Author: John Wilkins

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Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) annual conference

Sydney International Convention Centre

August 29 – September 1, 2018

In 2018, the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) annual conference will be held in Australia for the very first time. The theme of the 2018 annual meeting of the Society – TRANSnational STS – encourages presentations, panels, and other events that deepen and extend the transnational character of the Society itself, while engaging issues invoked by both the TRANS prefix (across, beyond, to change thoroughly), and by the problematic and evolving status of ‘nations’ in processes of global ordering. Leveraging the global scope of Science and Technology Studies (STS), our aim is to intensify connection between conference participants (scholars, practitioners, and students) based in different regions, stimulating conversation about ways 4S and other scholarly societies can provide critical infrastructure for next-generation, transnationally collaborative, intellectual and political engagements. We also aim to encourage consideration of a broad array of concepts that are undergoing – or should undergo – transformation if we are to address key scholarly and practical problems of our times. Current concepts, knowledges, practices, and institutions of “the nation” are exemplary, pointing to a need for radical reformulation of habitual ways of thinking about and organizing governance, bodies and lifeworlds. Expansive reconsideration of other concepts, foundational and emergent (justice, biopolitics, innovation, Empire, and the Anthropocene, for example), are also encouraged. Activities that draw conference participants into issues of special importance in Australia and the broader Asia-Pacific region – indigenous politics, border controls, mining, climate change, and renewable energy, for example — will be threaded throughout and offered in advance of the conference. The overall goal is to foreground diverse STS genealogies and approaches, leveraging the rich pluralism of STS, attuned to the rich pluralism of the contemporary world.

See translations of the conference theme at: https://4s2018sydney.org/translations/

CALL FOR OPEN PANELS

Deadline for Submission: November 1st, 2017

The purpose of calling for open panel proposals is to stimulate the formation of new networks around topics of interest to the 4S community. Open panel topics, once accepted by the Program Committee, will be included in the call for papers (see examples of open panel topics from last year here). Open panel chairs will have significant responsibility in the composition of their panels. An open panel may extend across up to three sessions of five papers each (i.e. a total of maximum 15 papers). Please note, in submitting a proposal, you are volunteering to chair a session of papers related to your topic.

An open panel proposal should contain a summary and rationale of up to 250 words, including a brief discussion of its contribution to STS and (if relevant) the themes of the 4S Sydney conference.

Please consider proposing an open panel for 4sSydney to build your networks and create vibrant intellectual communities.

Proposals should be submitted by November 1st at: https://4s2018sydney.org/call-for-papers-open-panels/

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Official ISHPSSB Announcement: David Hull Prize

The 2017 David Hull Prize goes to Richard Burian, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy & Science Studies at Virginia Tech. The Hull Prize honors an extraordinary contribution to scholarship and service that promotes interdisciplinary connections between history, philosophy, social studies, and biology.

A citation for the 2017 prize will be available shortly on the ISHPSSB webpage.

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Job Posting: Assistant Professor, York University

Position Rank: Full Time Tenure Stream – Assistant Professor
Discipline/Field: Health & Society – Specialization in Arts, Medicine, and Healing
Home Faculty: Liberal Arts & Professional Studies
Home Department: Social Science
Affiliation/Union: YUFA
Position Start Date: July 1, 2018

The Department of Social Science, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York University, invites applications for a tenure-track appointment in the interdisciplinary Health & Society program at the rank of Assistant Professor commencing July 1, 2018. Information about the Department can be found at: http://sosc.laps.yorku.ca/ ; further details about the Health & Society program can be found at http://heso.sosc.laps.yorku.ca/

The successful candidate will have a completed PhD in one of the social sciences, humanities or an interdisciplinary program with a research focus on health or medicine. Qualified candidates will be expected to demonstrate excellence or the promise of excellence in teaching, and scholarly research and publication in the socio-political and theoretical study of health and medicine with a particular focus on arts or arts-based methodologies. We are particularly interested in scholars who draw on critical theory to cover areas as diverse as health architecture graphic medicine, a/r/tography, medical humanities and art in Queer, Trans, Mad, Deaf, Disabled and Crip cultural movements. Candidates must have the breadth and versatility to teach the core courses in the interdisciplinary Health and Society undergraduate program and will also be expected to develop new courses reflecting their particular expertise and incorporating opportunities for the application of critical theory, arts-based methodologies, and/or community-based education. The successful candidate will demonstrate a willingness to undertake service work and will be suitable for prompt appointment to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Pedagogical innovation in high priority areas such as experiential education and technology enhanced learning is an asset.

