Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

Science and technology - part of everyday life with an impact on all aspects of society. That's where we come in...

We seek to answer the big questions about how societies both influence and are influenced by science, medicine and technology.

Our department has an international reputation as a leading centre of excellence in science and technology studies, established through the legacies of the Science Studies Unit and the Research Centre for Social Sciences.

About

Since the founding of the department in 1966, we offer a unique interdisciplinary environment in which we address vital questions about the world we live in.

Programmes

We offer a diverse, innovative and exciting range of undergraduate courses and postgraduate taught and research opportunities.

Research

We produce innovative and interdisciplinary research and deliver public policy advice and consultancy on the socio-economic implications of technology and innovation.

People

Find out more about the whole team: the academic staff and their research interests, PhD students and their thesis subjects, and the professional services colleagues who keep it all in working order.

News

The latest news from Science, Technology and Innovation Studies.

Events

The latest events from Science, Technology and Innovation Studies.

Contact

We are based at High School Yards, a 5-10 minute walk from George Square: a lively and vibrant hub (especially in August during the Festival Fringe).

31/07/2025

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

Automating Universal Credit research cited in major reports criticising effect of welfare digitisation

Two major reports on the UK Department of Work and Pensions’ use of technology and automation in welfare have cited research led by Dr Morgan Currie.

09/06/2025

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

SPS academic leading project to develop governance framework for synthetic biology in plants

School of Social and Political Science (SPS) academic Dr Robert Smith will lead a new £1.8m project from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) as part of its Synthetic Plants Programme.

22/04/2025

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

Network project set up by SPS academic receives public humanities award for work on decoloniality

A network project about decolonisation developed by a School of Social and Political Science (SPS) academic has received an international award recognising it as an exceptional example of research and public engagement.

02/04/2025

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

SPS academic appointed to the Scottish Science Advisory Council 

School of Social and Political Science (SPS) academic Dr Kirsten Jenkins has been appointed as an associate member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council (SSAC) for 2025.  

26 November 2025

15:30 - 17:00

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

Bad boundaries and ambivalence: the futilities of spatial data

Locative media is notorious for its bad boundaries. From brokering location information, to the relentless expansion of Google Maps’ ‘total’ plotting of the world, location data targets, tracks, fences, and positions.

01 December 2025

15:30 - 17:00

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

Artificial Intelligence and hiring practices: how does AI contribute to (un)fair recruitment?

This talk explores how fairness and bias are constructed, contested, and operationalized when artificial intelligence enters the hiring process.

10 December 2025

15:30 - 17:00

Science, Technology and Innovation Studies

Deconstructing devices: A practical laboratory in medical plastics

What is in a medical device? The technological device looms large in critical studies of global health.

School of Social and Political Science