CFP: Science, Society, and Communication Conference

Call for Abstracts: Science, Society, and Communication Conference

July 24-25, 2026
University College Dublin, Ireland

The Science, Society, and Communication Conference at University College Dublin, Ireland, will explore philosophical questions regarding the relationship and interactions between scientific experts and non-experts, with special attention to challenges in healthcare. The aim of the conference is to dissect and address these complex issues, inviting philosophers as well as scholars working at the intersection between philosophy and other disciplines.

We invite contributions that explore (but are not limited to) the following themes:

• Interactions between scientific experts and non-experts in polluted epistemic environments (e.g., issues arising in online communities and politicised contexts);
• The impact of AI on scientific experts-non-experts interactions (e.g., use of AI Chatbots for medical information and reassurance);
• The role of trust and distrust in the scientific experts and non-experts relationship;
•  Challenges in communication models (e.g., motivational interviewing);
• Challenges in public engagement practices (e.g., science festivals and consensus conferences);
• Epistemic deference, science denial, and contestation;
• Advisory roles and communication between scientific experts and public institutions;
• Communication of uncertainty and expert disagreement;
• Patients’ communication of lived experiences;
• Epistemic injustices, epistemic derivatization, and patients’ epistemic rights;
• Micro aggressions in scientific experts-non-experts interactions;
• Harms of credibility excess;
• Marginalized communities and communication;
• Communication approaches in science activism;
• Communicative success in scientific experts-non-experts interactions;
• Communication training for scientific experts;
• Virtues of science communicators;
• Fame and science communication;
• Epistemic and ethical challenges in science journalism.

Gabriele Contessa(see also Science Denial), whose work has been central to this research area, will deliver the keynote lecture.
Submission Guidelines:
An abstract of no more than 300 words, for 30 minute presentations + 10 minutes Q&A, should be sent as email attachments to [email protected] using the subject heading “Science, Society, and Communication Conference”, by May 30, 2026.

Important Dates:
- Submission Deadline: May 30, 2026.
- Notification of Acceptance: June 15, 2026.
- Conference Dates and Venue: July 24-25, 2026, University College Dublin.
Contact Information: For inquiries and submission details, please contact [email protected] or Dr Silvia Ivani, [email protected].