societal engagement Archives

Societal Engagement in Biosciences, FIOCRUZ, Brazil

Editorial Team 7th February 2018 RRI, Societal Engagement

By Ph.D. Fernanda Khouri Barreto Presentation of Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz): The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) is the main research institute connected to the Ministry of Health of Brazil. This institution works as a part of a Unified Health System (SUS) and is located in different brazilian states: Amazonas, Bahia, Distrito Federal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro. The Fiocruz focus in: research and innovation; management of public policies; production of drugs and biopharmaceuticals; education, information and communication in health, science and technology; health surveillance; basic and specialized care; and preservation of historical heritage. The main objective of Fiocruz is promote the improvement of life quality of the population through the generation and diffusion of scientific and technological knowledge. The societal engagement is one of the priorities of our institution and we believe that it is important to consolidate and extend the interaction between science and society. What are the current standards and actions to achieve better societal engagement in the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation? Our scientific communication is daily through institutional vehicles (website, newsletter and digital social networks) and the approximation with printed, digital, radio and television media. We also have a project named “Open Doors” where students from high school, undergraduate and graduate have the possibility to know how is a research institution. This project also gives them the possibility to take a tour in our facilities and to talk with scientists. Different projects developed in the institution seek to promote the approximation …

Societal Engagement in Biosciences, University of Bremen

Editorial Team 20th December 2017 RRI, Societal Engagement

How do you understand Societal Engagement in biosciences research? According to our understanding, Societal Engagement in biosciences research is the encouragement of all relevant societal actors for an engagement in the biosciences research and innovation process. The relationship between science and society and the communication between these groups has undergone a great change: from “science” and ‘”society” and the “deficit model of public understanding” (Gross, 1994: 6) to the idea of “science with and for society” and public participation. Two crucial points for investigating as well as fostering interactions between scientists and citizens at the University of Bremen are the technology transfer and the communication of scientific knowledge through contextualization. There are two different ways to transfer concepts, methods, results and applications. Science-internal technology transfer means transfer to the scientific community (as a part of society). Science-external technology transfer refers to transfer into economy and/or society. The diversity of transfer products and target areas requires a broadened concept of technology, since a theoretical concept may well be the starting point of an application development. Research contextualization supports the communication process through emphasizing the particular societal relevance while obliging scientists to take into account ethical and political issues as well as issues of public interest/relevance. What are the current standards and actions to achieve better Societal Engagement in the University of Bremen? The relevance of technology transfer within the research institutes of the University of Bremen seems to be very heterogeneous, so far. This is due to the fact that both basic research as …

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Societal Engagement in Biosciences, seen by the University of Gdansk, Poland

Editorial Team 15th November 2017 Societal Engagement

How do you understand Societal Engagement in biosciences research? Scientists have a responsibility to engage in public dialogue about the implications of biosciences findings and to help distinguish between socially beneficial and socially harmful applications. The relation between science and society, including politics, is the base of social and economical development. The state decides about directions of development by legal and financial instruments, but it also suffers consequences of the lack of social acceptance of new technology. Bioscience is a cutting-edge area of science in which the pace of progress is perhaps faster than society’s capacity to deal with its ethical and social implications – therefore needs to be addressed properly. What are the current standards and actions to achieve better Societal Engagement in your University and in your country? State scientific policy is not consistent in defining the role and function of scientific communication. There is a great discrepancy between ambitious goals set for research units and academics in this area and financial support or the raising of the rank of activity in this field in the periodic assessment of a scientific unit or the processes of scientific career development. Popularization of science is part of the Development Strategy of the University of Gdańsk until 2020 – in the field of strengthening of the university’s ties with the economic and social environment of Pomorskie. What are you aiming for with the implementation of the STARBIOS2 actions towards better Societal Engagement standards for your institute? The Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology …

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Societal Engagement in Biosciences, seen by the University of Primorska, Slovenia

Editorial Team 11th October 2017 RRI, Societal Engagement

University of Primorska, Department of Biodiversity Sandra Hasić – research assistant at the Department of Biodiversity of the University of Primorska. How do you understand Societal Engagement in biosciences research? Societal engagement for us is not just the involvement of the department’s work in the local environment, but it is one of the most important factors for the long-term influence of our research. Nature conservation can be successful only in collaboration with different stakeholders involved in the processes, such as the local population, representatives of the authorities, NGOs, national institutions, the economy, and policy makers. Therefore, raising awareness regarding biosciences research is an important part of the process. Only with the transfer of knowledge and technologies, as a structural change in field of nature conservation, goal can be achieved. What are the current standards and actions to achieve better Societal Engagement in your University and in your country? University of Primorska is a very young University and we are still establishing our position at the local environment, and public engagement is one of the crucial points of gaining recognition in the area. The societal engagement should be focused on future collaborations with different stakeholders in the region and on promotion and integration of biosciences departments. At the national level, we can achieve progress in societal engagement with the establishment of specially designed project scheme for funding the collaborative projects between the University and local stakeholders, the economy and NGOs. Our faculty is very successful in applying for grants in schemes. …

