Science and politics in conflict: new research projects receive funding

Teams in Berlin and Kaiserslautern are among those involved. The projects will examine key topics such as political influence on scientific work, geopolitical change in global knowledge production, and questions of scientific reliability in the digital age.

'With the "Researching Research" initiative, we want to help make it easier to understand how science works, how it changes – and what that means for our society,' says Dr. Johanna Brumberg of the Volkswagen Foundation. "We also integrate the findings of researchers who do not come from science studies but who deal with scientific working methods. We also attach great importance to dialogue with the public and open forms of cooperation."

All funded projects at a glance:

• Science under Pressure: Engaging with Science and Democracy in Hybrid Sites (SCIPRESS) (Dr Cornelia Schendzielorz, Humboldt University of Berlin; Dr Justo Serrano-Zamora, University of Barcelona, Spain; Dr. Staffan Edling, Lund University, Sweden; approx. 1.1 million euros)
  
  This project investigates the increasing intertwining of science and politics. It focuses on the question of how political expectations influence scientific work. Among other things, think tanks, research institutes and NGOs operating at the interface between the two fields are analysed. The aim is to better understand the impact of political demands on the way researchers work and the interaction between democratic and scientific principles.
• China's Science Silk Road and the New Geopolitics of Knowledge Production (Prof. Dr Anna Lisa Ahlers, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin; Prof. Han Cheng, National University of Singapore; Prof. Dr Hang Zhou, Université Laval, Canada; approx. €1 million)
  
  This project focuses on China's efforts to influence global science networks through its Belt and Road Initiative. At the heart of this initiative is the Science Silk Road programme. Researchers analyse how it is changing science systems in different countries and what geopolitical influence science is gaining as a result. The team uses interviews, document analysis and field research as its methodological tools.
• Reproducibility Has Politics (PD Dr. Johannes Lenhard, Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau; Prof. Alexandre Hocquet, Université de Lorraine, France; approx. 500,000 euros)
  
  Computer-based sciences often face the problem of not being able to reproduce results exactly – even though computers are supposed to be precise. The project investigates the conditions necessary to achieve reliable results and who is responsible for this. The focus is on the disciplines of computer-assisted chemistry and thermodynamics, but philosophical and historical perspectives are also taken into account.
• Reforming Science: Investigating the Reflexivity & Reflectivity of (Non)Academic Actors Advocating for Science Reforms (Dr. Sheena F. Bartscherer, Humboldt University Berlin; Prof. Dr. Jesper Schneider, University of Aarhus, Denmark; €1.1 million)
  
  New communities known as 'open science' want to change science. Although they influence research and policy, we know little about them. This project asks three questions: First, what arguments do supporters and critics of science reforms use? Second, how are these communities structured, and does their knowledge production correspond to that of research fields or scientific social movements? Third, how do current science reforms differ from previous fundamental science reforms? The researchers use network analysis, surveys and discussions to understand the arguments and values of these communities. A historical comparison reveals similarities and differences with previous reforms.
• Looking Across Worlds for Environmental Justice: Interrogating Scientific Practices of Relating to Indigenous Knowledge (Dr. Annette Mehlhorn, Dr. Fausto César Quizhpe Gualán, Humboldt University of Berlin; Dr Angus McNelly, King's College London, England; approx. €1.1 million)
  
  Indigenous knowledge is increasingly seen as key to understanding the environmental and climate crisis. Yet we know little about how it is integrated into research projects. This project investigates which ideas from indigenous cultures are disseminated worldwide and which are not. The aim is to improve the conditions under which diverse knowledge emerges. Researchers from Ecuador, Germany and the United Kingdom are combining different approaches and using creative methods such as the 'Theatre of the Oppressed' and interviews. Two case studies in Ecuador serve as a starting point to find out how indigenous knowledge is recognised worldwide and what influence it has on politics and law.