Topic Science and Technology in Society: Challenges and Expectations
Building on the Helmholtz tradition to combine research and policy advice we will address problems of the transformation of knowledge (including uncertainties) into advice for action and decision-making. To this end, at the interface of science & technology and society we will focus on two major challenges: (1) the transformation of societal problems, concerns and preferences into the scientific research agenda, and (2) the integration of scientific-technical innovations into society as well as the use of scientific expertise in societal decision-making.
These challenges will be addressed from two complementing perspectives: First we will conduct research on specific issues affecting the interface of science and technology in society including, in a methodological perspective, reflecting, refining and elaborating the tools of research concepts involved as technology assessment, risk research and sustainability analysis. Second, the insights gained from this research are specified and operationalised to contribute to the analytic frameworks to be applied in other Topics of this research programme and potentially to other areas of Helmholtz research.
Fields of interest are, in particular:
Societal decision-making in the Knowledge Society
Operationalisation of the concept of sustainable development
