Broader Impacts

Today, in an increasingly difficult funding climate, scientific research must be able to show how new insights contribute to societal challenges. Thus the focus on ‘broader impacts’.

In order to receive funding a team must put together a proposal that shows that there is societal relevance to the research. ‘Broader impacts’ often means that a research group must take an interdisciplinary (ID) and transdisciplinary (TD)approach to their research (learn about ID/TD here).

Our team here at LBPA is unique because this summer (2013) Bianca Sclavi hosted Maya Frodeman, a student of philosophy from Reed College in Portland, Oregon. Maya studied the philosophic implications behind scientific research, and also worked in the microbiology lab. She worked as an embedded humanist, a form of field philosophy. Read about Maya's experiences here.

• What is field philosophy?

• What is embedded humanism?

Want to get involved? It doesn’t matter who you are! You do not have to be an academic to help science interact with society. We want to hear your ideas. What do you think are the problems that are intrinsic to the scientific research method? How would you like to see science contribute to society? Be heard! Email us!