The Synergy Grants program from the European Research Council awards grants of millions of euros to “foster collaboration between outstanding researchers, enabling them to combine their expertise, knowledge and resources to push the boundaries of scientific discovery.”

Two projects involving philosophers were among those funded in the latest round.

They are:

Popular Government in Global Perspective: History, Principles, Institutions, and Experimentations
(€9.2 million)

Pierre-Etienne Vandamme (Philosophy, University of Louvain)
Bruno Leipold (Government, London School of Economics)
Yanina Welp (Albert Hirshman Centre on Democracy, Geneva Graduate Institute)
Udit Bhatia (Political Economy, King’s College London)

[Political systems often exhibit] “unequal responsiveness”, often tilting decisions in favour of the wealthy and special interest groups and this, the researchers say, has created widespread dissatisfaction. The project aims to counter this by uncovering alternative democratic models, which it groups under the label “popular government”. These are defined as political forms that genuinely seek to empower ordinary citizens, not just a select few. The study aims to break new ground by combining history, political philosophy, comparative politics and empirical research across five packages of work. Researchers will study historical, defeated democratic visions in India, South Africa, and Chile alongside existing or proposed elements of popular government around the world. These include mechanisms like citizens’ assemblies, recall elections, and theoretical models like “lottocracy” (selection by lottery). [source: KCL press release]

The Ethics of AI-Enabled Synthetic DNA
(€5.8 million)

Anna Smajdor (Philosophy, University of Oslo)
Karen Filbee-Dexter (Institute of Marine Research)
Adrián Villalba (Reproductive Medicine, Valencian International University)

Should we use artificial intelligence to generate synthetic DNA? In the past, DNA was something that could—with difficulty—be modified, with fairly uncertain results. Now, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), it is possible to design DNA from scratch and “print” synthetic DNA sequences. Synthetic DNA can be used to create entirely new genetic sequences unrelated to the natural world and has been proposed as a strategy to preserve endangered species. It may also allow for the replication and reproduction of human genetic material in unprecedented ways… There are many questions regarding this technology that remain unanswered. The use of this technology forces us to reconsider fundamental questions about our relationship with nature. Who, if anyone, should have the right to design and create DNA? What restrictions should exist? These questions must be addressed, as the technology is already here. [source: University of Oslo press release]

You can learn about the other Synergy Grant-winning projects here.