RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION:TRANSFORMING SCIENCE

JACQUELINE BROERSE ATHENA, VU UNIVERSITY AMSTERDAM

Faculteit der Aard- en Levenswetenschappen2

KEY WORDS

• Responsive – to societal needs• Multi-actor – academia, public, private, civil society• Inclusive – gender vulnerable groups (e.g. poor,

ethnic minorities, disabled)• Transdisciplinary – multidisciplinary perspectives,

integration scientific and experiential/practical knowledge• Open and transparant – accountability• Flexible reflexive, learning process

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MORE THAN A SOCIAL INNOVATON

• RRI requires different routines, structures, way of thinking novel way of doing science

• Not easy to realize• Need for change of incumbent regime – dominant

culture, structure and practice

System change!

MULTILEVEL PERSPECTIVE

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‘Niches’ Innovative experiments in which actors create alternative practices (compared to regime)

‘Regime’ Dominant structure, culture and practice of system

Regime

Landscape

Niche

‘Landscape’ Broader societal trends

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CHALLENGES

• Lack of sense of urgency– No observed surplus value of participation– Fear for delay and complication of decision making

• Dominant structures and procedures– Financing structure dominated by scientists– Appraisal procedures based on scientific criteria– No additional means for involvement

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CHALLENGES

• Characteristics research community:– Strong specialization in monodisciplines– Importance of scientific achievement and publications– Importance of scientific autonomy and curiosity– Undervalution of experiential/practical knowledge

• Characteristics civil society:– Limited will to participate (I don’t have time)– Lack of scientific knowledge (I don’t know)– Limited ability of objectification and abstraction– Lack of self-confidence and empowerment

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STRATEGIES OF TRANSITION MANAGEMENT

DEEPENING BROADENING SCALING UP

Learn in niche Replicate & link Embedding CSP

• What is RRI?• How to do it?• What are

benefits?• What CSP most

conducive

Fragmentation

Isolation

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STRATEGIES OF TRANSITION MANAGEMENT

DEEPENING BROADENING SCALING UP

Learn in niche Replicate & link Embedding CSP

• What is RRI?• How to do it?• What are

benefits?• What CSP most

conducive

• Increase experiments in different locations

• Awareness raising

• Networking• Coalition

building Talk without action‘Green washing’

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STRATEGIES OF TRANSITION MANAGEMENT

DEEPENING BROADENING SCALING UP

Learn in niche Replicate & link Embedding CSP

• What is RRI?• How to do it?• What are

benefits?• What CSP most

conducive

• Increase experiments in different locations

• Awareness raising

• Networking• Coalition

building

• Training competences

• Policies• Incentives• Monitoring &

evaluation

Evasive behavio

r

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timetime

Indi

cato

rs fo

r cha

nge

Indi

cato

rs fo

r cha

nge

InitialInitial phasephase TakeTake--offoff

AccelerationAcceleration

StabilizationStabilization

Lock inLock in

BacklashBacklash

PHASES IN TRANSITIONS

Transitions run into resistance of actors and constraining regime factors