Project Summary: Clustering the humanistic and social studies of science in Canada

WHAT

Created in 2007 with the generous funding of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Strategic Knowledge Cluster grant, Situating Science is a seven-year project promoting communication and collaboration among humanists and social scientists that are engaged in the study of science and technology.

We are committed to facilitating contact not only with leading Canadian and international scholars in these areas, but also with working scientists, journalists, and policy makers interested in the broader social and cultural significance of science and technology within the public, private, and natural spheres. A central goal of our project is the establishment of long-term stable foundations of encounter between humanistic scholars of science and the various publics in Canada.

Situating Science cultivates and supports a network of engaged scholars. Reaching out to its stakeholder communities we continue to find opportunities for collaboration, sponsoring and co-sponsoring events from workshops to exhibitions to science studies cafes.

WHY

Our world is shaped by science and technology. This fact is a source of both social hope and anxiety. In light of this, there must be expert voices not only from within the natural, formal and applied science communities, but also from those in the humanities and social sciences who study the practice and the historical and conceptual development of the sciences.

HOW

Situating Science represents the first coordinated effort in targeted knowledge exchange and partnership creation in the study of science and technology in Canada.

Situating Science explores a set of four interrelated themes (see below) through networking, conferences, workshops, lecture series, and other activities. Reaching beyond disciplinary boundaries, Situating Science enrolls local and national partners in the public, media, academic, fine arts, museum, government and policy studies spheres to address the crucial topic of the place of science and technology in our modern world.

WHO

We operate on a hub and spoke model of six nodes spread across the country.

The Nodes are based at/in:

 

University of British Columbia,
University of Alberta,
University of Saskatchewan,
Toronto - York University-University of Toronto,
McGill University and Université du Québec à Montréal
Atlantic Canada - University of King’s College-Dalhousie University

 

The Nodes are supported by a centre at the University of King’s College in Halifax, NS: http://www.situsci.ca/contact-us

PROJECT DIRECTOR

Dr. Gordon McOuat

CO-APPLICANT  AT LARGE

Dr. Lesley Cormack