It’s been a quite a while since I’ve mentioned technology assessment so thanks to PACITA and their Feb. 25, 2014 announcement of a call for sessions for their 2015 conference as it’s been too long since the last time,

PACITA is a four-year EU financed project under FP7 aimed at increasing the capacity and enhancing the institutional foundation for knowledge-based policy-making on issues involving science, technology and innovation, mainly based upon the diversity of practices in Parliamentary Technology Assessment (PTA).

The announcement then describes the organization’s upcoming 2nd conference,

PACITA’s 2^nd European TA [technology assessment] Conference will highlight the role of TA as well as related research and practice with regard to the contexts and circumstances described above. Reflecting TA’s capacities to deal with these big challenges not only includes insights into the scientific and technological developments involved (such as new and emerging technologies, ICT [information and communication technologies], or Ambient Assistant Living and service robotics). Besides analyzing societal debates, conflicts and problems of decision making it is also necessary to reflect upon concepts, methods and instruments to support democratic problem solving and decision making (such as sustainable development and consumption, public engagement, risk assessment, evidence-based policy making and communication). What kind of data, knowledge and dialogue do we need around decision making in our societies? What does it mean to support socially sound and robust ways of socio-technical development in terms of programs and projects, institutions and capacity building, methodology and knowledge transfer?

The overall aim of the conference is to take stock of and support the exchange on TA capacities throughout Europe. Following the successful meeting of researchers, TA practitioners, policy makers and civil society organizations at the 1^st European TA Conference in Prague in March 2013 we look forward to continuing the fruitful discussions and networking at the 2^nd European TA Conference in Berlin. The Conference is organized within the framework of the four-year FP7 project PACITA (“Parliaments and Civil Society in Technology Assessment”). Generally, the PACITA project and the Conference define “Technology Assessment” in a broad sense. TA comprises methods, practices and institutions for knowledge based policy making on issues involving science, technology and innovation, including TA-related fields such as Foresight, Science and Technology Studies (STS) and research on Ethical, Legal and Societal Aspects (ELSA) of science and technology.

Here’s what they’re looking for,

We warmly invite proposals for thematic sessions on the topics mentioned above [in the previous excerpt].

The sessions should reflect the international state of debate and research and should appeal to an interdisciplinary community including stakeholders and policy makers. Therefore, we look forward to submissions from natural-, social- and engineering sciences, and philosophy. Each session should ideally include a mix of presentations dealing with case studies/projects and/or conceptual approaches and methodological questions. Ideas for experimental formats are especially welcome.

Chairs of sessions accepted by the Organization and the Scientific Committee of the conference will manage their theme and will be responsible for reviewing, accepting or rejecting and organizing submissions for their session. Teams of chairs are welcome. Sessions on FP7 projects are especially welcome.

Your submission should include a session concept and should be sent to Constanze Scherz by March 28, 2014. The abstracts should not exceed 500 words, not including contact information and name of chair(s). Submissions may include suggestions for speakers and/or will later be part of a call for papers. One session will be scheduled for three hours (1.5 hours will be also possible). Proposals should clearly state how the time will be organized. Session chairs are free to organize the available time. All formats (or combinations) are welcome: lecture, seminar, workshop, lecture-recital, panels, etc.

For further information please contact Constanze Scherz, berlin@pacitaproject.eu, phone: +49 721 6082 6814

You can find out more about the call for sessions on the organization’s Berlin conference website where 2015 is listed as the year for the Berlin conference. PACITA has not yet issued its call for papers; this should occur in April 2014.