Launch of the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) Toolkit: fostering not only “the best science in the world but the best science for the world"

Our societies face many global challenges: climate change, health, pollution. Science can contribute to solving them. The European Commission has pushed forward Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) to foster research and innovation in an inclusive, societally-oriented way. In this context, the EC-funded RRI Tools project has gathered 350+ tools across Europe – the RRI Toolkit – to help stakeholders implement Responsible Research and Innovation. The RRI Toolkit is live at: www.rri-tools.eu

What is the RRI Toolkit for?

The RRI Toolkit encourages the uptake of research and innovation processes better answering the needs and expectations of society. The RRI Toolkit is designed for individuals as well as institutions involved in research, policy-making, business and industry, education, or civil society organizations. It also addresses topics such as open access, gender in science, ethics, science education, governance, public engagement. It is live at http://www.rri-tools.eu.

Please take into account that this is a beta version of the RRI Toolkit. The complete version will be available in July 2016.

What is in the RRI Toolkit?

As of today, the RRI Toolkit contains 356 resources that will help to design and bring projects to life, and to train on Responsible Research and Innovation.
These resources include:
• inspiring practices;
• manuals, guidelines, how-tos, catalogues and online databases of resources;
• background documents including presentations, reports, cross-analysis and pan-European surveys;
• other European projects that developed RRI resources; and
• a self-reflection tool on RRI for users to assess their professional practice.

As a complement to these resources, videos and presentations introduce the concept, scope and main aspects of Responsible Research and Innovation to newcomers.

The RRI Toolkit is an interactive resource for the community

The RRI Toolkit is a dynamic resource open to a growing European Community of Practice. By joining this community users will be able to participate in discussion fora and get support from other practitioners. They will also be able to contribute to the further development of the Toolkit by uploading their own tools: www.rri-tools.eu/registration

How was the RRI Toolkit built?

The RRI Toolkit has been built by a consortium of 26 organizations participating in the RRI Tools project. Preparatory reports of the consortium paved the way for the RRI Toolkit. 27 workshops involving 400 stakeholders in 24 countries across Europe enabled the project members to put into perspective the needs, constraints, and expectations of the stakeholder groups towards Responsible Research and Innovation. This first consultation phase and the collection of good practices led to the determination of RRI quality criteria and a catalogue of 31 RRI inspiring practices across Europe, both available at http://www.rri-tools.eu/workplan-deliverables. This ultimately framed the scope of the Toolkit. The 300+ resources in the Toolkit have been selected by the RRI Tools members with the collaboration of their partners in Europe. The RRI Toolkit being dynamic and participatory, it is now open to the community such that everyone can upload and showcase its own practices.

To keep informed

To stay up-to-date with the RRI Toolkit, please register to the RRI Tools newsletter: http://www.rri-tools.eu/register.
Get in contact with your local RRI Hub to know more about the RRI Tools activities in your country: http://www.rri-tools.eu/who-we-are
Follow RRI Tools on:
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RRI.Tools.Project
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/RRITools
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/RRI-Tools-Fostering-ResponsibleResearch-8...

Sample resources you can find in the RRI Toolkit
• The Action Catalogue (http://actioncatalogue.eu/), developed by the Engage2020 project, is a catalogue of tools to support researchers, policy-makers and others in finding the best methods for conducting inclusive research.
• The Res-AGorA project (http://res-agora.eu/) has produced a normative and comprehensive governance framework for RRI.
• The Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) has adopted a Framework for Responsible Innovation to help researchers consider societal issues that may flow from their work.
• This brief by Foster (https://www.fosteropenscience.eu/sites/default/files/pdf/927.pdf) shows why and how Open Science can optimize a Horizon2020 evaluation proposal

Source:http://cordis.europa.eu/news/rcn/132135_en.html?isPermaLink=true