Large Grant to Fund Philosophical Work on Scientific Testimony and Diversity
Mikkel Gerken, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Southern Denmark, has been awarded a DKK 4,259,520 (approximately $666,750) grant for his research project, “Scientific Testimony in a Diverse Society,” from Independent Research Fund Denmark (Dansmarks Frie Forskningsfond, or DFF).
The project brings social epistemology to bear on questions regarding scientific testimony, with an emphasis on the tension between respecting epistemically diverse minorities while also respecting scientific expertise. The work will be based at the University of Southern Denmark and will include recruiting two post-doctoral fellows. Its funding begins in September 2019 and will run for two years.
DFF funding “creates space for pursuing original research ideas with a yet unknown potential to improve our lives and lifestyle.” You can learn more about it here, and more about Professor Gerken’s work here.
Must read: Helen Longino. 1992. “Subjects, Power, and Knowledge: Description and Prescription in Feminist Philosophies of Science.” In *Feminist Epistemologies,* edited by Linda Martin Alcoff and Elizabeth Potter. Routledge.
This chapter argues for “interactive intersubjectivity,” which is an approach that attempts to preserve inclusivity and objectivity within the practice of science.