Ralf Bartenschlager
Heidelberg University
Germany
EMBL Science and Society Conference
This conference will take place as an in-person meeting on-site at EMBL Heidelberg.
We live in an era characterised by dazzling scientific and technological progress on an unprecedented scale. From the application of new gene editing techniques, pioneering stem cell research, or rapid vaccine development to emerging technologies such as AI or organoid research, advances in life sciences offer a myriad of potential benefits to society.
However, these scientific endeavours exist against a backdrop of misinformation and disinformation in the scientific arena, which have the potential to cast a shadow on the public perception of science. From attitudes surrounding scientific issues in the pandemic, highly publicised cases of scientific fraud and misconduct, or ethical issues in research which may cross into the realms of science fiction, the issue of societal trust in science is never far from the public consciousness.
How have scientific developments over the past 100 years shaped the public view of science, what responsibility do scientists have towards society, and what does the future hold for the indivisible relationship that exists between science and society? This conference will analyse the importance of public trust in science in a ‘post-truth’ society, from public involvement to implications on funding and resource allocation, and the political consequences of losing societal trust and buy-in. Above all, it will ask what role we can all play in shaping the future path of increased societal trust in science.
Heidelberg University
Germany
University College Dublin, Institute for Discovery
Ireland
University of Göttingen
Germany
Campaign for Science and Engineering
United Kingdom
TOBB University of Economics and Technology
Turkey
King’s College London
United Kingdom
Leiden University
The Netherlands
Freelance Science Journalist
Switzerland
Falling Walls Foundation
Germany
Open Data Institute
United Kingdom
European Parliament
Belgium
F1000
United Kingdom
University of Bristol
United Kingdom
Open Science
Finland
The Alan Turing Institute
United Kingdom
TAP (The Awesome Potatoes) Science Theater Heidelberg
Germany
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Erasmus School of Philosophy
The Netherlands
Bianca Schmitt | EMBL Heidelberg, Germany |
Jürgen Deka | EMBL Heidelberg, Germany |
Geoffrey Barnett | EMBL Heidelberg, Germany |
Maria Papanikoaou | EMBL Heidelberg, Germany |
Natalia Kret | EMBL Heidelberg, Germany |
Ruairi McEvoy | EMBL Heidelberg, Germany |
Briony Jackson | EMBL-EBI Hinxton, United Kingdom |
Victor Secco | Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy |
Ernesto de la Cueva Bueno | EMBL Heidelberg, Germany |
Gemma Wood | EMBL-EBI Hinxton, United Kingdom |
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
EMBO
Germany
EMBL-EBI Hinxton
United kIngsom
EMBO Press
Germany
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
EMBL Heidelberg
Germany
Are you on social media? Post using #SciSoc2025 and don’t forget to tag @EMBLEvents.
This conference will take place as an in-person meeting on-site at EMBL Heidelberg.
Please note that the programme is subject to change. Some speakers may need to join virtually to give their talk.
Time (Europe/Berlin) | Speaker |
---|---|
12:10-13:30 | Arrival and registration Light refreshments available |
13:30 – 13:45 | Welcome remarks and housenotes |
13:45 – 14:30 | Keynote lecture 1 Evolution of trust in science during the Covid-19 pandemics: A virologists’ experience – Ralf Bartenschlager – Universitatklinikum Heidelberg, Germany |
14:30 – 15:30 | Session 1 |
14:30 – 15:00 | The evolution of (dist)trust in science from the late 20th century to the present Caitjan Gainty – Kings College London, United Kingdom |
15:00 – 15:30 | How – and how much – does public trust affect scientific and technological research? Ben Bleasdale – Campaign for Science & Engineering, United Kingdom |
15:30 – 16:15 | Coffee Break including Poster viewing |
16:15 – 17:15 | Session 2 |
16:15 – 16:45 | Understanding the issues with reproducibility in scientific research Marcus Munafo – University of Bristol, United Kingdom |
16:45 – 17:15 | Issues of the research system: research assessment, pressure for HIF publications, etc. Rebecca Lawrence – F1000/Wellcome Open Research, United Kingdom |
17:15 – 18:00 | Panel discussion 1 : Focus on AI Panelists: Perihan Elif Ekmekci – TOBB University, Turkey Resham Kotecha – The Open Data Institute, United Kingdom Mihalis Kritikos – European Parliament, Belgium |
18:00 – 18:15 | Closing remarks of Day 1 |
18:15 – 19:15 | Meet the speakers of Day 1 and Poster viewing with pre-dinner drinks |
19:15 – 21:15 | Dinner in the EMBL Canteen |
Time (Europe/Berlin) | Speaker |
---|---|
09:00-09:45 | Keynote lecture 2 How can policy contribute to trustworthy science: Insights from developing the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity Maura Hiney – University College Dublin, Institute for Discovery, ireland |
Session 3 | |
09:45-10:15 | Mini-panel: Trust as a resource: the benefit of citizen and participatory science Hub Zwart – Erasmus School of Philosophy, The Netherlands Margaret Gold – Leiden Univeristy, The Netherlands |
10:15-10:45 | Mini-panel: How to communicate science effectively and creatively (with EMBL Alumni) Panelists: Giorgia Guglielmi – Freelance Science Journalist, Switzerland Veli Vural Uslu – TAP (The Awesome Potatoes) Science Theater Heidelberg, Germany |
10:45 – 11:30 | Coffee Break including Poster viewing |
11:30 – 12:30 | Session 4 – Bridging the gap between science and society |
11:30 – 12:00 | Role of Ombudsperson in research integrity and beyond Ulrike Beisiegel – Goettingen University, Germany |
12:00 – 12:30 | Falling the walls of mistrust in science Andreas Kosmider – Falling Walls Foundation, Germany |
11:30 – 12:00 | Session 5 |
12:30 – 13:15 | Panel discussion – Focus on Open Science Panelists: Victoria Yan – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany Henriikka Mustajoki – Open Science, Finland Malvika Sharan – Alan Turing Institute |
13:15 – 13:30 | Closing remarks Edith Heard – EMBL Heidelberg, Germany |
13:30 – 14:30 | Light lunch and Meet the speakers from Day 2 |
14:30 | Bus downtown |
On-site registration fees include admission, conference materials, meals, and coffee breaks. Participants are expected to book and pay their own accommodation and travel expenses.
