FIT4RRI moves from the basic assumption that there is a serious gap between the potential role Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Open Science (OS) could play in helping Research Funding and Performing Organisations (RFPOs) to manage the rapid transformation processes affecting science (especially the science-in-society aspects) and the actual impact RRI and OS are currently having on RFPOs, research sectors and national research systems.
FIT4RRI has been working to contribute to bridging this gap, promoting viable strategies to render institutional changes in RFPOs. The project, in particular, will act on two key factors necessary for RFPOs to activate institutional changes towards RRI and OS:
− Enhancing competences and skills related to RRI and OS, especially for those researchers working on so called “hard sciences” , through an improvement of the RRI and OS training offer (in terms of training tools, actions and strategies) currently available, also through the identification, mutual coordination and deployment of the most innovative RRI approaches and tools recently developed under local, national and EC-funded projects.
− Institutionally embed RRI and OS practices and approaches by promoting the diffusion of more advanced governance settings (including cross-cutting organisational practices, tools, arrangements and culture) capable to create an environment enabling RRI and OS.
More in detail, to pursue this goal the project’s work plan has been designed according three main strands aimed at understanding what is happening (analytical strand), testing possible solutions (testing strand) and promoting changes (proactive strand).
Figure 1 represents the workflow and the relationship among the strands.
FIT4RRI relies upon 9 specific objectives:
− O1 - Mapping the drivers for and barriers to the diffusion and embedment of RRI and OS practices and approaches in RFPOs (WP1)
− O2 - Benchmarking RRI and OS experiences, which succeeded in mainstreaming RRI practices in individual RFPOs, groups of them or specific research fields (WP1)
− O3 - Making a diagnosis of RRI and OS in different research and disciplinary sectors and national contexts, in order to understand, for each of them, specific factors (e.g. level of interest, acceptance and expectations related to RRI and OS), meanings and role attributed to RRI and OS favouring or hindering the diffusion and institutional embedment of RRI and OS practices and approach, and the impact of RRI and OS-related training tools and awareness raising initiatives (WP2)
− O4 - Analysing the current RRI-related training offer, including training tools (handbooks, guidelines, toolkits, resources tools, etc.), training actions and formal courses dealing with RRI as a whole or its specific keys (WP4)
− O5 - Testing in different RFPOs advanced governance settings favouring the adoption and the embedment of RRI and OS practices and tools (WP3)
− O6 - Testing in different RFPOs advanced training tools and actions favouring the enhancement of skills and competence of RRI and OS -related issues (WP3)
− O7 - Testing in different RFPOs procedures favouring the activation of institutional change processes making the introduction of new governance settings and new training approaches really possible (WP3)
− O8 - Designing and developing training tools and actions as well as strategies aimed at improving the overall quality and impact of the existing training offer on RRI and OS (WP4)
− O9 - Designing and developing evidence-based guidelines for supporting the diffusion amongst RFPOs of governance settings functioning as enablers for RRI and OS (WP5).
Table 1 shows the objectives status.
