Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences Research Centre

Project Items

Science, ethics and citizenship: how might we improve the practice and governance of scientific research to enhance community benefit?

PEALS has been awarded a small grant from Newcastle University for the project 'Science, ethics and citizenship: how might we improve the practice and governance of scientific research to enhance community benefit?'

The project aims to identify ways in which the university can contribute to, and benefit from, national and international debates, policies and practices on the inter-relationship between scientific research, active citizenship and ethics. Under the academic supervision of Erica Haimes, PEALS PhD student Alexis Paton will explore ways in which debates about science innovation, ethical conduct and contemporary citizenship might be drawn together to enhance the benefits to citizens who contribute to science in multiple ways.

In addition to examining the existing literature, the project will build on interdisciplinary partnerships between PEALS and the Newcastle Institute for Social Renewal, the Institute for Sustainability, Science Central and the Faculty of Medical Sciences, as well as internationally influential public bodies, such as the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, and local community-based networks, such as through the PEALS founded Café Scientifique.

Update 2015

The project culminated in a Newcastle based workshop drawing together Newcastle colleagues with national and international participants, with the aims of building up networks, identifying potential collaborations and identifying plans for future activities through which to build routes for ethically robust citizen participation in scientific research.

Download the workshop report (PDF: 214 KB) and the project report (PDF: 215 KB).