Applicants must submit a signed letter of application, a curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching and research interests, samples of scholarly writing (max. 50 pages), and a teaching dossier including sample course outlines and institutional teaching evaluations (where available). Three signed confidential letters of recommendation should also be sent directly to: Professor Amanda Glasbeek, Chair, Department of Social Science, S754 Ross Building, York University, 4700 Keele St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3J 1P3.

Email: soscjobs@yorku.ca – (Subject line: “HESO Appointment”)

Applicants wishing to self-identify can do so by downloading, completing and submitting the forms found at: http://acadjobs.info.yorku.ca/. Please select the "Affirmative Action" tab under which forms pertaining to Citizenship and AA can be found.

The deadline for applications is November 1, 2017. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. All York University positions are subject to budgetary approval.

York University is an Affirmative Action (AA) employer and strongly values diversity, including gender and sexual diversity, within its community. The AA Program, which applies to Aboriginal people, visible minorities, people with disabilities, and women, can be found at www.yorku.ca/acadjobs or by calling the AA office at 416-736-5713. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents will be given priority.

Posting End Date: November 1, 2017

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Job vacancy: Postdoctoral Research Associate in Energy Policy

The University of Cambridge invite applications for a postdoctoral Research Associate in Energy Policy to support the INNOPATHS project.  The Research Associate will work on the theme of energy technology, economics, and policy. The appointment is fixed-term and will be for 12 months in the first instance with the possibility of extension until 31 August 2019.

Directed by Prof. Laura Diaz Anadon, the Research Associate will conduct research on the role of different policies promoting different types of technology innovation outcomes in energy, the role of technology spillovers, and managing technology and other uncertainties. The role will involve taking initiative in shaping this research, and working with and coordinating different INNOPATHS project partners.

Closing date: 11 September 2017

Further information available here

See: http://www.innopaths.eu/2017/08/29/job-vacancy-postdoctoral-research-associate-in-energy-policy/

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Postdoctoral position with focus on a study of scientific publication, Centre for Science Studies, Aarhus University 929131

Postdoctoral position with focus on a study of scientific publication, Centre for Science Studies, Aarhus University 

The Center for Science Studies, Department of Mathematics, Aarhus University, invites applications for a postdoctoral position with focus on a study of scientific publication.

The postdoctoral position is expected to last two years, starting February 1st, 2018.  There is the possibility that the position will be extended for a third year.

The Research Project

The focus of the advertised position is to study the epistemological dimensions of scientific publication.  Specifically we will investigate the following aspects of scientific publication:

(I) authorship norms and practices in collaborative research
(II) refereeing practices and effectiveness
(III) citation practices and norms
(IV) the impact of retracted publications

The focus will be on the epistemic impact of the various practices in the publication process in science.  Research will be carried out collaboratively with Dr. K. Brad Wray, but there will be opportunities to pursue independent work within the focus of the project.

Your Qualifications

Applicants will hold a PhD in one of the following areas: Philosophy of Science, History of Science, Sociology of Science, or Science Studies.  Further, the applicant:

(I) will be interested in conducting collaborative research within the focus area of the project

(II) must have an excellent command of spoken and written English

(III) must have experience with publishing in international peer-reviewed journals

(IV) will be prepared to contribute to the intellectual vitality of the Centre for Science Studies

The successful applicant will also take part in all aspects of a university position, including research, fund raising and administration. The applicant is expected to take an active part in teaching at all levels and supervision of students at bachelor, master's and PhD level.

Applicants should have a strong record of original scientific research at a high international level. Applicants are also expected to document their experience with all facets of university teaching and supervision. Applicants must submit a two to three page research proposal outlining potential avenues of research related to the focus of the position.

Place of Employment and Place of Work

The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Science and Technology, Ny Munkegade 118, DK-8000 Aarhus, Denmark

For more information, please contact associate professor K. Brad Wray, tel. +45 87155583, email kbwray@css.au.dk

Letters of reference may be sent directly by referees to shradras@jobsys.au.dk no later than 31, October 2017 with the candidate’s name clearly stated in the subject field.

Application procedure

Short-listing is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants, including the main considerations emphasized during the selection process.

Formalities and salary range

Science and Technology refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Confederation of Professional Associations.  All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.  Aarhus University offers Relocation service to International researchers. You can read more about it here.

Deadline

All applications must be made online and received by: 31.10.2017

Please apply online here

Aarhus University is a modern, academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 42,500 students and 11,500 employees, and has an annual budget of EUR 840 million. Over the course of the past decade, the university has consolidated its position in the top 100 on the most influential rankings of universities world-wide. Learn more at www.au.dk/en.

