Grant: European Commission – Horizon Europe – WIDERA – Societal trust in science, research and innovation
Project name: Inspiring and Anchoring Trust in Science, Research and Innovation – IANUS
Researcher: prof.dr. Hub Zwart
Timeline: 2022-2025
IANUS aims to strengthen warranted trust in science by fostering participation in research as a co-creative, inclusive process, sensitive to societal values and concerns. Trust must be inspired by trustworthiness of knowledge production, and anchored by actively involving society, as part of the modus operandi of science. Our core objectives: (a) Enable society to distinguish valid from unfounded trust; (b) Enable society to deal with the uncertainties and epistemic pluralism inherent in scientific knowledge; (c) Enable researchers to foster trust through radical methodological change, making research inclusive, transparent, and responsive; (d) Enable researchers to conduct relevant, engaged and value-driven research while foregoing ideological biases and conflicts of interests. The acronym IANUS refers to the deity of gateways, looking both at the inside and at the outside of the knowledge production process. Trust is never a given. IANUS will (a) map the discursive landscape, (b) develop a conceptual framework; (c) conduct participatory research into conditions of trust in science; (d) initiate concrete actions for strengthening trust through co-creation and engagement; (e) provide policy recommendation; (f) create platforms for interaction and engagement. The complexity and urgency of societal challenges rapidly intensifies, and trust in science determines our ability to address these challenges effectively.