Science with and for Society (SwafS)

The committee implements SwafS actions of Inserm and University of Tours, including the citizen participatory science activities, the scientific, technological and industrial culture and the open science.

Operation

• The committee meets every quarter to discuss progress on current and future SwafS actions, and organizes working groups on dedicated SwafS actions.
• These actions are presented to the laboratory council to enable their implementation and to gather the opinions and suggestions of these members for future ones.

Areas of work

• Favouring Citizen participatory science activities: Reinforcing the relationships with care recipient non-profit organizations and families, Applying to dedicated calls for proposal in this field.
• Raising public research awareness: Fighting fake news, Promoting constructive dialogue between researchers, decision-makers and citizens, Disseminating scientific and technological innovations to disabled and restricted public, Promoting scientific and medical professions to school audience and specifically to girls and women.
• Promoting and educating to Open science: Organizing workshops on the Open Access, the Open Research Data and the Open Source.

Actions to date

• Promoting citizen participatory research conferences: International conference "Participatory research: Knowledge and recognition".
• Organizing and managing of lab visits, exhibitions, experimental stands, public conferences... for the general public and school audience: Fête de la Science, Brain awareness week, Utopiales, Détours des Sciences, Les Mercredis de Thélème, MédiSciences, Université du Temps Libre, Mardi de la Science, les Jeudis de la Santé, etc.
• Responding interviews in local, regional and national media (TV, radio, press, web broadcasts, etc.): Inserm Le Magazine, Radio Campus Tours, France Culture, France Inter, Figaro Santé, Le Monde, France 3, Les Échos, La Nouvelle République, RCF, etc.
• Creating media and communication supports (Comics, movies, article, exhibition, etc.): Canal Détox, The Conversation, Science Porn, La Méridienne - Radio Campus Tours.
• Managing and promoting Open Science workshops and conferences: Café HAL, Conference "Open Science - publication strategies and copyright", Les RDV LORIER.

Current and future actions

• Participating to TURFU Festival.
• Organizing seminars on citizen participatory research with Inserm SwafS Department.
• Answering to new calls for proposal and participation from Inserm (InScience, Utopiales, Antenne Inserm Loches), University of Tours (Détours des Sciences, Artist residency), Région Centre-Val de Loire (Sciences pour toutes et pour tous) and Centre-Sciences (Fête de la Science, Art exhibition).
• Planning new Café HAL with Open Science Department of University of Tours.

Useful links