Responsible Research and Innovation – RRI
In previous years science was altering the world and it still continues to drive force in the advancement of humanity. No one can deny the fact that science and technology have improved the quality of our lives, but sometimes innovations have also led to controversial or unintended consequences. In this regard, responsibility in science and technology has become a “hot” topic among policymakers, researchers and innovators.
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) aims to engage a broad range of stakeholders to discuss how science and technology can be used in the best possible way to not only contribute to solving today’s problems, but also create the world that will be desirable for future generations. Broadly speaking, RRI is a process of research and development that focuses not only on the perspective within the lab, but also from the natural environment and society’s viewpoint. Fundamentally, it is about creating high quality science which exists more for the benefit of society.
According to RRI, there were identified six dimensions (Figure 1) that can be divided in four clusters:
- Diverse and inclusive;
- Open and transparent;
- Responsive and adaptive to change;
- Anticipative and reflective.
RRI as Our Concept for Human Practices
During our work on the project, we set the goal to follow these recommendations. Our team is made of people of different age, gender and nationality. This made it possible to reach a larger audience. For Human Practices, we focused on ethics and research integrity, open access in science and science education, which also included public engagement. Hence, we contacted various experts in order to receive their professional advice.
Our first public-oriented project was the development of a survey in order to check if people could understand the issue of GMOs safety. On the basis of the survey results, we realized that people were ready and willing to talk about synthetic biology, but due to the unavailability of information it was not always possible.
The best option is improved science education which will provide people with the knowledge and skills they need to take part in discussions and decisions on research and innovation. Therefore, we developed educational programs for different age groups, namely for the kindergarten and high school. For the age group from 3 to 6 years of age, we recorded an audio play about phages and bacteria. Furthermore, for high school students we developed special BioTech Workshop, where we focussed on modern biotechnology.
We had been planning a Science Slam, but unfortunately it could not take place. Additionally, we recorded a Podcast and had a highly active social media account which was meant to show the audience in the “behind the scenes” of our team’s work. The challenges and collaborations taken place on our Instagram page contributed to a more active communication, thereby keeping in touch with teams from all over the world. In general, it is worth noting that all our events have received a lot of positive feedback from the participants.