Standard | €40 |
Student | €20 |
If you are under 18 years of age and interested in attending this event, please contact us directly to ask about registration options first.
EMBL staff interested in attending this event should register using the staff registration page available on the intranet.
Registration will be on a first come, first served basis. Your place can only be confirmed after payment of the registration fee. If you are added to our waiting list, please consider taking advantage of our offerings to participate virtually.
Types of payments accepted are international bank transfers and credit card payments.
Please find more details under the ‘Call for posters’ tab.
Accommodation is not included in the conference registration fee.
A list of our partner hotels where rooms have been blocked for conference participants will be published here soon.
For travel information, please see here.
If you are travelling to the conference within Germany then you are eligible for the Deutsche Bahn ‘Event Ticket’ (called the ‘Veranstaltungsticket’ in German). This will result in a lower ticket price if your travel distance to Heidelberg is more than 100 km. You need to provide proof of your event attendance when purchasing the ticket.
For more information in English see here or in German see here.
You can book your ticket here.
Conference shuttle buses are free of charge for participants, and depart from designated bus stops near the hotels to EMBL and back, mornings and evenings.
The bus stops for this conference will be published ahead of the event.
View Conference shuttle bus stops and hotels in a larger map. Please note that not every bus stop will be used for every event.
Address: EMBL, Meyerhofstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
For more information about accommodation and travel, please refer to the FAQ page.
All meals and coffee breaks are included in the registration fee. Our catering staff will prepare a wide variety of vegetarian meals, meat and fish dishes, soups, pasta, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as a variety of desserts.
Please wear your badge at all times when serving yourself.
No food or drinks are allowed in the auditorium.
There are lockers available next to the stairs leading down into the Auditorium. You will find some of those equipped with sockets to charge your smartphone/tablet etc.
In most places the electricity is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). An adaptor and a plug that fits the German socket may be needed for your appliances/laptop (i.e. American, Japanese, etc.). A USB charging station for electronic devices is available at the registration desk.
If you are interested in purchasing EMBL merchandise (products presented in the glass display in the registration area), please email the EMBL shop to place an order or get in contact with your Course Organiser.
Kindly note the EMBL shop is only open upon request and all purchases must be made in cash (Euros only).
Please read EMBL’s COVID-19 safety policy for on-site events.
Do not smoke in any EMBL building.
Eating and drinking is prohibited in the Auditorium and all laboratories.
Do not enter any restricted areas or the laboratories unless instructed to do so.
If first aid is required …
In case of fire …
Beyond first aid…
Please remember to bring your own medication, if needed, to the conference. Note that the next pharmacy is a 4-minute drive from the EMBL, but for many medications you will be required to see a doctor to get a prescription.
Ensure in advance that your medical insurance will cover you during your visit in the event that you do need to see a doctor while in Heidelberg. In any case, the EMBL Course and Conference Office will assist you to get to the pharmacy and a doctor of your choice if necessary.
Wi-Fi is available on campus using the EMBL-Events network and the event specific password, which will be provided on site. The eduroam network (secure, worldwide roaming access service developed for the international research and education community) is also available.
‘Lost and Found’ items are kept at the registration desk until the end of the conference.
There are lockers available on-site to store your luggage, which require a 2 EURO coin to operate. There is another luggage room on level E0, which is free to use but remains unlocked during the conference.
There is a nursing room available in the ATC Rooftop Lounge on level A29.
During the conference, an EMBL Photographer may be taking photos. If you would not like to appear in these, please inform the photographer or a member of the Course and Conference Office.
We can help to print your boarding pass/train ticket. Please send it to events@embl.de and collect your print-outs at the registration desk.
There is a room for prayer, meditation and yoga located on level E0 behind the Auditorium. Please be respectful of others using the room.
