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About the Centre

Opera House

The Sydney Centre for the Foundations of Science is an interdisciplinary research centre exploring the logical, philosophical and historical underpinnings of science and medicine – a "scientific humanities", where both scientifically-informed humanities and philosophically- and historically-informed science is essential to a proper understanding of the world we live in.

The Centre's aim is to promote collaboration between science and humanities researchers, with a view to the kind of cross-fertilisation that advances both science and the humanities.

Please click here to view a copy of the Centre's 2010 annual report.
Please click here to view a copy of the Centre's 2009 annual report.

The Centre currently spans three faculties: Science, Medicine and Arts with members from Philosophy, History, Medicine, Physics, and History and Philosophy of Science.

At present there are five main research clusters in the Centre:

  • Foundations of Physics
  • Pragmatic Foundations of Language and Thought
  • History of Medicine
  • History of Early Modern Science
  • Biohumanities
  • Decision Theory

Each group has world-class researchers working alongside more junior researchers, and promotes a collaborative approach to research. Workshops and conferences are organised from time to time around central topics at the interface between science and humanities.

An important ingredient of the activities of the Centre is the visiting fellowship scheme. This scheme provides funding to assist three or four visiting researchers from around the world to spend several months at the University of Sydney. Visitors are invited to pursue particular programs of research which are of interest to members of the Centre and to work with members of the Centre on their projects. This scheme has and will continue to attract some of the leading scientific humanities researchers in the world. It also provides the opportunity for honours and graduate students at the University of Sydney to meet and discuss their work with these international leaders in their areas. Further information on this Visitors scheme can found here.