PROSO

PROmoting SOcietal Engagement under the terms of RRI

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) receives increasing significance as the European Union’s approach to good governance in research and innovation. The EU project PROSO addressed the question how to implement and foster societal engagement in research and innovation.

RRI seeks to align the processes and outcomes of research and innovation with the values, needs and expectations of the European society. Therefore, the engagement of all societal actors including civil society organizations (CSOs) and citizens is an important element of RRI. However, there is a lack of clarity about what societal engagement actually requires, and how it should be pursued. Accordingly, the PROSO project aimed at fostering early engagement and cooperation of CSOs and citizens under the terms of RRI in research and innovation systems in Europe.

How to foster societal engagement in research and innovation?

What are requirements for societal engagement events under RRI? How to organise engagement processes in order to successfully include a broad variety of perspectives and worldviews? And how to integrate stakeholders’ and citizens’ views and recommendations in ongoing research and innovation processes? By identifying incentives, and barriers for societal engagement in research funding, research and innovation, PROSO aimed at fostering more effective ways to involve third-sector actors and citizens. The empirical analysis investigated three domains of research and innovation: nanotechnology, food and health, and bio-economy.

PROSO conducted several steps to analyse barriers and incentives for societal engagement:

  • Interviews with representatives of civil society organizations and science policy institutions to reveal their perspectives on and their role in engagement processes in research and innovation
  • Citizen panels in five European countries (dealing with the issues of nanotechnology, food and health, and bio-economy) to jointly identify motivations, incentives and barriers for public engagement
  • Expert workshops and one European stakeholder conference to discuss the outcomes of the PROSO’s analysis and to further develop a policy and practice guide for advancing the use of participatory approaches in research and innovation processes in Europe

Based on these steps, PROSO developed options and recommendations for research funding and actors in research policy, such as research funding, how to ensure successful engagement of civil society organizations and citizens in research and innovation on national and European level. PROSO’s key insights were condensed in a policy and practice guide which includes:

  • An overview of the barriers and incentives for engaging with third sector organizations and citizens in different research and innovation contexts
  • Best case examples of societal engagement for RRI
  • Policy and governance options for encouraging societal engagement for RRI

Publications

  • Rethinking societal engagement under the heading of Responsible Research and Innovation: (novel) requirements and challenges. / Bauer, Anja; Bogner, Alexander; Fuchs, Daniela.
    In: Journal of Responsible Innovation, Vol. 8 (1), 01.04.2021, p. 1-22.
    DOIDownloadRISENWBIB
  • Kann verantwortungsvolle Beteiligung gelingen? / Fuchs, Daniela; Bauer, Anja; Bogner, Alexander.
    2 ed. 2018.
    WebsiteDownloadRISENWBIB
  • Engagement? Yes, if we are heard! ITA-Dossier no. 32en (March 2018; Authors: Anja Bauer, Daniela Fuchs, Alexander Bogner). / Bauer, Anja; Fuchs, Daniela; Bogner, Alexander.
    2 p. Wien. 2018. (ITA-Dossiers).
    DOIDownloadRISENWBIB

    -> Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) calls for continuous societal engagement.-> Up until now, citizens and third sector actors are not routinely involved in the governance of research and innovation. -> Citizens and third sector actors face specific barriers to engagement in research and innovation. 
-> Policies and practices in support of societal engagement should address questions of relevance, impact, trust, knowledge and skills, time and financial resources, and legitimacy.

  • Mitreden? Ja, wenn wir auch gehört werden! ITA-Dossier Nr. 32 (März 2018; AutorInnen: Anja Bauer, Daniela Fuchs, Alexander Bogner). / Bogner, Alexander; Fuchs, Daniela; Bauer, Anja.
    2 p. Wien. 2018. (ITA-Dossiers).
    DOIDownloadRISENWBIB

    -> Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) fordert die kontinuierliche gesellschaftliche Beteiligung an Forschung und Innovation.-> BürgerInnen und zivilgesellschaftliche Organisationen sehen sich mit spezifischen Hindernissen für die Beteiligung konfrontiert.-> Politiken und Praktiken zur Unterstützung der gesellschaftlichen Beteiligung sollten sich mit Fragen der Relevanz, der Wirkung, des Vertrauens, des Wissens, der zeitlichen und finanziellen Ressourcen sowie der Legitimität befassen.

