Project description
Ancient DNA and the evolving intersection of genetics and identity
Genetic knowledge, is more accessible than ever before with the general public, as illustrated by the popular use of ancestry genomics. The ability to decode our ‘real’ or potential biological heritage holds profound implications. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the SOLACE-aDNA project explores the intricate interplay between genetics and identity in the realm of ancient DNA research. By examining how this knowledge is harnessed and interpreted by scientists and community stakeholders, the project ventures into uncharted territories at the crossroads of archaeology, bioanthropology and population genetics. Delving into the heart of social and political consequences, the project offers fresh perspectives on our collective past and the way we define ourselves.
Objective
More than ever before, humans have access to new specialist knowledge involving genetics (e.g. ancestry genomics, social epigenomics). Crucial questions are at stakes as this newly accessible knowledge grants individuals with an objectifying image of their ‘identity’. Knowing the ‘real’ or potential biological endowment of oneself & others has tremendous social, political, & ethical consequences. This project extends my investigation of practices whereby genetics & the construction of identities intersect in a field little studied by SSH & STS: ancient DNA (aDNA) research. At the crossroads of archaeology, bioanthropology, & population genetics, aDNA research entered a golden age in its contribution to untold facts on past societies & the way it changes how past populations are perceived. While this field is growing rapidly, in-depth understanding of social & political consequences arising from practices & knowledge produced are crucially needed. We still lack robust ethnographic understanding of how aDNA researchers incorporate the knowledge they produce into narratives about origins, ancestry, social relationships. Meanwhile, little is known about what exactly citizens or community stakeholders (CS) do with genomic histories they receive from aDNA researchers. The main goal is to study how scientists & CS interpret the past in light of this new knowledge. This project involves two research sites: researchers producing aDNA knowledge in an unprecedented case-study located in a leading research facility in Germany & the postcolonial context of Vanuatu where knowledge produced from ancient remains raises significant issues for CS’s ancestry narratives. Studying the production & circulation of aDNA knowledge in interaction between identity & from an ethnographic perspective is not only highly original & greatly needed, but timely. This project is utterly innovative, invents new collaborations & involves fields that spans across social & natural sciences.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.