Through creative and interactive methods, we foster a deeper connection between scientists and publics, building trust, mutual understanding and new knowledge.
Methodologies (co)developed at the Athena Institute
Science in Dialogue
The Athena Institute continuously develops new, dialogical forms of science communication in response to growing polarisation around sensitive issues like the climate crisis. These approaches actively engage with scientific and citizens’ perspectives, and everyday experiences, through open and two-way conversations. In the last five years, Athena Institute facilitated and investigated various creative dialogue formats, for example with board games and art installations. These varied from one-time events to foster mutual understanding, shared reflection, and constructive disagreement, to longer term processes aimed at (re-)steering particular innovation or transition trajectories.
Theatre Dialogues
Theatre dialogues are designed to generate staged confrontation of participants holding diverse or conflicting views on societal and scientific issues. Performed by professional actors, these dialogues tap into emotion, vulnerability, and conflict, creating a visceral, embodied experience for diverse audiences. The format works with partially scripted improvisation theatre, intermitted by facilitated group conversations. Athena Institute developed and performed various theatrical dialogues in the last few years, for example on the use of AI in public space. Also, we recently experimented with agonistic engagement of Chantal Mouffe through Theatre Dialogues of Dissent with three science museums in the Netherlands.
Frame Reflection Lab
The Frame Reflection Lab (FRL) is a creative tool designed at the Athena Institute to support inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration in research and student teams. FRL helps users reflect on differing views of science, rooted in diverse disciplinary values and assumptions. We first designed the FRL for reflection on synthetic biology in 2016. Athena then developed a new edition for generic reflection on epistemic cultures in 2022. Through videos of four fictional researchers and interactive workshops — online or offline — teams can engage in meaningful dialogue about what constitutes good scientific knowledge production. If you're interested in working with the Frame Reflection Lab tools, related materials, including videos, workshop manuals, and publications, can be found here.
Dialogue Model
The Dialogue Model (DM) for health research agenda setting has been developed by Jacqueline Broerse (Athena), Tineke Abma (at that time VUmc) and colleagues. In the last years, Athena has further developed and applied the DM to make it serve not only as research agenda-setting method, but also as an approach for the co-creation of organisational strategies. The Dialogue Model engages participants with diverse scientific and experiential forms of knowing in a structured, multi-phase process, including data collection, collaborative analysis, and joint decision-making. The model facilitates open, reflexive conversations in which various stakeholders share experiences, perspectives, and prioritise knowledge questions or objectives regarding a particular health issue or challenge.
Methodologies regularly used at the Athena Institute
Public and Patient Engagement
Actively engaging patients, their relatives and healthcare professionals in research is crucial for addressing today’s complex healthcare challenges. Learning from first-hand insights and experiences enables researchers and policymakers to design effective solutions and policies that respond to patients’ needs. Over the past decades, patient engagement has evolved from patients as passive recipients of care to active partners in research, care and policy making. The Athena Institute explores ways to further enhance and integrate collaborations between patients, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers.
Community Service Learning (CSL)
At the Athena Institute, we develop and implement Community Service Learning (CSL) - a unique form of engaged education that connects students with societal actors to address real-world challenges together. We collaborate with citizens' initiatives, non-profits, local organisations, and policy actors like municipalities. In CSL, academic knowledge from students is combined with communities’ practical expertise and first-hand insights. Together, they co-create innovative solutions that benefit communities directly. At the same time, this methodology provides students with practical skills, a deeper understanding, and a strong sense of social responsibility. The student activities are undertaken as part of their educational program, so they earn credits for these activities.
Citizen Science
People across the globe are working together to collect and share knowledge through efforts like wildlife monitoring, space exploration, and addressing health challenges. These collaborations, known as citizen science, are playing a growing role in (open) science policies, reshaping the relationship between science and society, and challenging traditional institutional authority. The Athena Institute studies and supports citizen science initiatives that harness the power of communities to co-create knowledge, shape scientific policy, and drive positive change. Additionally, we expand the scope of citizen science by developing broader definitions and emphasizing the value of local ecological knowledge.
Community Engagement
Community engagement is a methodology that emphasizes the active participation of community members in the processes that affect their lives. As a methodology, it provides structured approaches for collaboration, dialogue, and shared decision-making between researchers (and organizations such as governments, NGOs) and the communities they serve or impact. The process is participatory, with community members as co-creators of knowledge, solutions, or policies and tailored to the specific local contexts of the community. Feedback is important so learning takes place , and adaptations are made over time. Trust-building, mutual respect, and long-term relationships are foundational.