ESOF 2016 CHAMPION: HOW CITIZENS’ FEEDBACK CAN NANCY ROTHWELL // 4 SHAPE HEALTH RESEARCH // 14

GENDER BIAS: A LADDER MADE DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION FOR MEN // 6 REQUIRES HUMANITIES’ INPUT // 16

ESOF 2016 | JULY 2016

SPECIAL ESOF 2016 ISSUE OF EUROSCIENTIST EuroScientist JULY 2016 Journal 2 EuroScience

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ESOF

ESOF – EuroScience Open Forum – is the largest European meeting dedicated to scientific research and innovation. Cre- ated in 2004, ESOF takes place every other year in a major European city and attracts up to 4,500 participants from all over the world. So far it has been held in , , , Torino, , and Manchester. At ESOF meetings leading scientists, researchers, young re- searchers, business people, entrepreneurs and innovators, policy makers, science and technology communicators and the general public from all over Europe discuss new discov- eries and debate the direction that research is taking in the , humanities and social sciences. ESOF 2018 will take place in Toulouse, France from 9 to 14 July. www.esof.eu

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4 // ESOF 2016 CHAMPION: NANCY ESOF2016 SPECIAL ISSUE ROTHWELL EUROSCIENTIST

The 2016 edition of ESOF epitomises the fact that this conference has now matured into a landmark event. This year, ESOF will be 6 // GENDER BIAS: A LADDER MADE held in Manchester, which is a location of choice. It offers an im- FOR MEN pressive scientific heritage, great living scientists, a tradition of technology innovation and an undying dynamism in the arts.

EuroScientist is proudly associated with ESOF, both of which are 8 // SOUND POLICIES NEEDED major activities of EuroScience. Our common goal is to critically examine the evolving relationship between science, policy and TO FRAME SCIENTIFIC AND society. To that end, the EuroScientist journal offers members of TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS the scientific community, civil society, industry and policy makers an ongoing forum designed to stimulate debates around topics ranging from Austerity and the Uberisation of Science through to 12 // INSPIRING FINDINGS TO EXPAND Evidence-based Policy and Data Privacy. Importantly, the journal THE RRI SCENE gives its audience an opportunity to engage on these issues prior to, during and beyond ESOF events — where they can discuss mat- ters that affect them all.

14 // HOW CITIZENS’ FEEDBACK CAN EuroScientist readers attending ESOF often have an out-of-the- SHAPE HEALTH RESEARCH box experience, linking scientists, policy makers, business people as well as the public. Too often at science conferences, attendees stay close to peers from their own research communities. How- ever, ESOF, in its very architecture, favours unexpected meetings 16 // DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION between people from different circles. This is where the magic REQUIRES HUMANITIES’ INPUT of ESOF happens. At coffee breaks. Between sessions. During the dinners. At landmark visits. In public spaces.

Indeed; ESOF is more than just another policy event. It goes well beyond that role. The event’s legacy will depend on the 18 // THE EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP contributions of its attendees. Collectively, we will define ESOF’s BETWEEN BUSINESS AND evolution. SCIENCE Sabine Louët Editor EuroScientist and Gilles Mirambeau Editorial Board EuroScientist and Peter Tindemans Secretary General EuroScience

Photo: DCU Ryan Academy EuroScientist OPINION JULY 2016 Journal 4

Edwin Colyer is a freelance writer based in Manchester in the UK.

ESOF 2016 CHAMPION: AUTHOR: EDWIN COLYER NANCY ROTHWELL PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

HIGH EXPECTATIONS SET BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

Manchester seems to fill a special city niche. title of ‘Dame’ bestowed in 2005 for ser- “SCIENCE Certainly it is a large and bustling metropo- vices to science–gives away nothing of the POLICY AFFECTS lis, but the crowds are not too big, the pace packed schedule awaiting her in the next not too frenetic. You quickly feel like this six months. “There are some days when all EVERYONE,” place has purpose, but gives people space I seem to do is related to ESOF2016,” she SHE SAYS. “IT to find their own pace. admits, acknowledging that she still has one AFFECTS WHO of the UK’s top universities to run as well. For Nancy Rothwell, president of the Uni- GETS FUNDING, versity of Manchester, this makes her city an But the success of the event hinges on at- HOW MUCH, FOR ideal venue for the European Science Open tendance of as many students, scientists, HOW LONG. IT Forum 2016 (ESOF2016). She has taken on entrepreneurs and policy makers, as pos- DEFINES WHAT the role of champion for this exciting event, sible so they can take part in debates sur- due to take place between 23rd and 27th rounding science. Rothwell is determined to RESEARCH GETS July 2016. Her calm–befitting her honorary make this a forum to remember. DONE.”