A variety of activities in Heidelberg can be found on the website of Heidelberg Marketing.
During the event, we provide conference shuttle buses to and from EMBL. In addition, there is the public bus 39A that serves the EMBL campus and taxis can be easily booked at any time. Information on the conference shuttle buses can be found on the individual event website and more detailed information on travelling to EMBL can be found on our Travel Information page.
Hello | Hallo |
Goodbye | Auf Wiedersehen (formal) Tschüss (informal) |
Good morning | Guten Morgen |
Good afternoon | Guten Tag |
Good evening | Guten Abend |
Good night | Gute Nacht |
I’m sorry | Es tut mir leid |
Excuse me… | Entschuldigen Sie |
How are you? | Wie gehts? |
I’m fine thanks. And you? | Mir geht es gut , danke. Und Dir/Ihnen? |
What is your name | Wie heißen Sie? (formal) Wie heißt Du? (informal) |
My name is | Ich heiße… |
Do you speak English | Sprechen Sie englisch? |
I don’t understand | Ich verstehe nicht |
Please speak more slowly | Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen |
Thank you | Dankeschön |
Where is the toilet? | Wo ist die Toilette? |
Please call me a taxi | Bitte rufen Sie mir ein Taxi |
How do I get to….? | Wie komme ich zum/zur…..? |
A beer/two beers please | Ein Bier/zwei Bier bitte |
A glass of red/white wine please | Ein Glas Rot/Weisswein bitte |
The menu, please | Die Speisekarte, bitte |
Is there a local speciality? | Gibt es eine Spezialität aus dieser Gegend? |
I’m vegetarian | Ich bin Vegetarier |
It was delicious | Es war hervorragend |
The bill, please | Die Rechnung, bitte |
I have a headache | Ich habe Kopfschmerzen |
I have a sore throat | Ich habe Halsschmerzen |
My stomach hurts | Ich habe Magenschmerzen |
I’m allergic to | Ich bin allergisch gegen |
I need a doctor who speaks English | Ich brauche einen Arzt, der englisch spricht |
Please find additional information including FAQs, terms and conditions, COVID-19 safety policy and travelling to EMBL on our Information for participants page.
COVID-19 information for on-site events at EMBL Heidelberg can be found in our COVID-19 FAQs.
The “In Science We Trust?” Conference, organised by EMBL Bioethics Services within its Science & Society Programme, aims to explore the evolution of trust within the research landscape and address the emerging challenges facing the research community today.
We encourage submissions from researchers, scholars, life sciences students, as well as policymakers, science educators, and communicators engaged in fostering trust, integrity, and transparency in research. The conference seeks to facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders invested in promoting trustworthiness across all domains of research.
The conference will include dedicated time for viewing posters and for poster presenters to showcase their work and engage in meaningful discussions with peers from diverse fields.
We welcome poster submissions that explore:
We encourage submissions that showcase real-world applications, collaborative approaches, and measurable outcomes that contribute to building and sustaining trust in the research landscape.
Submission guidelines:
All this information should be included in the proposal to be considered complete:
Review Process:
Communication and timeline:
Contact Information:
For enquiries regarding the call for proposals or conference logistics, please contact Nathalie Sneider.
We look forward to receiving your innovative proposals and fostering meaningful discussions on the evolving landscape of trust in research.
Media partners
EMBO Reports, an EMBO Press journal
International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Medinformatics, a Bon View Publishing journal
Open Biology, a Royal Society journal
Sponsorship opportunities
We offer a variety of event sponsoring possibilities, with the flexibility to select a set sponsorship package or combine individual sponsorship options to suit your event budget. Discounts are available for companies sponsoring multiple events at EMBL Heidelberg. View other conferences, or contact sponsorship@embl.de for further information on sponsoring possibilities.
If you are interested in becoming a media partner of this event, please visit our media partnerships webpage.
EMBL wishes to warn sponsors of EMBL conferences and courses of fraudulent schemes purporting to offer sponsorship opportunities on behalf of EMBL or affiliated with EMBL officials. One current scam campaign of which we are aware is conducted using the name ‘Judy Eastman’ (judy@gopcontact.a2hosted.com) and entails approaches to sponsors offering sponsorship opportunities on EMBL’s behalf. Please be kindly advised that all relevant communication regarding sponsorship of EMBL conferences, symposia and courses is handled by EMBL directly and is sent from an official EMBL account. EMBL does not work with any external providers on sponsorship acquisition.
Please also note that:
Suspicious communications purportedly from, for or on behalf of EMBL should be reported to EMBL at the following email address sponsorship@embl.de.
Want to let others know you’re attending this event? Take a look at our shareable media and feel free to use them in your social media channels or presentations.
Date: 16 - 17 Jun 2025
Location: EMBL Heidelberg
Venue: EMBL Advanced Training Centre
Deadline(s):
Abstract submission: 17 Mar 2025
Registration: 5 May 2025
Registration: If you are under 18 years of age and interested in attending this event, you must contact us directly to ask about registration options first.
Organisers:
Contact: Nathalie Sneider