2025 STMS Conference Call for Papers
Across the globe, scholars are recognizing the pressing need to bridge the sciences and the humanities to address complex issues rooted in division and fuelling polarization. Science, Technology, Medicine, and Society (STMS) is an evolving field that integrates scientific and humanistic approaches to confront these challenges. This conference invites undergraduate researchers to explore the interplay between STEM and the humanities as they envision, shape, and embody the future of STMS. How can the humanities enhance public understanding of scientific concepts and issues? In what ways can ethical considerations inform scientific research and technological development? How do historical perspectives on science and technology inform our current understanding of societal challenges? How can philosophical considerations change scientific practice? How can interdisciplinary approaches between STEM and the humanities address global challenges such as climate change or public health crises? What is the impact of emerging technologies (e.g., AI, biotechnology) on our understanding of human identity and agency? How has public trust in science and technology evolved, and what factors influence it today? What lessons can be drawn from the history of science and medicine in addressing current global inequalities? In what ways do economic factors shape the direction of scientific research and technological development? How do globalization and digital communication shape scientific collaboration and knowledge exchange? How can we foster more inclusive narratives in science that reflect diverse cultural and social perspectives? Apart from these questions, what other questions will STMS tackle in the future?
The Ninth International Undergraduate Research Conference on Science, Technology, Medicine, and Society at the University of Toronto invites undergraduate student submissions that gaze upon the future of STMS as an interdisciplinary field. Topics may include but are not limited to: science communication and education, bioethics, human-technology interaction, philosophy of science, history of science, and other topics focused on the interplay between STEM and the Humanities. We also invite submissions on other issues related to Science, Technology, and Medicine (STM) in historical and contemporary contexts around the world. As an interdisciplinary gathering (and as the conference theme emphasizes!), we encourage students to submit papers from across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences—check out our 2025 conference webpage to view more information and examples of previous abstracts.
Interested students should submit an abstract (250 words) and a brief bio (50 words) by January 15th, 2025 using the following link: https://forms.gle/Bz1EV3VwHjPinAQF6.
If you have any questions, please contact Rebecca Muscant at: rebecca.muscant@mail.utoronto.ca
All applicants will be notified by early to mid-February, 2025.
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