Research Justice

In this excerpted interview, Interim Co-Director Dawn Sumner (professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences) and Asking Different Questions scholar Maya Cruz (PhD candidate in Cultural Studies and Science and Technology Studies) explore the cultural and scientific significance of a viral image of Mars. Chiefly, how can we continue to center questions of care, responsibility and accountability in our scientific practices?

The mission of the Feminist Research Institute (FRI) is to shift research cultures to enable more impactful and accurate knowledge. Key to this mission is the creation of equitable research cultures that empower faculty, staff and student researchers to thrive and make vital contributions to knowledge ecosystems.

At the Feminist Research Institute, we believe in a future of justice and inclusivity, and in a knowledge base made more impactful by intersectional research. And we think this approach to research is a little bit radical.

Director Kalindi Vora and Associate Director Sarah McCullough had the opportunity to share recent FRI work with attendees at the second STS Futures panel discussion. You can watch their talk, "The Science We Are For: Feminist Antiracist STS Approaches to STEM," which explores the origins and goals of the Asking Different Questions research training program, as well as other emerging research in the field.

Join FRI and the Asking Different Questions research training program in Spring 2021. This quarter-long workshop is grounded in a commitment to social justice, and welcomes researchers who seek to better incorporate their values into their scholarship. Programming will take place on Fridays from 12-12:30 pm during Spring Quarter. Register here.

UC Davis graduate students can apply now to participate in the Asking Different Questions Scholars program for Spring Quarter 2021. This quarter-long research training workshop is grounded in a commitment to social justice, and welcomes researchers who seek to better incorporate their values into their scholarship. Programming will take place on Fridays from 12-1:30 pm.

The Feminist Research Institute welcomes proposals for research, discussion groups, events, workshops, or other projects that applies the material in the Asking Different Questions research training series or the Asking Different Questions seminar.

Eligible applicants must:

The Feminist Research Institute is proud to present the full collection of Asking Different Questions research training videos to help support researchers interested in better integrating social justice into their scholarship.

Join Feminist Research Institute Director Kalindi Vora and enroll in WMS 201, a graduate seminar Winter 2020 about how to integrate social justice values into scientific research design. Graduate students from all fields are welcome!

WMS 201:  Asking Different Questions: Feminist approaches to scientific research and design

Thursdays 2:10-5pm
CRN: 44279
Instructor: Dr. Kalindi Vora

Starting in fall quarter of 2020, Feminist Research Institute Associate Director Sarah McCullough and the rest of the Asking Different Questions research team launched a series of workshop sessions that train researchers how to integrate social justice values into their scholarship.