Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has become a new buzzword at the core of European science policy discourses. The issue is to devise ways for research to more adequately address the contemporary challenges of our society. In this opinion piece, Ulrike Felt, professor of science and technology studies from the University of Vienna, Austria, argues that before RRI can become a reality, before we will succeed opening-up research to societal actors and values, we will need to reconsider our arrangements at the core of academia. Read more [...]

Until now, our diagnostics of the role of research and innovation in society has been too simplistic. In this opinion piece, Elisabeth Gulbrandsen, special adviser in the division for innovation of the Research Council of Norway, shares her view on how RRI can be embedded in the fabric of research programmes. She argues that RRI is a wake-up call pointing to the need to examine the nature of the research and innovation itself before we can implement a change in the culture of research, moving beyond our comfort zone. Read more [...]

A pragmatic solution to associate citizens more closely with research is to develop training programmes associating researchers with teachers. This is exactly what the Maison pour la Science en Alsace initiative has done in France. In this opinion piece, its director Mélodie Faury explains the benefits of such an approach in getting teachers first-hand experience of what research really is about. Read more [...]