Societal Engagement in Biosciences, seen by the University of Oxford, England

Editorial Team 4th September 2017 RRI, Societal Engagement

Dr. Laurel Edmunds – is a Senior Research Fellow working in collaboration with the NIHR Oxford BRC and relevant researchers across the University of Oxford. She is currently leading on a series of systematic reviews evaluating women in academic medicine and research efficacy in the NIHR Oxford BRC. Dr. Maria Milano – is a research assistant at the Radcliffe Department of Medicine in Oxford University. 1. How do you understand “Societal Engagement” in biosciences research? Societal engagement is a two-way process resulting from the interaction between researchers and the public in order to obtain a mutual benefit. It is signified through different types of activities: collaborating activities which aim to create or decide something together with the public (e.g. partnership working); receiving activities where the views, knowledge and experiences of the public are used to inform, build, or even change decisions (e.g. surveys); transmitting activities with the intention of inspiring and informing the public (e.g. science festivals). 2. What are the current standards and actions to achieve better Societal Engagement in Oxford University and in England in general? A key focus of the University of Oxford is to equip academics and researchers across the entire institution to develop and deliver public engagement with research activities. We have specially trained personnel that run courses and offer resourses (eg www.oxfordsparks.ox.ac.uk) to support researchers with their engagement activities. Societal engagement is now recognised as an academic accomplishment in the UK as part of the Research Excellence Framework (a rank of effectiveness and achievement of the UK researchers, by …

Societal Engagement in Biosciences, seen by the University of Tor Vergata, Italy

Editorial Team 20th July 2017 RRI, Societal Engagement

University of Tor Vergata – Department of Biology Dr. Carla Montesano – Coordination and teaching for immunology trainincoordination and teaching for immunology training in infectious diseases and innovative technologies applied to the diagnosis and monitoring of infections. Dr. Daniele Mezzana – Key areas of interest: African societies, Relationships between science and society, evaluation of development projects, corporate social responsibility, civil society organizations, rule of law, communication issues, rural development. 1. How do you understand “Public engagement” in biosciences research? Within the framework of “Responsible Research & Innovation” (RRI), public engagement is a crucial key. Such a key is about promoting the engagement of all societal actors in the research and innovation process. This aspect is very important in biosciences: from the economic point of view, this sector is highly research-based (above all after the “molecular revolution” occurred several decades ago), and is characterized by the cooperation between academia, public and private research centers, industry, etc… But the economic, and also political, social, and ethical issues, Biosciences cope with the involvement of many kind of actors besides researchers and industry, such as policy makers, civil society organizations, schools, medias, and others. 2. What are the current standards and actions to achieve better “Public engagement” in your country and in your University? We may recall that the Italian Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research Institutions defined as “Public Engagement” in a more specific sense, is not for profit activities carried out by universities having an educational and cultural aim for …

Let us introduce you to STARBIOS2…

Editorial Team 12th July 2017 RRI, STARBIOS2

Vittorio Colizzi, coordinator of STARBIOS2 project, is Full professor of General Pathology and Immunology, and Director of UNESCO Chair in Biotechnology and Bioethics at University of Rome “Tor Vergata”. He will talk about the aim of the project and the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). 1. How would you describe the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation? In short, RRI is an inclusive approach to research and innovation (R&I). It aims to better align both the process and outcomes of R&I with the values, needs and expectations of European society, and to ensure that societal actors work together during the whole research and innovation process. 2. Why is RRI important for the advancement of the research? Research and innovation have never been carried out in isolation from the social, political and economic context. But the RRI helps us to highlight an important fact: one of the main risk, for European research is its inadequate connection with society. The loose connection between research and society could make European research unable to address the key development problems, unable to exploit its potential for innovation and competitiveness in the global market, and socially isolated or contested (see the case of the attitude of many citizens towards the vaccinations). For these reasons, RRI is important, because it focuses on the subject of a stronger R&I, and even more relevant with respect to society; a society of which R&I itself is an integral part. 3. Could you describe the 5 key issues …