As science's inter-penetration with technology, finance, politics and mass-media becomes ever more profound, new challenges arise.  Scientific practices are becoming increasingly diverse — for example, as citizen science, DIY and makers movements gain prominence, and traditional, local and indigenous knowledge are (re)valued.  Plurality in the forms of knowledge increases complexity.  In this context, the protection of integrity and quality of knowledge includes critical thinking about science itself.  New demarcations are needed, between science practices with qualities that are negotiated with society, and practices that are shoddy, entrepreneurial, opportunistic, reckless, vacuous, or outright dirty.  Confronting issues at the science-technology-policy interface with PNS lenses yields something more rigorously managed than politics, less precise than laboratory science, more challenging than either of them, and with the potential to restore integrity to science practice and prudence in policy advice.

Themes of interest

The list is not exhaustive and related themes may be considered.

1. Quality. How has the conceptualisation of quality evolved in PNS research? Which qualities are needed in the post-normal age? If quality is defined as fitness for purpose, whose purposes are taken into account by science? How can qualities be negotiated and assessed with society?

2. Demarcation. How is PNS positioning itself in the post-truth & post-facts debate? Can and should the boundary between science and technology be defined? How are the crisis of democracy and the crisis of science interconnected?
   

3. Integrity. How can personal and collective integrity be preserved in the political economy of technoscience? Can PNS contribute to restore the integrity of science while fostering reflexivity about values?

4. Extended peer communities. What are the conceptual developments, practical applications and lessons learned from extended peer communities? Can PNS-inspired work avoid the fallacies of naivety, opportunism and skepticism? Do and should PNS researchers act as “honest brokers”? Is there a role for the ethics of care?

5. Scientific controversies. What is the role of scientific practices "less precise than laboratory science"? How have the analysis of uncertainty and complexity evolved in PNS?

6. Post-truth & Uncomfortable knowledge. How to face the challenge of "post-truth"? How to make "uncomfortable knowledge" visible and usable?

7. Other. Open for suggestions.
   

Road map towards PNS5

OPENING DATE DECEMBER 2^nd 2019

Jerry Ravetz Awards

Making use of royalties from the publication of the volume Science on the Verge, two grants of 500.00€ plus no registration fee to support the participation of young scholars (up to 35 years) at PNS5 will be offered.  These are known as Jerry Ravetz Awards.  Applications must be submitted via the this conference website (here the form).  Required documents are: a motivation letter and a CV.

Opening: December 2^nd, 2019
Deadline: January 31^st, 2020
Acceptance date: February 29^th, 2020

Call for Invited Sessions

All those who wish to organize a session are requested to submit a proposal.  Sessions should consist of a minimum of three speakers, although otherwise the format is flexible.  The session organizer(s) must declare sponsorship if they have some, and they must secure the necessary funds for the speakers of their session.  The session organizer(s) may also be speaker(s) in the session. 

People proposing an invited session should apply through this form and specify:

• the title and motivations of the session (max 1,000 words, indicating topic, originality and relevance to PNS, specific information about the application areas and methodological issues);
  
• details on the sponsorship (if any);
  
• a list of the speakers or discussants (including provisional titles and contact addresses, including e-mail).

Opening: December 2^nd, 2019
Deadline : January 31^st, 2020
Acceptance date: March 14^th, 2020

Call for Scientific Contributions

People wishing to make an Oral or Poster presentation at the PNS5 Symposium are invited to send an Abstract of 500 words maximum through this submission form specifying their presentation preference, that is, oral or poster presentation.  Abstracts will be peer-reviewed by the Scientific Committee for acceptance.  The Scientific Committee will then indicate if the Abstract has been accepted as oral presentation or as poster.

Opening: December 2^nd, 2019
Deadline: March 14^th, 2020
Acceptance date: April 30^th, 2020

In the case of acceptance, those presenting must register for PNS5 no later than the 15^th May, 2020.  This is the Early registration deadline (as set out below).

Registration

On-line registration and payment of the corresponding Fee are required in order to attend the PNS5 Symposium (here the registration form).

Dates
Opening of Registration: December 2^nd, 2019
Early registration deadline: May 15^th, 2020
Late registration deadline: June 15^th, 2020

Fees
Students/non academics:* 50.00€ (no distinction by date of registration).
Academics/non-profit organizations: 100.00€, early registrations, deadline May 15^th, 2020; 300.00€, late registrations, deadline June 15^th, 2020.
Businesses and other for-profit organizations: 300.00€ (no distinction for early/late registration).

* Non academics here refers to science practitioners working outside formal public and private sector R&D and science institutions, to DIY or other engaged/amateur scientists, and to other interested people.

Families with Children

PNS5 Symposium is a family-friendly conference.  We will do our best to accommodate family needs and, with this in mind, parents or other caregivers are invited to register early on and to indicate any requirements on the registration form (nursing, childcare, accessibility, accompanying persons, dietary restrictions for those attending the social dinner, storage).  More information will be published.

Social Event

We will organize a social dinner on Tuesday, September 22^nd. In the registration form each participant should indicate if she/he will attend the social dinner, specifying the number of accompanying persons and dietary restrictions.  The social dinner is free of charge for registered participants and for accompanying children under 12.  Accompanying adults and children above 12 will be charged 30.00€ each.

Call for Papers for special issue publication

A special issue of the journal Futures is planned.  Futures is an international, refereed, multidisciplinary journal concerned with medium and long-term futures of cultures and societies, science and technology, economics and politics, environment and the planet, individuals and humanity: www.journals.elsevier.com/futures  

Any person or group presenting at the PNS5 Symposium may indicate their interest in having their contribution considered for the Futures special issue, when submitting their Abstract.  Selected authors will be contacted by the special issue guest editors (Fiammetta Battaglia, Annibale Biggeri, Zora Kovacic), with an invitation to submit an article following the journal submission guidelines.  Articles will be peer-reviewed.  Articles must be submitted no later than 31^th December 2020.

Address - Jerry Ravetz @PNS4