"Bridging the Gap: Science, Trust, and the Climate Crisis"

Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
1 September 2026 13:00 CEST – 4 September 2026 13:00 CEST

On September 1-4, the SOCRATES group – Social Credibility and Trustworthiness of Expert Knowledge and Science-Based Information – is hosting its Summer School 2026 on Bridging the Gap: Science, Trust, and the Climate Crisis at Leibniz University Hannover, Germany. The event will bring together PhD candidates from several disciplines for interactive sessions, talks by senior scholars, and opportunities to present and discuss their work in a supportive and engaging environment. 

A growing body of evidence suggests that many climate change impacts might be more severe or occur sooner than older climate models had projected. And yet, at the same time, the sense of urgency regarding the climate crisis in the public and political sphere seems to be declining. This ’perception gap‘ or disconnect is not due to a lack of scientific evidence but seems to be at least partly fuelled by a crisis in communication, credibility, and trust.

Our three-day summer school has the aim of examining challenges posed by this disconnect from different disciplinary perspectives. Our aim is to explore why arguably compelling scientific evidence often fails to translate into societal action. We will analyse the socio-political and psychological drivers of the current "trust deficit" and the weakening perceived urgency and investigate principles of effective science communication, focusing on building credibility, fostering trust, and connecting with diverse audiences.

We invite applications from early career researchers and PhD students from a variety of fields working on topics related to public trust in climate science and climate science communication.  This program offers a unique opportunity to engage with peers and senior researchers from a range of disciplines, fostering in-depth discussions on how scientists address uncertainty and ignorance, and how climate science communication can engender or hinder trust in scientific results.

Participants will benefit from interactive reading sessions, talks by experienced scholars, and opportunities to present their own work. They also have the opportunity to discuss writing processes, potential obstacles, and strategies for overcoming them. The summer school also provides additional informal venues for networking and socializing with peers.

We invite applications from researchers with the following profile:

• Pursuing a PhD in philosophy, sociology, psychology, communication and media studies, or a related discipline, with a dissertation focussing on topics explored at the summer school;
• Associated with an academic institution (university, non-university research institution); and
• Willing to actively participate in the interactive sessions of the Summer School and give at least a 3-minute elevator pitch of your project; longer presentations are optional.

Leibniz University Hannover promotes equal opportunities and diversity. For this reason, female and non-binary researchers are particularly encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to equally-qualified applicants with disabilities. We also particularly encourage applications from researchers from the Global South.

Travel and accommodation costs as well as the Summer School dinner are at the participant’s expense.

Application Procedure

Application is closed.

About SOCRATES

SOCRATES is a Centre for Advanced Studies funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and provides a forum for interdisciplinary as well as inner-disciplinary exchange on scientific credibility and trust in science. It is headed by Prof. Dr. Mathias Frisch (as speaker) and Prof. Dr. Torsten Wilholt and is based at the Institute for Philosophy at Leibniz University Hannover.

More information about SOCRATES can be found at https://www.socrates.uni-hannover.de/en/

Questions?

Please contact the SOCRATES coordinator Dr. Leonie Wiemeyer (leonie.wiemeyer@philos.uni-hannover.de).