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We are pleased to share that the call for abstracts for the session "Navigating the Challenges of Research Ethics in the Age of Emerging Technologies" at the upcoming   STS Conference in Graz, Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society Studies, held from 5–7 May 2025 is now open.

About the session

The session aims to identify and discuss the ethical challenges posed by new and emerging technologies in research. Furthermore, it will serve to share best practices and experiences from researchers, ethicists and other experts in the field with regard to dealing with these difficulties. A particular focus of this session is the question of how other key stakeholders such as representatives of civil society or industry can be meaningfully engaged in ethics review processes. Fostering a collaborative dialogue between different stakeholders is an important step to address many of the existing challenges. This dialogue should not be limited to researchers and ethicists but should also encompass the voices of stakeholders from a multitude of sectors. 

Key Questions

• What are the principal ethical concerns associated with new and emerging technologies in research?
• How might researchers and ethic experts maintain awareness and up-to-date knowledge considering the rapid pace of technological advancements?
• What roles can civil society and industry play in the ethical review process, and how can their involvement be facilitated?
• What are the best practices for fostering collaboration between ethics review experts and other stakeholders to guarantee comprehensive ethical oversight?

Key Dates:

Submission Deadline for abstracts: 31 January 2025.

Authors of selected abstracts will be invited to submit full papers by 16 June 2025.

Abstracts must be submitted online.

The conference will take place on 5 – 7 May 2025 in Graz.

Contributions Welcome!

We invite submissions from STS practitioners and other researchers with expertise in research ethics, research integrity, and stakeholder engagement. Those engaged in the ethical oversight of research involving new and emerging technologies will find this call of particular interest.

We are particularly interested in the following areas:

• Case studies highlighting ethical dilemmas that arise in the context of new technologies.
• Insights into the evolving role of researchers and ethics reviews experts in the context of technological advancements.
• Innovative approaches or methodologies for the involvement of civil society and industry in the ethical review process.
• Strategies for effective communication and collaboration between ethics review experts and other stakeholders.

Further Information

For more details on about the call for abstracts and the conference itself, please visit the conference website at: STS Conference in Graz

For any other questions or inquiries, feel free to contact us at our institutional email: claudia.braendel@kit.edu and maria.maia@kit.edu

Authors:

Claudia Braendle and Maria Maia, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)