Research is increasingly addressing complex issues such as health, sustainability, technology, inequality, safety, democracy, and justice. Such issues require not only scientific knowledge but also collaboration with societal partners, citizens, patients, professionals, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Dialogue helps to explore different perspectives, manage uncertainty and tension, and gain a better shared understanding of what is at stake.

Science in Dialogue offers training, advice, and guidance for researchers who wish to integrate dialogue into their research practice, impact strategy, grant application, or collaboration with societal partners.

What can we help you with?

You can turn to Science in Dialogue if you, as a researcher, research group, faculty, or research institute, want to work on dialogue in research and impact. We’ll help you determine which form of dialogue best suits your research, target audience, societal context, and project phase.
For example, we provide support with:

• designing dialogue sessions with societal partners, citizens, patients, professionals, or policymakers;
• incorporating societal perspectives into research projects;
• developing public engagement, citizen science, or participatory research approaches;
• managing tension, friction, or social sensitivities surrounding a research topic;
• training researchers in dialogue skills;
• enhancing impact, valorization, and societal relevance in research proposals;
• facilitating discussions within research groups, departments, or faculties;
• exploring new interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaborations.
  
  In this context, dialogue is more than just a meeting or a method. It is a way of working in which researchers learn to listen, slow down, examine their own perspectives, and make space for other forms of knowledge and experience.

Our Programs

Science in Dialogue offers various learning pathways and programs for researchers and staff who want to learn how to apply dialogue in their own practice.

Dialogue Incubator
The DialogueIncubatoris an intensive learning track for VU researchers who want to integrate dialogue into their own research practice. Throughout the track, participants work on a specific project, issue, or dialogue intervention within their research.

Participants explore how societal perspectives, values, and experiences can be incorporated into their work. They practice dialogue skills, reflect on their role as researchers, and design their own dialogue activity. The program offers opportunities for peer learning, individual guidance, and in-depth methodological exploration. Seed funding is available to help participants organize their own dialogue.

The Dialogue Incubator is particularly suited for researchers who not only want to reflect on impact but also want to actively experiment with new ways of collaborating, listening, and conducting research.

Learn more about the Dialogue Incubator

Science Communication Lab
The Science Communication Lab is a learning program for young researchers who want to deepen and innovate their science communication. The program focuses on reflective, creative, and socially engaged communication about science; you’ll learn to experiment with formats such as storytelling, visuals, media, workshops, podcasts, exhibitions, film, or other creative expressions.

In the Lab, participants explore how they can incorporate their own perspective, values, target audience, and social context into the way they communicate about their research. This involves not only explaining things clearly, but above all listening, designing, visualizing, and seeking appropriate forms of interaction with different audiences.

Read more about the Science Communication Lab

Dialogue Facilitator Academy
The Dialogue Facilitator Academy is a learning program for staff and researchers who want to learn how to carefully design and facilitate dialogue processes. Participants develop skills in conversation facilitation, dialogue design, active listening, managing differences, and guiding discussions on complex or sensitive topics.

The Academy is intended for people who want to play a role in fostering meaningful conversations within their own faculty, department, division, or research environment. In this way, we are building a broader group of dialogue facilitators within VU Amsterdam.