Responsible Research and Innovation, RRI
A cross-cutting issue in Horizon 2020, the EU Framework programme for Research & Innovation 2014-2020, Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is an approach that anticipates and assesses potential implications and societal expectations with regard to research and innovation (R&I).
RRI initiatives are designed towards a comprehensive participation of all stakeholders involved in the process of R&I starting from a very early stage, from design and implementation to evaluation. It relies on a joint effort of a multi-actor society wherein researchers, citizens, policy makers, business, and NGOs work side-to-side during the whole R&I process in order to align scientific outcomes with the ethical values, requirements, and expectations of society.
As a pivotal element of the R&I process, RRI is established and implemented as a system-wide approach. Fostering public engagement in R&I, enabling easier access to scientific results, implementing gender and ethics practices in the R&I content and process, promoting formal and informal science education are core principles of the RRI initiative. For the latest information, we recommend the blog from René von Schomberg (European Commission and Professor at the Technical University of Darmstadt).
Bringing science into democracy and democracy into science
Science and technology are the driving forces behind the most influential discoveries that have shaped the way we humans look at ourselves and at the world we live in. Alongside positive societal changes inherent to welfare and wellbeing, science and technology have sometimes introduced risks and posed ethical dilemmas. Often, societal impacts and ethical aspects have not adequately been addressed when developing innovation. Repercussions are seen on costs sustained by research institutions and business enterprises that could have otherwise focused on different projects and developed utilitarian products encountering more urgent citizens’ needs.
Over the last decades EU programs have maximised their efforts to bridge the distance between science and society, leading to RRI in the realm of the Horizon 2020 program. This initiative responds to a need to better exploit the potential of considering societal expectations in innovation as well coordinating efforts in order to fully exploit research funding potential. It aims to bring societal issues related to R&I into the open, anticipate and monitor their consequences, and promote inclusive, participatory approaches in European R&I processes. A core principle of RRI is the alignment of its outcomes with societal values, by engaging citizens in discussing how science and technology can contribute to create the kind of world we aspire for present and future generations. Only through the co-evolution of science and society, will we lead an effective transition to democratised science and research as a social activity.
- The RRI Toolkit offers tailored information according to your stakeholder.
- CIMULACT has given concrete and unique input to EU’s research and innovation agenda based on visions from citizens in 30 European countries.
- The Horizon 2020 project PROSO aims to foster the engagement of third sector organizations such as NGOs and citizens for RRI.
- RRI-Practice is project under Horizon 2020 which aims to understand the barriers and drivers to the successful implementation of RRI both in European and global contexts.
- The Enhancing Responsible Research and Innovation through Curricula in Higher Education (EnRRICH) project aims to improve the capacity of students and staff in higher education to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes to support the embedding of RRI in curricula by responding to the research needs of society as expressed by civil society organisations (CSOs).
- The FOSTER portal is an e-learning platform that brings together the best training resources addressed to those who need to know more about OS, or need to develop strategies and skills for implementing OS practices in their daily workflows. Here you will find a growing collection of training materials. Many different users - from early-career researchers, to data managers, librarians, research administrators, and graduate schools - can benefit from the portal.
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The Responsible Research and Innovation Networked Globally - RRING EU project. The project will paw the way for a more RRI linked-up world and an increased coherence and convergence in RRI by learning from best practices in RRI globally and from linkages, via the new RRING community.