The UKâs Sciencewise program, a scheme that provides grants âfor projects that bring scientists, government and the public together to explore the impact of science and technology in our livesâ has announced its recent batch of successful applicants, and naturally ânanoâ plays a part.
While it is good to foster discussion, we do begin to wonder whether the plethora of public engagement projects, from Nanojury to Nanologue will assuage public fears or merely just confuse them. Similar schemes are popping up like mushrooms, and there is more than a hint of suspicion that some of these may be simply a way of keeping social science departments busy and pressure groups at bay.
NanoDialogues (Demos, Lancaster University, BBSRC, EPSRC, Environment Agency) âwill ensure that nanoscientists take a front seat role in constructive dialogue with the public. The project will use appropriate methods of ‘upstream’ engagement, to inform decision-making in two research councils (EPSRC and BBSRC), a regulator (the Environment Agency), a company (tbc) and an NGO (ITDG). â
Nanotech Engagement Group (Involve, Cambridge University NanoScience Centre, University of East Anglia School of Environmental Sciences, Policy Studies Institute) âwill support public bodies (particularly government departments, agencies, and research councils) through the OST-led Nanotechnologies Issues Dialogue Group in developing and implementing a coherent programme of social and ethical research and public dialogue around nanotechnologyâ
While not nano related, we were both concerned and amused to see that one of the grants went to a project called âRisky Businessâ which â combines teaching âideas about scienceâ with dramatical participative citizenship, promoting cogent student thinking for application to other issuesâ