Transforming Open Responsible Research and Innovation through CHARM

Project Information

TORCH

Grant agreement ID: 101017229

DOI

10.3030/101017229

Project closed

EC signature date 23 October 2020

Start date 1 January 2021

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• SCIENCE WITH AND FOR SOCIETY

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 2 163 011,05

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TORCH (Transforming Open Responsible Research and Innovation through CHARM)

Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The TORCH Project builds up CHARM-EU’s R&I dimension, promoting a challenge-driven transformative agenda based on (see Fig. 1):
· 3 RRI Cross Cutting Principles: Interdisciplinarity; Gendered Innovation; Ethics and Integrity.
· 4 Transformational Modules: Common R&I Agenda; Cooperation with Non-Academic Actors; Open Science; Citizen Science and Public Engagement.
· 3 Scientific Thematic Areas: Food, Water, Life & Health; Biodiversity, Environment, Climate Change; (In)Equality, Economic Growth, Governance, Migration.

TORCH promotes gender equality in R&I policies and fosters Open Science, supports transdisciplinary and intercultural approaches through cooperation and engagement with societal stakeholders and non-academic actors, and aims to drive impact at three different levels (Alliance, university, society), with a priority in accelerating and catalysing processes of institutional change within the CHARM-EU members.

Main conclusions:
· Landscape and gap analysis around the transformational modules.
· First steps taken to set up the CHARM-EU Common Science Agenda, including definition of scientific areas and development of SDG-driven research challenges.
· Five priority areas established, in line with ERA Policy Agenda, upon which the CHARM-EU dimension is built: 1. Working towards reforming research assessment; 2. Fostering equality, diversity and inclusivity; 3. Championing Open Science; 4. Promoting inter/transdisciplinary research driven by societal challenges; 5. Intensifying R&I cooperation between universities (see Fig. 3).
· 7 Pilots and 5 Action Plans developed to advance the priority areas (see Fig. 3).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

TORCH WP1 and WP2 focused on Governance and Project Management. Key activities included: implementing the TORCH governance structure; coordinating work plans, WPs and research challenges development; handling reporting to REA, financial matters, and integration with CHARM educational projects. Internal engagement actions: organization of Kick-Off meeting and Internal Forums (1st: Mar-2022, online; 2nd: Mar-2023, Dublin; 3rd: Oct-2023, Budapest).

WP3 (Cross Cutting Principles) identified best practices and gaps in Interdisciplinarity/Transdisciplinarity, Research Ethics, and Gendered Innovation.

WP4 (Common Science Agenda) put forward some research challenges, considering the five institutions research interests, strengths and complementarities. Analyzed research trends, formulated SDG-driven challenges, and identified priority areas (SDG3, SDG10, and SDG13). Financing mechanisms and research infrastructures within the Alliance were explored.

WP5 (Strengthening Cooperation Between Universities and Enterprises) analyzed solutions for formalizing relationships with private partners, sharing strategies for collaboration, and exploring innovation detection, spin-off creation, and support for student entrepreneurship.

WP6 (Mainstreaming of Comprehensive Open Science practices) focused on Open Science practices, conducting a survey and designing the Alliance Open Science Dashboard.

WP7 (Public Engagement) analyzed modalities for co-creating challenge-driven research, addressing incentives and barriers at various levels, and providing recommendations for transdisciplinary research and innovation.

WP8 (Common Policies and Strategies) identified interconnected RRI points and drafted a common framework with 5 Strategic Priority Areas. Assessed the impact of connected RRI on research assessment.

WP9 (Action Plans and Pilots) designed 7 Pilots and 5 Action Plans, categorized them based on a cost-benefit analysis, and implemented Pilots with monitoring. Reports and recommendations were provided to WP8.

WP10 and WP11 (Communication and Dissemination) developed communication materials, dissemination strategy, and organized open annual forums: 1st) Mar-2022, Budapest; 180+ participants, 10+ Alliances represented; 2nd) Mar-2023, Dublin; 120+ participants, 15 Alliances represented; 3rd) Joint event with fellow Alliances, Nov-2023, Brussels; 250+ participants, 37 Alliances represented. Also drafted 2 Policy Briefs with recommendations to the EC for further policy development.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

WP3 uncovered ways in which universities could do better to support inter-/transdisciplinarity, promoted gendered innovation in research and enshrined a broader view on research ethics and integrity. This will feed into shared strategies and policies for a Common RRI Framework.

WP4 set a stepping stone towards CHARM-EU’s Common Scientific Agenda. Harmonization of diverse institutional research priorities will be achieved by exploring collaborative ways (involving researchers and universities leadership). The method proved to be a valid pathway to establish researchers’ networks with shared scientific interests via SDG-driven goals. The six research challenges were developed further by multidisciplinary teams to target European funding to implement them as research projects from 2023 onwards (3 successfully submitted).

Current strategies, policies and organizational models were detected through WP5, establishing the basis for future cooperation to achieve greater involvement of entrepreneurial researchers, students, and partner enterprises. A university-enterprise policy procedure to “identify innovation resulting from research projects with a potential for transfer” could be developed, to set up a more concrete collaboration between RSOs and TTOs by means of a potential virtual network.

WP6 identified strengths and gaps on an institutional level regarding Open Science, and developed a set of recommendations. Sharing good practices helps making Open Science a mainstream practice among researchers and institutions.

WP7 output can be taken forward and deliver potential impacts on how to harness public engagement and transdisciplinary science in a way that stimulates involvement of the underprivileged in society. It is key to further explore the contentious issues of open science as a larger movement, including to address the issue of power asymmetry in the production and utilization of knowledge for solving societal challenges.

WP8 drew together work in work packages 3-7 to draft, develop, test (via WP9), and review a set of five Strategic Priority Areas as well as a common recommendations framework to sit within CHARM-EU research & innovation agenda. The work in this WP guided and informed all research activities in terms of goals, values, vision and best practice for the Alliance in the years to come. We intend to be open and proactive in exchanging recommendations and best practice with other alliances, non-academic collaborators and other external stakeholders.

WP9 tested several transferrable methods and reached tangible and exploitable results through seven Pilots that are linked with Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Open Science, joint alliance-level research support, networking of universities’ units. These actions also contributed to proposing a comprehensive reform of Research Assessment reform in CHARM-EU on a longer term. The WP also produced five Action Plans to be carried out after the end of the project. Recommendations were provided for tuning and finalising Alliance-level RRI policies and strategies.

Fig. 3. TORCH Prioroty Areas, Pilots, Action Plans

Fig.1. TORCH Project Summary - Alliance Members, Transformational Modules, Cross Cutting Principles,

Fig. 2. TORCH Research Challenges - Participatory Process Overview