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CFP: The Latent Image

18th/19th/20th April, 2018
University of Edinburgh

Deadline 1st October 2017

http://transimage2018.net

The fifth International Conference on Transdisciplinary Imaging at the Intersections of Art, Science and Culture is hosted by the Edinburgh Futures Institute, and will take place on April 18th/19th/20th 2018 in collaboration with the Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh College of Art and the Centre for Design Informatics.

We are calling for papers that focus on the fluidity between the seen and unseen. Understood as patterns that simultaneously freeze and transcend fleeting realities, images are bound by the paradox of being of a moment that has passed. As cultural theories seek to overcome the stable, spatial realities that image-based forms of comprehension have projected, and new technologies reshape how information is read and encoded, the latent image opens up a vital critical strand of enquiry. Originally designating the invisible atomic changes occurring in the photographic process prior to development, the latent image refers to the underlying translation and reconstitution of information that underpins all analogue and digital imaging as it negotiates with a transient reality. The liminal space between the seen and unseen being an ongoing locus of a ‘becoming’. A catalyst for debates about sonic images, invisible networks and relationships between intuition and intelligibility, this conference will raise quantitative and qualitative questions important to any discipline predicated on image production.

What are the problematics of the seen?

  • How do we measure or represent the seen?
  • Is there a measure for the unseen?
  • How can we make the role of intuition intelligible in the contemporary image?
  • Do stealth technologies/distributed data/networks transcend the image?
  • How do we represent the language of the world?
  • Do the technologies of science help define or elide the unseen?

The aim of the conference is to bring together artists, theorists , scholars, scientists, historians and curators. Papers that respond to the above provocation are invited from areas related to: Media Arts, Painting, Drawing, Curating, Installation, Film, Video, Photography, Data Visualization, Real-time Imaging, Design, Intelligent Systems and Image Science.
The conference will take place across two locations at the University of Edinburgh: The Talbot Rice Gallery, and the  Informatics Forum.

During the conference the Talbot Rice Gallery will create a special event drawing upon the concurrent Rachel Maclean exhibition, curating a series of performances and talks that restage the story of Pinocchio. Beginning with the perfect analogy for the latent image – the piece of pine wood that yelps to identify the image of the boy within – the event will consider images in relation to morality, phantom limbs, capitalism and deceit.

How to submit http://transimage2018.net/submissions/

Co-Chairs: Chris Speed & Paul Thomas

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PCST conference in Dunedin, New Zealand, April 2018

PCST2018.org

Next year’s Public Communication of Science and Technology conference will take place in Dunedin, New Zealand, in April 2018. PCST 2018 is organised by the PCST Network and hosted by The Centre for Science Communication at the University of Otago. PCST conferences are a forum for discussing a wide range of issues in science communication practice, training and research but proposals for PCST 2018 are especially welcome on the conference's main theme, Science, Stories and Society. The closing date for proposals for presentation is 12 noon (GMT) on 1 October 2017.

Full details at https://www.pcst.co/proposals/call

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NEUROSCIENCE & SOCIETY: Ethical, Legal & Clinical Implications of Neuroscience Research

NEUROSCIENCE & SOCIETY: Ethical, Legal & Clinical Implications of Neuroscience Research

Sydney, 14–15 September 2017

Registration is now open for Neuroscience & Society, a conference exploring the ethical, legal, social and clinical applications and implications of neuroscience research.

The conference brings together leading national and international scholars and practitioners from the fields of neuroscience, psychiatry, psychology, government, public policy, law, social sciences, ethics, and philosophy to discuss critical current and upcoming issues.

The dynamic conference program features:

  • Over 25 talks and panels on a range of topics including: ageing and dementia; addiction, love, and self-control; neurolaw; moral enhancement; brain-computer interfaces, and artificial intelligence.

  • International speakers including:

    • Prof Katrina Sifferd (Elmhurst College, USA)

    • Brian Earp, (Oxford University, UK)

    • Dr Katy de Kogel, (Ministry of Security and Justice, The Netherlands)

    • Prof Julian Savulescu (Oxford University, UK)

    • Prof Tom Buller (Illinois State University, USA)

    • Assoc Prof Gregg Caruso (SUNY Corning, USA)

  • A poster session showcasing 16 pieces of innovative research from across the globe.

  • A free public lecture ‘Is neuroscience relevant to criminal responsibility? Yes and No.’

  • Ample networking opportunities.

The conference will also launch the Australian Neuroethics Network, a collaboration between leading researchers and practitioners examining the implications of neuroscience for Australia.

Join us at this important event on 14 September (Sydney Law School) and 15 September (Dunmore Lang Conference Centre, Macquarie University) in Sydney (Australia).

Register online here.

Neuroscience & Society is supported by ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function Neuroethics Program, Centre for Agency Values and Ethics at Macquarie University, Sydney Law School and Brain and Mind Centre (USYD).