Science in times of emergency: the role of scientific knowledge in policy-making during crises. Introduction

This article presents research conducted within the PRIN PNRR project “Science in Times of Emergency: the Role of Scientific Knowledge in Policy-Making during Crises.” It examines the interaction between political authority and scientific expertise in contexts of crisis and emergency, where diverse forms of knowledge increasingly play a central role in both risk assessment and the design of intervention strategies. Against the backdrop of the tension between the urgency of rapid decision-making and the degree of neutrality that scientific evidence can credibly claim, the article identifies four key problem areas at the intersection of politics and science: the accountability of political decisions; the forms and definitions of emergencies; the nature and role of scientific modeling; and the relevance of trust in science.