Objective The emerging field of synthetic biology promises to engineer the living world. This is potentially extremely contentious, so scholars from the social sciences and humanities have been incorporated into synthetic biology research programmes from the outset. The ENLIFE project’s distinctive contribution will be to study both the engineering of biology and the role of social scientists within this. Its two objectives are: to investigate the movement of ideas, practices and promises from engineering into the life sciences, and to examine the ways in which social scientists and other groups are being mobilised as part of this endeavour.We will carry out novel social scientific research into the engineering of living things, by collecting a rich body of empirical data. This will involve semi-structured qualitative interviews, participant observation at conferences, and ethnographic research in synthetic biology laboratories that are attempting to make biology easier to engineer. We will simultaneously address the interdisciplinary entanglements that arise in all these contexts, which involve scientists, engineers, social scientists, philosophers, lawyers and sometimes even artists and designers. We will also run four experimental interdisciplinary workshops, where we will explore the possibility of producing new knowledge together, across disciplinary divides.The project aims to provide a critical, empirically grounded analysis of a field that promises to drive the next industrial revolution and is currently the target of high levels of investment across the globe. It will also provide insights into the engineering imagination, how it is applied to living things, and how it is challenged and expanded in interdisciplinary interactions. The study of these interactions will build on our understanding of the role of the social sciences in interdisciplinary collaborations, and contribute to pressing debates about the future of Science and Technology Studies. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencessynthetic biologysocial sciencespolitical sciencespolitical transitionsrevolutionssocial sciencessociologyanthropologyscience and technology studieshumanities Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-CG-2013-SH2 - ERC Consolidator Grant - Institutions, Values, Beliefs and behaviour Call for proposal ERC-2013-CoG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-CG - ERC Consolidator Grants Host institution THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH EU contribution € 1 338 033,52 Address OLD COLLEGE, SOUTH BRIDGE EH8 9YL Edinburgh United Kingdom See on map Region Scotland Eastern Scotland Edinburgh Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Alan Kennedy (Mr.) Principal investigator Jane Calvert (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH United Kingdom EU contribution € 1 338 033,52 Address OLD COLLEGE, SOUTH BRIDGE EH8 9YL Edinburgh See on map Region Scotland Eastern Scotland Edinburgh Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Alan Kennedy (Mr.) Principal investigator Jane Calvert (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS United States EU contribution € 221 355,48 Address 660 S MILL AVENUE CENTERPOINT 312 85281 Tempe See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Heather Clark (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data