Experiments in interdisciplinarity: Responsible research and innovation and the public good

Abstract

In Europe, responsible research and innovation (RRI) has emerged as a science policy measure that demands the early integration of a broad range of social actors and perspectives into research and development (R&D).More collaboration of the social sciences and humanities (SSH) with science and engineering appears within this policy framework as a crucial element that will enable better technological development.However, RRI is new to both natural scientists and SSH scholars, and interdisciplinary collaborations are challenging for many reasons.In this paper, we discuss these challenges while suggesting that what RRI can be in a particular project is not a given but remains an empirical question.Natural scientists and SSH scholars need to coresearch RRI in an experimental mode.This Perspective is part of the Public Engagement in Science Series. Responsible research and innovation and the public goodIn Europe and beyond [1,2,3], the science policy idea of responsible research and innovation (RRI) has gained momentum in both national and supranational funding agencies and institutions.Broadly, policy documents often present RRI as an attempt to enhance science governance in the pursuit of better research and innovation for the public good.Key to its science policy, the European Commission (EC) has identified a number of significant "societal challenges" and requires researchers to design their projects to address such challenges.The EC implemented RRI in three ways in the European Union's Horizon 2020 program: by funding RRI research as well as coordination and support projects; as actions to implement RRI in universities and other institutions; and as a crosscutting issue in funding programs and research projects [4].RRI builds on previous developments in science policy that revealed the need to engage with sectors of the public in decisions about science technology as early as possible in the scientific research [5,6].RRI demands integrating a broad range of stakeholders into research and innovation projects to address societal challenges for which these actors share

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