Dr. Niels G. Mede

Science Communication Researcher

The TISP Many Labs Project



Since 2022, Dr. Viktoria Cologna and I are leading the global research project TISP (“Trust in Science and Science-Related Populism”). 
TISP involves a preregistered online population survey of ca. 72,000 respondents in 68 countries and provides nationally representative estimates of public attitudes and behavior for several highly relevant issues – such as public trust in science, science-related populism, science communication, and public perceptions of climate change. The project is designed as a Many Labs study including 241 researchers from 169 institutions across all continents, thus addressing a “Western bias” of extant research and avoiding “parachute science” practices. Viktoria Cologna and I set up this large consortium in 2022 along with an international advisory board of nine experts in the field and managed an overall project budget of 140’000 USD. 
The first peer-reviewed publications resulting from this project have been released; most importantly, the main publication “Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries” (Nature Human Behaviour). We have also published the complete dataset and survey materials along with a comprehensive documenting summary in Scientific Data.

Publications


Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries


Viktoria Cologna, Niels G. Mede, Sebastian Berger, John C. Besley, Cameron Brick, Marina Joubert, Edward W. Maibach, Sabina Mihelj, Naomi Oreskes, Mike S. Schäfer, Sander van der Linden, Nor Izzatina Abdul Aziz, Suleiman Abdulsalam, Shamsi Shamsi, Balazs Aczel, Indro Adinugroho, Eleonora Alabrese, Alaa Aldoh, Mark Alfano, . . ., Rolf A. Zwaan

Nature Human Behaviour, 2025


A positive picture of Africans' trust in scientists


Marina Joubert, Niels G. Mede, Viktoria Cologna, Patrick O. Ansah

Nature Africa, 2025


Perceptions of science, science communication, and climate change attitudes in 68 countries – the TISP dataset


Niels G. Mede, Viktoria Cologna, Sebastian Berger, John C. Besley, Cameron Brick, Marina Joubert, Edward W. Maibach, Sabina Mihelj, Naomi Oreskes, Mike S. Schäfer, Sander van der Linden, Nor Izzatina Abdul Aziz, Suleiman Abdulsalam, Shamsi Shamsi, Balazs Aczel, Indro Adinugroho, Eleonora Alabrese, Alaa Aldoh, Mark Alfano, . . ., Rolf A. Zwaan

Scientific Data, vol. 12(1), 2025, p. 114


Anticipatory solastalgia in the Antipodes: Evidence of future-oriented distress about environmental change in Australia and New Zealand


Samantha K. Stanley, Omid Ghasemi, Robert M. Ross, John R. Kerr, Mathew D. Marques, Niels G. Mede, Sebastian Berger, Mark Alfano, Neil Levy, Marinus Ferreira, Viktoria Cologna

The Journal of Climate Change and Health, vol. 23, 2025, p. 100415


How scientists' collective climate advocacy affects public trust in scientists and voting behavior


Viktoria Cologna, Jana Freundt, Niels G. Mede, Lauren Howe, Eri Bertsou, Jamie Gloor, Naomi Oreskes, Reto Knutti, Mike S. Schäfer

Environmental Research Letters, vol. 20, 2024