CfP: Seventh International Undergraduate Research Conference on Science, Technology, Medicine, and Society (STMS)
Conference Theme: Science and Public Welfare
Keynote Speaker: Erika Dyck, Canada Research Chair in the History of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan. Publications include Psychedelic Psychiatry: LSD on the Canadian Prairies (University of Manitoba Press, 2012) and Facing Eugenics (University of Toronto Press, 2013).
Science impacts every aspect of our lives and has long been viewed as a public good. However, the relationship between science and society is complex and multifaceted. Scientific developments and their technological counterparts have created both new solutions and new problems for the public. How has the increased presence of science and technology in our everyday lives impacted mental, social, economic, political, environmental, and physical health? How have scientific and technological advancements created new problems for the Earth, and can science help us avoid the impending climate crisis? What ethical issues arise when we avail ourselves of powerful science-based technologies, such as prenatal genetic screening? How do agricultural developments such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) affect long-term crop health, and how do we weigh problematic environmental impacts against positive impacts on food availability? How do psychiatric and other medical diagnoses shape our self-image as well as social conceptions of normality and abnormality? Have advanced military and surveillance technologies contributed more towards public safety or a state of vulnerability?
The Seventh International Undergraduate Research Conference on Science, Technology, Medicine, and Society at the University of Toronto invites student submissions that examine the interactions between science and public welfare. Topics may include but are not limited to: climate science, agricultural science, medical technologies, mental health diagnoses, and artificial intelligence (AI). We also invite submissions on other issues related to Science, Technology, and Medicine (STM) in historical and contemporary contexts throughout the world. As an interdisciplinary gathering, we encourage students to submit papers from across the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences—check out our 2022 conference webpage to view previous abstracts.
Interested students should submit an abstract (250 words) and a brief bio (50 words) by January 9, 2023 using the following link: https://forms.gle/
All applicants will be notified by February 6, 2023.
Sponsored by the University of Toronto’s: Institute for History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST), Arts and Science Student Union (ASSU), History and Philosophy of Science Undergraduate Society (HPSUS), and Victoria College.
Conference webpage: http://hpsus.sa.utoronto.ca/