About the Trinity Science & Society Research Centre
Who we are
The Trinity Science & Society Research Centre asks not just how science is communicated, but how knowledge is made, learned, lived, and shared, and by whom. We take an expansive view of science: as one powerful way of knowing among many, inseparable from the postdigital, socially entangled world in which it is made and experienced. Rooted in the School of Education and spanning all three of Trinity's faculties, we bring together researchers, educators, artists, and communities in inter- and transdisciplinary inquiry. We explore how science and society shape, and are shaped by, one another, through both rigorous scholarship and creative, participatory practice. Our work leads with a commitment to social and epistemic justice: we believe that evidence-based, inclusive approaches to science engagement are a democratic necessity.
Our vision
We work towards a world in which equitable and reciprocal relationships between science and society drive decision-making for just and thriving planetary futures.
What we do
The Centre is the first of its kind in Ireland, and arrives at a moment when committed scholarship across the full, contested terrain of science and society has never been more needed, or more possible. We bring Trinity's three faculties into sustained dialogue with one another, and with our communities beyond the university. We work at three levels: at the societal level, investigating approaches that strengthen the relationship between science and society and support informed decision-making on socio-scientific issues; at the national level, bridging the gap between research and practice in science engagement in Ireland, and working with Research Ireland, other universities, civil society organisations, and communities; and at the university level, supporting Trinity's commitments to public engagement, climate action, and academic freedom under the 'Thrive' Strategic Plan.
About Our Co-Directors
Professor Joseph Roche, Associate Dean of Research for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Dr Mairéad Hurley, Assistant Professor in Science & Society Education at the School of Education, lead the Centre as Co-Directors. Both have spent more than a decade working on research and practice at the interface of science and society, including leadership roles at Science Gallery Dublin, the coordination of major European research projects such as GlobalSCAPE and LEVERS, and the development of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in science communication, citizen science and science education.
Governance
The Centre is led by Co-Directors Professor Joseph Roche and Dr Mairéad Hurley, supported by a Steering Committee of collaborating research and academic staff who meet quarterly to guide the Centre's overall direction and strategy. An Advisory Board of national and international experts, community leaders, and stakeholders from across academia, industry, and the public sector meet annually to provide guidance on strategic planning and collaborations. The Centre is administered through the School of Education in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Strategic alignment
The Centre delivers on commitments in Trinity's Strategic Plan, 'Thrive' (2025–2030), particularly the ambition to tell Trinity's story to influence, engage, and change, and the foundational commitments to climate action, biodiversity, and academic freedom. It contributes to Trinity's CoARA and DORA commitments on open research assessment and to the European Research Area Policy Agenda 2025–2027, specifically the action on Enhancing Trust in Science through Citizen Participation, Engagement and Science Communication. As the Irish hub of the Horizon Europe COALESCE project, the Centre is helping to build the European Competence Centre for Science Communication.
Contact
scienceandsociety@tcd.ie
School of Education, Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland