Science in Dialogue supports VU researchers who want to give social perspectives, questions, and values a meaningful place in their research. We help researchers, research groups, and faculties design, conduct, and facilitate dialogue on science and social issues.
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.
