Call for Proposals / Call for Abstracts
The 10th Annual
at
The Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology
The University of Texas at Dallas
Richardson, Texas, USA
May 19-21, 2022
This interdisciplinary conference seeks to explore the interplay between human, ethical, social, cultural, and political values, on the one hand, and science, technology, engineering, and medical research and practice, on the other hand. We invite presentations that seek not only to understand how values and science have and do influence one another, but also how they must and should influence one another (as well as types of influence that should be avoided). The scope of this conference also includes presentations that explore the relationship between science and the public, the relationship between science and social justice, the interaction of science and cultural production, and historical perspectives on all of these topics. The VMST conference ultimately seeks to promote ethically responsible and socially beneficial scientific research and technological innovation, and critical reflection about and assessments of the influence of science, technology, and medicine on our values, culture, practices, and worldviews.
Proposals from any disciplinary or theoretical approach that addresses these themes are welcome, and interdisciplinary and socially engaged work is particularly of interest. In past years we have had presenters from the fields of philosophy, history, literary and cultural studies, and social studies of science, technology, and medicine; bioethics and environmental ethics; and ethics education, just to name a few. Any proposals that address the relations of values and science, technology, or medicine are welcome. Proposals might include, but are not limited to, topics such as the role of values in science, the role of science in policy and politics, public trust of science, public engagement with science and technology, ethics of research, design, or practice, ethics education for scientists and engineers, popular representations of science, or the influence of science, technology, and medicine over culture, values, human experience, the environment, religion, art, etc.
This year, in line with the expertise of our keynote speaker, we are particularly interested in individual and panel proposals that address issues of values, ethics, politics, and culture in psychiatry, clinical psychology, mental health, and cognitive science.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted our plans to celebrate our 10th annual conference and the 10th anniversary of the founding of the current iteration of the Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology at UT Dallas. We look forward to this long-overdue celebration in North Texas, and we do hope that we will all be able to gather together in person. However, we are sensitive to the possibility that public health recommendations or travel restrictions may interfere, and stand ready to make alternative arrangements if the situation at that time requires it.
We invite submission of abstracts for traditional individual presentations (20 minutes), short-form presentations (such as lightning talks or poster session), panel proposals in a variety of formats including workshops and praxis-oriented sessions, and our dissertations-in-progress and books-in-progress feedback sessions. Proposals for traditional presentations that are not accepted in the main program will be automatically considered for presentation in a lightning talk or poster session.
Panel proposals should not be merely individual talks loosely grouped around a shared theme, but should have compelling reason to be considered as a whole; otherwise, they should be submitted separately. Panel proposals are not reviewed anonymously.
Proposals for individual presentations should include a 300-500 word abstract.
Panel proposals should include a 300-500 word abstract describing the panel as a whole, and should attach a 1-2 page document with abstracts for each presentation or a description of panel format and the contributions of each presenter, listing each presenter by name and affiliation. Panels will typically be limited to a maximum of 2 hours in length.
Submissions for books- and dissertations-in-progress sessions should include a 300-500 word abstract of the project and attach a 1-2 page document with additional information such as state of completion, timeline, outline, etc.
Submission Deadline (extended): February 28, 2022
Submit your proposals at: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=vmst2022
Multiple submissions will be considered within reason, but multiple appearances on the program will be limited. You will not be able to make multiple presentations of the same general kind, but you may be able to, e.g., present original research and in a more informal or praxis-focused session.
The Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology works to foster diversity and inclusiveness in our programming, events, and outreach efforts. Proposal authors and panel organizers will be asked to submit an optional 50-100 word diversity statement with their submission. We will also publish a statement of Conference Aims, Values, and Norms and designate an ombuds for the conference, who can receive confidential reports of any problems or concerns and work with the organizers to determine appropriate responses.
If you are interested in volunteering in some capacity rather than submitting a proposal, please email values@utdallas.edu.
The Center for Values in Medicine, Science, and Technology is part of the School of Arts & Humanities at the University of Texas at Dallas. The Center’s mission is to understand, evaluate, and improve the ethical and cultural influences on and implications of science and technology. The VMST Conference is allied with the Consortium on Socially Relevant Philosophy of/in Science and Engineering (SRPoiSE).
All conference locations will be wheelchair accessible. Further accessibility information is TBD, depending on available campus facilities. More information will be available on the conference website once the venue has been selected. Feedback, queries, and requests are welcome at values@utdallas.edu.