Objective Sustainability science is an innovative research field dealing with complex socio-ecological problems of our time, from climate change and rapid urbanization to pandemics and loss of biodiversity. A major goal for sustainability science is to support societal transformations towards sustainability by generating, testing, and integrating (1) system knowledge about sustainability problems, (2) target knowledge about desirable futures, and (3) transformational knowledge about effective interventions that can lead from the problems detected to the desirable futures. Thus far, epistemological work has focused primarily on the foundations of system and target knowledge and has neglected transformational knowledge. Therefore, a major task for an epistemology of sustainability science is now to understand how transformational knowledge is generated and tested. Because of the central role they play in transformational sustainability science, in EPISUS, I take transformational experiments as entrance point to develop an epistemology of transformational sustainability science. I ask: What kind of sustainability science do we need to generate and test transformational knowledge and what role can transformational experiments play in this science? In EPISUS, I address this question by focusing on: 1. the main characteristics of transformational experiments, 2. the criteria used to evaluate experimental results and 3. the kind of theories that support, or could support, the production of transformational knowledge. I use a research design that combines the investigation of concrete examples of transformational experiments and conceptual reflections using analytical tools from the philosophy of science. EPISUS will provide a new conceptualization of transformational experiments as well as categories for the further development of transformational approaches in sustainability science that are theoretically sound and evidence-based. Fields of science humanitiesphilosophy, ethics and religionphilosophyepistemologynatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencessustainability sciencesmedical and health scienceshealth sciencespublic healthepidemiologypandemicsnatural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes Keywords Epistemology Sustainability Science Sustainable Development Transformational Experiments Theories of Change Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Main Programme H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility Topic(s) MSCA-IF-2016 - Individual Fellowships Call for proposal H2020-MSCA-IF-2016 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF) Coordinator LEUPHANA UNIVERSITAT LUNEBURG Net EU contribution € 159 460,80 Address SCHARNHORSTSTRASSE 1 21335 Luneburg Germany See on map Region Niedersachsen Lüneburg Lüneburg, Landkreis Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 159 460,80