Table of Contents: - PSA Membership Database Issue
- Postdoc Working Group
- PSA Election
- PSA Around the World 2025
International Science Council - Nagel Award
- Closer to Truth
- Upcoming Events
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PSA Membership Database Issue |
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It has been brought to our attention that our membership database stopped operating as expected. Through no fault of their own, many members erroneously were labeled as “Active” without being up to date in paying their dues. These members have had full access to all PSA resources, including reduced rates for conference registration, which no doubt made them think they were active members when in fact they weren’t. Unless addressed, the drop in membership fees will be tremendously costly to the PSA. We have remedied the database error, but as a result a very large number of members have been dropped from our database. This means that many members have invoices for membership that date back to 2022 – 2024.
Please consider bringing your account current. The PSA provides great value throughout the year (e.g., the biennial conference, the journal,. PSA Around the World, activities such as mentoring, office hours, outreach). In a recent email to all members, we provided options for those who wish to bring their accounts current. If you have any questions or need any assistance or support, please reach out to the Executive Office at office@philsci.org . Thank you for being part of our solution to this unexpected glitch.
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Back in November at PSA in New Orleans, a small group convened to begin discussing the possibility of implementing a formal subdivision within PSA devoted to postdoctoral scholars and their distinctive needs. These discussions are continuing intermittently online with the aim of having this subdivision in place by PSA 2026. All interested PSA members are welcome to join the conversation. Please reach out to Alan Love (aclove@umn.edu) if you would like to be included in the email updates and receive Zoom link information for the meetings.
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Due to the recent database glitch, the 2025 PSA election will be launched on July 1, 2025 and remain open until August 1, 2025. We will be electing two new Governing Board members and a new Nominating Committee.
All full members of the PSA that are in good standing will receive a ballot. If you do not receive a ballot, please log in to your account at philsci.org to check on your membership status or send a message to director@philsci.org. |
PSA Around the World 2025 |
In 2023, the Philosophy of Science Association launched a new initiative called PSA Around the World. The aim of the initiative is to reach out to the global community of philosophers of science and spotlight the rich diversity of practices and traditions in the field of philosophy of science via fully online conferences with a dedicated regional focus, running in the years when the Biennial Meeting of the PSA does not take place.
The second PSA Around the World conference spotlights Eastern and Central Europe and is organized by the East European Network for Philosophy of Science (https://eenps.weebly.com/).
The PSA Around the World 2025 Committee is committed to assembling a program with high-quality papers on a variety of topics and diverse presenters that reflect the full range of current work in the philosophy of science. Given the time zones constraints, and with an eye to increasing diversity of topics, there is no call for symposia for this conference. Paper acceptance notices have recently been sent out and registration will open in early July.
The conference will run fully online for three days and different time slots to accommodate a global audience in various time zones: Thursday, November 6; Friday, November 14; Saturday, November 22 (precise timing for each day TBA). The conference fee is $50 and is able to be waived. |
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International Science Council |
The PSA has joined the International Science Council! We will post opportunities from time to time in both the newsletter and via social media.
Social Science Matters: Strengthening the voice and contributions of the social sciences and humanities in sustainable development policy
The project will explore how the role and visibility of the social sciences and humanities can be enhanced in the current sustainability policy landscape at national and multilateral levels and how ISC Members can collaborate, exchange ideas, lessons and capacities more effectively in this area. Interested individuals from within the ISC membership are invited to express their interest in serving on the Steering Group by completing the online nomination form by 2 July: https://council.science/news/call-steering-group-social-science-matters/.
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There has been a modification to the criteria for Nagel Award eligibility that has been passed by the PSA Governing Board. The time since graduation has been shortened from 5 years to 3 years. The new award description reads:
The award is to be given biennially to early career scholars for two papers published in the previous two years of the journal Philosophy of Science, excluding December issues. Online ("pre-") publications do not count toward the Nagel Award. All and only people who are members of the PSA, and were students or no more than 3 years since completion of the Ph.D. when the paper was submitted qualify for the Nagel award. The recipients receive $250. The Award is decided by the PSA Lectures and Awards Committee, which consists of at least 1 members of the Governing Board and up to 5 senior members of the Association. The committee is constituted via invitation by the Association's President. Requests for nominations for the award (including self-nominations) are circulated via the PSA Newsletter and posted to the website. The competition is limited to members of the Philosophy of Science Association.
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Closer To Truth (CTT) recently broadcast a 13-part Philosophy of Biology series on Public Broadcasting Service stations nationwide in the US. All 13 can be screened on the special CTT Philosophy of Biology website. These may be of interest to PSA members for teaching, research, and/or outreach purposes.
Contributors to CTT’s Philosophy of Biology series (alphabetically): Carol Cleland, Paul Davies, Richard Dawkins, Helen De Cruz, Terrence Deacon, John Dupre, Peter Godfrey-Smith, Paul Griffiths, Stuart Kauffman, Philip Kitcher, Norman Lents, Lisa Lloyd, Alan Love, Denis Noble, Martin Nowak, Samir Okasha, Massimo Pigliucci, Anya Plutynski, Rachell Powell, Alex Rosenberg, Michael Ruse, Elliott Sober, Quayshawn Spencer, Joshua Swamidass, Robert Trivers, Geoffrey West. |
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