Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Maximilian Fochler

Portrait Maximilian Fochler — (c) Lucia Puiu

Head of Department
Vice Director of the Studies Programme Sociology

Tel: +43-1-4277-49613
eMail: maximilian.fochler@univie.ac.at

Consultation hours:
To register, please send an e-mail, at least two days beforehand

Biography

Max Fochler is Professor for Science and Knowledge Cultures at the Department of Science and Technology Studies of the University of Vienna. He currently serves as head of department as well as as vice-director of the Sociology study programme, responsible for the teaching offer in Science and Technology Studies. He is also an adjunct professor at the Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture of the University of Oslo.

Max' research work revolves around the question how researchers, research communities and research institutions orient themselves and their work in the environmental, political and social polycrisis we are facing today. He is interested in how these actors define the purpose, aims and values underlying their practices, and how this translates to how they produce knowledge. This involves asking how researchers and research communities reflect the relevance of their work, and how this meets support or frictions in their institutional environment. It also comprises to understand how research institutions, and universities in particular, define their role in society and how this relates to the way they structure the spaces their researchers work in. Thematically, Max has been working with researchers from the crop and soil sciences in recent years, as well as on the life sciences more broadly.

He has expertise on dynamics of knowledge production, inter- and transdisciplinary research, on the (e)valuation of academic practices and research evaluation, research and university governance and policy, responsible research and innovation as well science/public interactions (science communication, public engagement)

Publications

Fochler M, Janger J, Stampfer M, Strassnig M, Benner M, Charos A et al. Just following the money? How research funding shapes the governance of university research. Science and Public Policy. 2025 Oct 9. doi: 10.1093/scipol/scaf056

Falkenberg R, Sigl L , Fochler M. Orientation work: caring for the relevance of research to social-environmental problems. Science as Culture. 2025 Jul 21. doi: 10.1080/09505431.2025.2531747

Bieszczad SR, Fochler M, Rijcke SD. Diving into Relevance: How Deep Sea Researchers Articulate Societal Relevance within their Epistemic Living Spaces. Minerva. 2025 Jun;205-229. doi: 10.1007/s11024-025-09577-z

Sigl L , Fochler M. Towards a “Hinterland” for Doing Relevance. A Typology of Practices and Competencies to Guide the Development of more Relevant Research and Career Paths. Minerva. 2025 Jun;351–380. doi: 10.1007/s11024-024-09569-5

Falkenberg RI, Sigl L , Fochler M. From ‘making lists’ to conducting ‘well-rounded’ studies: Epistemic re-orientations in soil microbial ecology. Social Studies of Science. 2024 Feb;54(1):78-104. Epub 2023. doi: 10.1177/03063127231179700

Falkenberg R, Fochler M. Innovation in Technology Instead of Thinking? Assetization and Its Epistemic Consequences in Academia. Science, Technology & Human Values. 2024 Jan;49(1):105-130. Epub 2022 Dec 5. doi: 10.1177/01622439221140003

Felt U , Fochler M. Quality Assessment in Berufungsprozessen an Higher Education Institutions in Österreich: Eine analytische Bestandsaufnahme von Praktiken, Perspektiven und Herausforderungen. 2024.

Asdal K, Doganova L, Fochler M. Valuation studies as a frame in STS. In Felt U, Irwin A, editors, Elgar Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Studies. Edward Elgar. 2024. p. 79-86

Sigl L, Falkenberg R, Fochler M. Changing articulations of relevance in soil science: Diversity and (potential) synergy of epistemic commitments in a scientific discipline. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A. 2023 Feb;97:79-90. doi: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2022.12.004

Bieszczad SR, Fochler M, Brodschneider R. How Citizen Scientists See their Own Role and Expertise: An Explorative Study of the Perspectives of Beekeepers in a Citizen Science Project. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice. 2023;8(1):1-12. 26. doi: 10.5334/cstp.501

Falkenberg RI, Fochler M , Sigl L, Bürstmayr H, Eichorst S, Michel S et al. The breakthrough paradox: How focusing on one form of innovation jeopardizes the advancement of science. EMBO Reports. 2022 Jul 5;23(7):e54772. doi: 10.15252/embr.202254772

Falkenberg RI, Fochler M , Sigl L. Collaboratively exploring notions of innovativeness in research practices. A short tale of interdisciplinary publishing. 2022.

Sigl L , Felt U , Fochler M. “I am Primarily Paid for Publishing ...” The Narrative Framing of Societal Responsibilities in Academic Life Science Research. Science and Engineering Ethics. 2020 Jun;26(3):1569–1593. doi: 10.1007/s11948-020-00191-8

Felt U , Fochler M. Wissenschaft. In Forschungs- und Anwendungsfelder der Soziologie. 3 ed. Wien: Facultas. 2020. p. 308-322

Sigl L , Fochler M. Gemeinsam oder einsam? Über den Umgang mit Unsicherheiten in Biotech und akademischer Forschung. Laborjournal. 2019;2019(7-8):40-43.

Felt U , Fochler M. Der gesellschaftliche Impact sozialwissenschaftlichen Wissens in Österreich: Wirkungswege, Messung, Potentiale: Eine explorative Studie. Wien: Institut für Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung, Universität Wien, 2018. 49 p.

Felt U , Fochler M , Richter A, Schroeder R, Sigl L. How to weave societal responsibility into the fabric of universities Reflections - Blog of the STS Department at the University of Vienna. 2018.

Felt U , Fochler M , Richter A, Schroeder R, Sigl L. Scientific excellence and social relevance are two sides of the same coin. Times Higher Education. 2018 Sept 6.

Fochler M , Sigl L. Anticipatory Uncertainty: How Academic and Industry Researchers in the Life Sciences Experience and Manage the Uncertainties of the Research Process Differently. Science as Culture. 2018;27(3):349-374. doi: 10.1080/09505431.2018.1485640

Fochler M. Book Review: Stephen Hilgartner, Reordering life: Knowledge and control in the genomics revolution. Public Understanding of Science. 2018;1012-1013.