• Co-ordinator: Dr. rer. nat. Stephan Lingner, Dipl.-Geol.

• Duration: 3/10–9/12

Recent societal challenges are often in need of rational scientific decision support relying on appropriate interdisciplinary efforts. At first, these efforts should reflect the state-of-the-art of the empirical and methodological knowledge from all relevant disciplines. Secondly, their outcome should be also transdisciplinarily acceptable – beyond any disciplinary perspective.

The above-mentioned working group aims at reflecting the specific needs for scientific advice as well as at deliberating the potential of the scientific system to satisfy these demands. In this context, preconditions which might influence the quality and efficiency of scientific advice will be analyzed. To be more concrete, the concept of organizing appropriate thematic and time-limited interdisciplinary projects is to be critically reviewed, especially with regard to its theoretical foundations and its practical utility. This review should be accompanied by comparative analysis of other, namely value-oriented or participatory concepts of technology assessment. 

After several years of experience, this task will also enable the Europäische Akademie to investigate if and how far its methodological concept of “rational technology assessment” fulfilled the expectations of the founders, members and addressees of the academy.

• Volume “Bridges between Science, Society and Policy. Technology Assessment – Methods and Impacts” from the series “Wissenschaftsethik und Technikfolgenbeurteilung” (ethics of science and technology assessment) No 22, Springer-Verlag, 2004
  to the Springer-Verlag Book Series
  

• Volume “Interdisciplinarity in Technology Assessment. Implementation and its Chances and Limits” from the series “Wissenschaftsehtik und Technikfolgenbeurteilung” (ethics of science and technology assessment) No 11, Springer-Verlag, 2001
  to the Springer-Verlag Book Series

• Volume “Ethik in der Technikgestaltung” from the series “Wissenschaftsethik und Technikfolgenbeurteilung” (ethics of science and technology assessment) No 2, Springer-Verlag, 1999
  to the Springer-Verlag Book Series
  

• Volume “Rationale Technikfolgenbeurteilung. Konzeption und methodische Grundlagen” der Reihe “Wissenschaftsethik und Technikfolgenbeurteilung” No 1, Springer-Verlag, 1998
  to the Springer-Verlag Book Series
  

• Graue Reihe “Angewandte interdisziplinäre Forschung in der Technikfolgenabschätzung”, 41/2007
  to the Graue Reihe

• C. F. Gethmann: „Participatory technology assessment: some critical questions”, Poiesis & Praxis. International Journal of Ethics of Science and Technology Assessment, Band 1, Heft 2 (August 2002)
  to the Journal Poiesis & Praxis

• G. Hanekamp: „Scientific policy consulting and participation“, Poiesis & Praxis. International Journal of Ethics of Science and Technology Assessment, Band 1, Heft 1 (Dezember 2001)
  to the Journal Poiesis & Praxis

• Focus “A Way to Reach Transdisciplinarity. A proposal to organise an interdisciplinary expert group”, Newsletter 20/2000
  to the Newsletters

• Focus “Interdisziplinäre Forschung. Aufgaben und Schwierigkeiten”, Newsletter 12/1998
  to the Newsletters

• Autumn Conference “Interdisciplinary research between social expectations and scientific validity”, 2010
  to the Autumn Conference

• Spring Conference “The Interdisciplinary Function of Philosophy”, 2004
  to the Spring Conference