Social Sciences & Humanities for Climate, Energy aNd Transport Research Excellence (SSH CENTRE)

The transition to a more environmentally sustainable social and economic system is a complex process requiring approaches that engage with a plurality of stakeholders, in order to allow the concrete experience of non-academic actors to contribute fully to the identification of the problems to be addressed and the definition of solutions. Therefore, to face transition is vital to create the conditions that SSH (Social Sciences and Humanities) and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines work together (multidisciplinarity) but also feed deep and meaningful dialogue across society, integrating ‘extra-scientific’ insights from the onset of projects, to jointly shape research questions and project direction (transdisciplinarity).

The Social Sciences & Humanities for Climate, Energy aNd Transport Research Excellence (SSH CENTRE) project is aimed at addressing these issues, encouraging the involvement of SSH communities in Europe in the environmental transition, promoting joint work with STEMs, the involvement of stakeholders, and the implementation of research, innovation, and public policy-making activities. To this end, SSH Centre involves 13 leading organisations from across the EU with expertise across SSH and STEM disciplines applied to climate, energy, and mobility, and with experience in transdisciplinarity and citizen engagement. The project involves networks that span academia, policymakers at various levels, the private sector, civil society, and citizens. The project includes a wide range of activities, such as the development of novel SSH-STEM collaborations to facilitate the delivery of the EU Green Deal; the organisation of knowledge brokerage initiatives involving SSH early career researchers to support 6 European cities in managing the sustainability transition; the design of strategies for citizen engagement in the EC research and innovation policies affecting climate, energy, and transport. 

Multiple outputs are expected from the project, including literacy briefs, a book (two volumes), policy recommendations, self-paced online training modules, scientific and policy events, a toolbox on public engagement methods, a webinar, and an open knowledge platform.

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