded in 1998 as the Genetics and Society Unit (GSU) and was later (2001) renamed the Institute for the Study of Genetics, Biorisks and Society (IGBiS) before its remit was expanded in 2006 to cover the social, legal, ethical and cultural implications of any field of science, medicine or technology, at which point it became ISS.
About ISS
The Institute for Science and Society is a multidisciplinary centre drawing on a wide range of social sciences and humanities disciplines to conduct research into cutting edge aspects of the mutual relationship between science and society. Historically, the Institute's agenda has been dominated by topics in the biosciences, broadly conceived, but it is now becoming increasingly involved in partnerships around physical science issues like nanotechnology, sustainable energy use and climate change. The Institute is now physically part of the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham, but works virtually across the University under the University's Priority Group scheme as the Science and Technology Studies Priority Group.Current and recent projects include investigations of the contribution of science to governance (e.g. from biometric monitoring, lie detection
Lie detection
Lie detection is the practice of attempting to determine whether someone is lying. Activities of the body not easily controlled by the conscious mind are compared under different circumstances. Usually this involves asking the subject control questions where the answers are known to the examiner...
technologies and ubiquitous computing), the translation of science into practice (e.g. the clinical uptake of new developments in pharmaceuticals, genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
and regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine is the "process of replacing or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore orestablish normal function". This field holds the promise of regenerating damaged tissues and organs in the body by replacing damaged tissue and/or by stimulating the body's own repair...
) and communication, in both directions, between scientific and public arenas (e.g. public images of science in broadcast and print media and scientific understandings of public engagement
Public engagement
Public engagement is a term that has recently been used, particularly in the UK, to describe "the involvement of specialists listening to, developing their understanding of, and interacting with, non-specialists" .-Origins:The tradition of a decision-making body getting inputs from those with less...
in fields such as nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
, synthetic biology bioenergycarbon capture and water use. Other projects focus on the regulation, governance and ethics of science in areas such as such as stem cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
banking, epidemics and climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
especially its discursive construction.
Since its foundation, the Institute has been variously supported by grants and contracts from the Leverhulme
Leverhulme Trust
The Leverhulme Trust was established in 1925 under the will of the First Viscount Leverhulme, William Hesketh Lever, with the instruction that its resources should be used to support "scholarships for the purposes of research and education."...
and Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust was established in 1936 as an independent charity funding research to improve human and animal health. With an endowment of around £13.9 billion, it is the United Kingdom's largest non-governmental source of funds for biomedical research...
s, the Economic and Social Research Council
Economic and Social Research Council
The Economic and Social Research Council is one of the seven Research Councils in the United Kingdom. It receives most of its funding from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and provides funding and support for research and training work in social and economic issues, such as...
(ESRC), the Natural Environment Research Council
Natural Environment Research Council
The Natural Environment Research Council is a British research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences.-History:...
(NERC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council is a UK Research Council and NDPB and is the largest UK public funder of non-medical bioscience...
(BBSRC), the Medical Research Council
Medical Research Council (UK)
The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
(MRC), The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council is a British Research Council that provides government funding for grants to undertake research and postgraduate degrees in engineering and the physical sciences , mainly to universities in the United Kingdom...
(EPSRC), the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
(NHS).
ISS has active partnerships with other social science and humanities departments, particularly in organisational, socio-legal and linguistics studies, and maintains close links with science departments (in areas including microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
, civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
, nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
and regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine is the "process of replacing or regenerating human cells, tissues or organs to restore orestablish normal function". This field holds the promise of regenerating damaged tissues and organs in the body by replacing damaged tissue and/or by stimulating the body's own repair...
) at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
and beyond.
The Institute's staff and student body includes internationally-renowned academics, early-career researchers, and a community of postgraduates. The Director is Professor Paul Martin. Dr. Sujatha Raman and Professor Brigitte Nerlich are co-directors of the Institute.
The Institute has a new website
We welcome PhD students on any topic relating to science in society issues.