STEPS Centre wins award for contribution to public understanding of the social dimensions of science

The European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) has awarded the ESRC STEPS Centre its prestigious new Ziman award for “the most innovative cooperation in a venture to promote the public understanding of the social dimensions of science”.

The STEPS Centre was given the award for its Innovation, Sustainability, Development: A New Manifesto project (www.anewmanifesto.org) which recommends new ways of linking science and innovation to development for a more sustainable, equitable and resilient future.

The New Manifesto project included many collaborative and interactive elements such as: 20+ roundtable events across the world; an interactive wiki-timeline mapping over 40 years of science and technology for development; and a multimedia version of the Manifesto, illustrated with video, audio and other materials.

Professor Fred Steward, President of EASST said: “The EASST Council was impressed by how the New Manifesto’s 3D agenda of directionality, distribution and diversity expressed the social dimensions of science in a publicly accessible, policy relevant form through an ambitious process of international dialogue and engagement.”

Dr Adrian Ely, convenor of the New Manifesto project said: “This award is a testimony to the collaborative efforts of hundreds of participants who contributed to the project through seminars, round tables and background papers. We are honoured to receive recognition of these efforts from EASST, and are taking forward the Manifesto’s ideas through the STEPS Centre’s continuing impact, communications and engagement work, with global partners and through contributions to the Post-2015 development agenda.”

The €1000 prize money will be used to continue broadening the public understanding of the social dimensions of science through the Manifesto project.

The STEPS Centre became the first ever winner of the Ziman prize – selected on the basis of originality and influence – after the EASST decided to celebrate collaborative activity with a set of three new awards. Distinguished theoretical physicist John Ziman was an avid promoter of initiatives at the public interface of science.

Notes to editor:

Read: Innovation, Sustainability, Development: A New Manifesto

For more information:
Adrian Ely, Manifesto project convenor [email protected]
Julia Day, Communications Manager [email protected] / +44 (0)7974 209148

The STEPS Centre (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability) is an interdisciplinary global research and policy engagement centre uniting development studies with science and technology studies. We are developing a new approach to understanding and action on sustainability and development and are funded by the ESRC. www.steps-centre.org Twitter: @stepscentre

EASST is the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology. Established in 1981 it is the organization which represents academics and researchers in the fields of science and technology studies, the social analysis of innovation and related areas of knowledge. It brings together a variety of disciplines and many of its members have qualifications in both natural science/engineering and social sciences. http://easst.net/

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK’s largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC’s total budget for 2012/13 is £205 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes. More at www.esrc.ac.uk

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STEPS Centre Press Release_EASST Ziman award_Oct2012 (PDF 351kb)