School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy

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Staff in the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, and other QUB schools, have been successful in securing research funding of over £235,000 for their “HANDHOLD: Science, Security and Power in Action” project. As part of the Cross-Council Global Uncertainties Programme, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) in collaboration with the UK government DSTL Futures and Innovation Domain are funding this project under the call “Science and Security: Linking Social Science, Arts and Humanities to understand the impacts of science and technology on defence and security.”

This is an 18 month inter-disciplinary research project linking the social sciences and science and technology. The project involves Dr Mike Bourne (PI), Dr Heather Johnson and Dr Debbie Lisle from the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy; Dr Teresa Degenhardt and Dr Katy Hayward from the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work; and Dr Charles Gillan, Dr David Linton and Dr Ivor Spence from the Institute of Electronics, Communication and Information Technology (ECIT).

This research maps and analyses how new security technologies are developed in practice, by focussing on the development of an integrated portable Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) detection device. It addresses some of the top tier of UK National Security concerns and contributes to cross-disciplinary and applied knowledge about the drivers of Science and Technology development in relation to defence and security needs. It explores how issues of science and security shape each other and will offer important lessons for technology development, implementation, and policy making, as well as for academic knowledge.

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