Responsible Research

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a cross-cutting issue in Horizon 2020, the EU framework programme for research and innovation, which aims at cooperation of researchers, citizens, policy makers and business during the whole research and innovation process in order to better align both the process and its outcomes with the values, needs and expectations of society. It is implemented by research institutions as a concept that includes multi-actor and public engagement in research and innovation. Key thematic elements of RRI are public engagement, open access, gender, ethics and science education.

In context of CAAST NET Plus we are working with the Council on Health Research for Development (COHRED) on the Research Fairness Initiative (RFI), which incorporates the RRI elements and encourages research organizations to do a self-assesment by writing an RFI report. In 2016 we organised an RFI conference, which aimed at informing African and European stakeholders about the initiative and its potential to strengthen bi-regional health research cooperation. Workshops in support of the initiative were jointly organized by several partnering organizations in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa.