The Science and Technology Policy team is always excited to supervise the master thesis of inspiring and inspired students!

Our group explores the relationships between science, technology, society and policy that emerge in our increasingly techno-scientific societies. We study a diversity of topics, ranging from epigenetics and environmental sciences, to health, artificial intelligence and research policy. For example, current projects explore the epistemic, social and political implications of Artificial Intelligence in health-care, the de- & restabilisation of Evidence in the Corona crisis, or the influence of gender on scientific careers and peer-review practices. The methods mobilised by our group include interviews, participant observation, ethnography, research-action, as well as document and media analysis.

We welcome requests by students who want to join our research projects and work with our different team members, but we also supervise students working on their own topics. We recommend students to carefully read the presentation page of our group before contacting us. In your email, please state shortly your research interests and explain how you see them fitting to our group (max 2 pages).

For students outside the STS department, please explain briefly how you plan to engage with discussions on the relations between science, technology and policy. Students must have completed at least one course in the field of Science and Technology Studies at the STS department, in our teaching at the School of Life Sciences and School of Management, or must show similar expertise (e.g., courses at LMU). This is mandatory: we do not supervise students who cannot show a basic expertise in social sciences (an plane interest is not sufficient). It is the students’ responsibility to clarify whether their program’s regulation allows for a supervision with our group.

If you want further information, please contact lucas.brunet@tum.de

In addition to our ongoing research projects, some of our team members are currently interested in supervising students on the following topics:

– Energy policy – low-emissions fossil energy technology (CCS, NETs, hydrogen)
– The politics and poetics of socio-technical change in energy (e.g., integration of renewables with grids)
– How industrial changes accompany changes to knowledge cultures in engineering companies, organizations, and disciplines
– Posthuman environmental policies and the construction of ecological infrastructures in cities
– International drug policy – cannabis legalization
– Global public health policy – governance and health agendas around infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, Hep-C, TB)
– Health literacy in children and youth – digital health tools and access to health information