  • Deliverable D5.1: Conference Information Package. PROSO – Promoting Societal Engagement under the terms of RRI. / Dreyer, Marion; Kosow, Hannah; Bauer, Anja.
    University of Surrey, 2017.
    DOIWebsiteRISENWBIB
  • Deliverable D4.2: National Reports – Citizen Panels. PROSO – Promoting Societal Engagement under the terms of RRI. / Chonkova, Blagovesta et al; Bauer, Anja; Bogner, Alexander et al.
    University of Surrey, 2017.
    DOIWebsiteRISENWBIB

    Full list of authors: Chonkova, Blagovesta; Asenova, Desislava; Kozarev, Ventseslav; Bauer, Anja; Bogner, Alexander; Fuchs, Daniela; Hofmaier, Christian; Hampel, Jürgen; Seabra, Susana; Gonçalves, João; Porth, Emily; Timotijević, Lada; Raats, Monique

  • Deliverable D 3.3: Synthesis report specifying similarities and differences in stakeholder/actor perspectives. PROSO – Promoting Societal Engagement under the terms of RRI (Contributors: Monique Raats, Anja Bauer, Alexander Bogner). / Porth, Emily; Peacock, Matthew; Timotijević, Lada et al.
    University of Surrey, 2017. 72 p.
    DOIWebsiteRISENWBIB
  • Deliverable D3.2: Three reports on barriers and incentives for societal engagement under RRI, one for each R&I domain. PROSO – Promoting Societal Engagement under the terms of RRI (Contributors: Monique Raats, Anja Bauer, Alexander Bogner). / Porth, Emily; Timotijević, Lada; Fuchs, Daniela et al.
    University of Surrey, 2017. 106 p.
    DOIWebsiteRISENWBIB
  • 'Mitreden? Nur, wenn wir auch gehört werden.'. / Bayer, Thomas.
    In: ITA-NewsFeed, No. www.oeaw.ac.at/ita/news, 05.04.2017.
    WebsiteRISENWBIB
  • PROSO BürgerInnen Forum – Ergebnispräsentation; 11.2., Wien. / Bayer, Thomas.
    Wien: ITA. 2017.
    WebsiteRISENWBIB
  • Deliverable D3.1: Protocol desk research barriers & incentives. PROSO – Promoting Societal Engagement under the terms of RRI (Contributors: Anja Bauer, Daniela Fuchs, Christian Hofmaier, Mark Morrison). / Timotijević, Lada; Porth, Emily F; Raats, Monique et al.
    University of Surrey, 2016. 40 p.
    DOIWebsiteRISENWBIB
  • Methodology Citizen Panels, Deliverable D4.1 for the EU-project PROSO - Promoting Societal Engagement under the terms of RRI. / Kosow, Hannah; Dreyer, Marion; Bauer, Anja et al.
    Vienna, 2016.
    DOIRISENWBIB
  • Societal engagement under the terms of RRI, Deliverable D2.2 for the EU-project PROSO - Promoting Societal Engagement under the terms of RRI. / Bauer, Anja; Bogner, Alexander; Fuchs, Daniela.
    Vienna, 2016. 66 p.
    DOIWebsiteRISENWBIB
  • Report on the expert workshop “Contemporary experiences with societal engagement under the terms of RRI“, Deliverable D2.1 for the EU-project PROSO - Promoting Societal Engagement under the terms of RRI. / Bauer, Anja; Bogner, Alexander; Fuchs, Daniela.
    Vienna, 2016. 24 p.
    DOIWebsiteRISENWBIB
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Conference Papers/Speeches

  • Klagenfurt

    If you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail: Technology bias in invited participation on emerging technologies

    Bauer, A. (Speaker), Fuchs, D. ((Co-)Author) & Bogner, A. ((Co-)Author)

    18 Sep 2018

  • Deursen-Dennenburg

    Engaging critical voices under RRI – Opening up STI governance?

    Fuchs, D. (Speaker)

    28 Aug 2018

  • Universitätsclub Bonn

    Partizipation als große Herausforderung: Neue Formen der Öffentlichkeitsbeteiligung im Kontext von 'Responsible Research and Innovation'

    Bogner, A. (Speaker)

    17 Nov 2016

  • Bergen

    Let’s (not) talk about synthetic biology: The framing of an emerging technology

    Bauer, A. (Speaker) & Bogner, A. (Speaker)

    13 Oct 2016

  • Bergen

    Early engagement for RRI in synthetic biology: Experiences from SYNENERGENE

    Bauer, A. (Speaker) & Bogner, A. (Speaker)

    13 Oct 2016

  • Bergen

    A better way of engaging? How Responsible Research and Innovation redefines participation in science and technology

    Bauer, A. (Speaker), Bogner, A. (Speaker) & Fuchs, D. (Speaker)

    13 Oct 2016

  • Barcelona

    Old wine in new bottles? Societal Engagement under the terms of RRI

    Bauer, A. (Speaker), Fuchs, D. (Speaker) & Bogner, A. ((Co-)Author)

    1 Sep 2016

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Duration

01/2016 - 02/2018

Project team