Research
The Institute for Science and Society (ISS) is committed to producing excellent, innovative and engaged research. Since ISS was set up in 1998, we have:
- attracted grants and contracts from major national and international funding bodies including the Leverhulme and Wellcome Trusts, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Medical Research Council (MRC), the European Science Foundation (ESF), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), EU Horizon 2020, the European Research Council (ERC), the National Health Service (NHS)
- undertaken world-leading research projects and commissions for government agencies and prominent organisations
- taught and supervised over 50 postgraduate and PhD students
Selected research projects
This list includes examples of our recent funding (awarded since 2017 only). For a full list or for more information, please contact pru.hobson-west@nottingham.ac.uk
Horizon Digital Economy ‘Workplace Wellbeing and the Internet’ (2024-2025) Helena Webb (PI), Peter Craigon (CI)
EPSRC RAI UK TAS Hub and Good Systems Strategic Partnership (2024-2025) Helena Webb (PI)
University of Nottingham Institute for Policy and Engagement: 'Shropshire Council and farmers learning together: Developing a farmer biochar framework' (2025) Catherine Price (PI)
British Academy and Leverhulme Trust. ‘Contesting Genomic Histories and Museum Futures in an Age of Extinction’ (2024-2026) Adam Searle (PI).
AHRC ‘Creating a Dynamic Archive of Responsible AI Ecosystems in the Context of Creative AI’ (2024) Helena Webb (CI)
University of Nottingham Knowledge Exchange and Impact: ‘Embedding social science expertise in UK environment policy and practice organisations’ (2023 to 2024), Carol Morris (PI)
Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science (ACCESS) Flex Fund: ‘Including the More-Than-Human World in Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI): Developing a Conceptual Framework’ (2023-2024) Catherine Price (PI).
BBSRC ‘No Carbon Lost - Eliminating Co2 Production from Fermentation Processes’ (2022-2024) Dimitris Papadopoulos (CI)
Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness Workshop/Symposium Award: ‘Beyond positionality: the role and impact of researcher emotion in the sociology of health and illness’. (2023-2024) Victoria Cluley (PI), Pru Hobson-West (CI), Kathleen Salter (CI).
GRRF-AHRC ‘Arid ethno-forestry food systems: a wellbeing alternative for communities living in drylands of the world’ (2022-2024)Dimitris Papadopoulos (CI)
EU Horizon 20/20.‘VAX-TRUST: Addressing vaccine hesitancy in Europe’ (2021-2024) Pru Hobson-West (CI)
UKRI ‘Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Hub’ (2020-2024) Murray Goulden (CI), Helena Webb (CI).
British Academy/Wellcome Trust Conference Award ‘Constructing and contesting veterinary expertise’. (2020-2022) Pru Hobson-West (PI), Alistair Anderson (CI) and Kate Millar (CI).
ESRC DTP Collaborative Studentship ‘Is 'elderspeak' always inappropriate? An empirical investigation of the use of elderspeak in dementia care’ (2020-2023) Alison Pilnick (PI).
BBSRC Synthetic Biology Research Centre: Sustainable Routes to Platform Chemicals (2020-2022) Dimitris Papadopoulos (CI)
Wellcome Trust Prime Scholarship Controversies in human and animal vaccination (2020-2022) Pru Hobson-West (PI)
EPSRC Sustainable Chemistry: Atoms-2-Products an Integrated Approach to Sustainable Chemistry (2019-2028) Dimitris Papadopoulos (CI)
ESRC DTP Collaborative Studentship ‘Ensuring animal research is ethical: Comparing public and policy expectations’. (2019-2023). Pru Hobson-West (PI), Dimitris Papadopoulos (CI).
Academy of Medical Sciences Future Leaders in Innovation, Enterprise and Research Award (2019-2021) Alison Pilnick (PI).
Wellcome Trust ‘Talking about gene drive: An exploration of language to enable understanding and deliberation in Africa, Europe, North America and Australasia’. (2019-2020). Brigitte Nerlich (CI)
EPSRC ‘Defence Against the Dark Artifacts: DADA’ (2018-2021) Murray Goulden (CI)
AHRC/UKRI Newton Fund ODA ‘Mending the New: A Framework for Reconciliation Through Testimonial Digital Textiles in the Transition to Post-Conflict Rural Colombia’ (2018-2020) Dimitris Papadopoulos (PI).
Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship. ‘Benign by Design: The Emergence of Ecologically Sustainable Chemical Innovation’. (2018-2020) Dimitris Papadopoulos (PI).
Wellcome Trust Collaborative Award ‘Animal Research Nexus: Changing Constitutions of Science, Health and Welfare’ (2017-2023). Pru Hobson-West (Co-PI).
University of Nottingham Research Fellowship ‘A Mediated Home – The Sociology of the Smart Home’ (2017-2020). Murray Goulden (PI)
Postdoctoral and PhD research
If you are interested in conducting research at ISS, please contact Professor Pru Hobson-West.