Projects & Initiatives
The Science History Institute is committed to expanding knowledge and challenging perspectives in the history of science. We collect, preserve, interpret, and share that history through a diverse array of independent and grant-funded projects and initiatives aimed at revealing the lesser-known and often untold stories behind the science.
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Voices of Science
Hear the stories of five individuals who have faced personal, professional, and social challenges in their scientific careers.
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Innate: How Science Invented the Myth of Race
A podcast and magazine project that explores the historical roots and persistent legacies of racism in American science and medicine.
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Curious Histories Fest
The Institute’s annual celebration of science, history, exploration, and experimentation.
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Joseph Priestley Society
Held September through April, this speaker series promotes a deeper understanding of science, technology, and industry, with an emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship.
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Oral Histories of Immigration and Innovation
This NHPRC grant-funded project features free and searchable oral history interviews of 70 immigrant scientists.
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Rare Earth Elements Project
Explore the historical and contemporary challenges posed by the rare earth metals.
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Science and Survival: Digitizing the Papers of Georg and Max Bredig
Funded by a CLIR grant, this project tells the story of the Bredig family’s struggle to survive the Holocaust.
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Arnold O. Beckman Legacy Project
Get to know the instrumentation pioneer who contributed to the intellectual and material developments that defined 20th-century science.
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Synthesis Book Series
A partnership with the University of Chicago Press that seeks to shed light on the history of chemistry and its diverse roles in society.