MANCHESTER MAGNET

To attract participants, the traditional image of the city may need to be challenged. “I’m here to show that Manchester is not just about [British TV series] Coronation Street and football,” she continues. “I want us to be known and remembered for our culture, our science and our facilities. This is a great European city and a great place for science. That’s what I want people to hear and remember.” She adds: “So many people never come here; they think it’s a bit grim up North. I want them to come…. and go ‘Wow!’”

But Manchester’s attractiveness has already been proven in private sector circles. “Busi- nesses are starting to look at this city and realise they need to be here. They look around and see a vibrant city with fantastic facilities, an international airport, an active cultural 5 www.euroscientist.com sector and a world-class research base with strong partnerships like SCIENTISTS NEED TO Graphene City and the UK’s Internet of Things City. Why shouldn’t this be right for a European headquarters?” GET OUT AND TALK ABOUT THEIR WORK, SHARE THEIR LOVE TOP SCIENTISTS AND TECH ART OF KNOWLEDGE AND It’s this zeal for science and city that makes Rothwell the perfect evangelist DISCOVERY AND DISCUSS to prepare for what is lying ahead. “As a scientist, I wanted to create a HOW THEIR WORK MAY programme that I would want to attend; a conference that would excite AFFECT EVERYDAY LIFE me,” she explains. OR HELP SOLVE THE MANY The programme will include something for everyone. Presentations CHALLENGES WE FACE IN and discussions will cover issues ranging from healthy populations to SOCIETY. women in science. Graphene of course will feature, for example in a session on the application of graphene in healthcare technologies. The Universi- ty will certainly parade its stars including Nobel laureates and discoverers of graphene, Andre Geim POLICY IN ACTION and Kostya Novoselov. Particle physicist-cum-TV presenter Brian Cox is also getting involved. There As part of her role in the event, Rothwell has met many politicians and will even be a performance by a robot orchestra. government officials to secure funding and garner support. She has also persuaded some top names in government and policy to make Besides, Rothwell is secretly looking forward to the trip in July, including Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for the parody of Nobel prizes, the IgNobels. They Research, Science and Innovation, Naledi Pandor, South African Minis- represent some light relief from serious science, ter of Science and Technology and Sally Davies, the UK’s Chief Medical but still with a serious message. Interestingly, Officer, who is the professional head of all directors of public health in Geim is the only recipient of an IgNobel and Nobel local government and a leading campaigner on anti-microbial resis- Prize; he says he is equally proud of both! tance. Certainly the Science for Policy and Policy for Science sessions promise up-to-date insights and heated debate. There are other attractive aspects to such a forum, not strictly connected to the practice of science. Policy is anything but boring, Rothwell asserts, as she recalls the dis- “I’m also passionate about science communica- cussion between government scientific advisers at ESOF2014 in Co- tion. Scientists need to get out and talk about their penhagen, Denmark. It was one of the most packed sessions of that work, share their love of knowledge and discovery week. “Science policy affects everyone,” she says. “It affects who gets and discuss how their work may affect everyday funding, how much, for how long. It defines what research gets done. life or help solve the many challenges we face in Every scientist wants to know what governments are thinking and society,” Rothwell says. understand how it will affect them.”

She has high expectations regarding the role of During these debates, scientists will also discover how their work the forthcoming July forum as “a place for scien- can shape policy in other areas, with talks and presentations on how tists to meet each other, to partner with businesses political savvy can help researchers advise government and support and policy-makers and engage with the public.” evidence-based policy-making.

MULTIDISCIPLINARITY AT HEART

With her busy weeks ahead, Rothwell promises the July Fo- gene editing or a life scientist might pop along to some rum will be a catalyst for so much more. “ESOF is unusual talks on climate change,” she says. because it brings so many different fields of science to- gether alongside business, policy and culture,” she notes. She concludes: “You never know what is relevant and how the interactions between delegates will develop. But we In a way, by not focusing on a single discipline, the event do know that networking and cross-over does lead to new could foster great cross-fertilisation among scientists from things. I wonder what new ventures for science, for Man- various disciplines who will attend. “I hope that a physicist chester, for Europe ESOF2016 might create?” will take time out to find out what is so controversial about EuroScientist JULY 2016 Journal 6 GENDER BIAS: A LADDER MADE FOR MEN

AUTHOR: VANESSA SCHIPANI PHOTO: PAN JJ VIA SHUTTERSTOCK

HOW DOES EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT ademia towards men, experts agree. Explicit bias, for example, GENDER BIAS AFFECT GENDER BALANCE IN entails gender viewpoints that individuals consciously report. By ACADEMIA? contrast, implicit bias involves unconscious gender stereotyping. In this article, EuroScientist explores the triggers in academic en- Addressing gender inequality in academia is a complex issue. As vironments that lead to both forms of prejudice. the saying goes, numbers don’t lie. And the numbers point to a thick glass ceiling for women striving to reach academia’s up- FIXING THE NUMBERS: AN IRISH CASE STUDY per echelons. According to the European Commission’s (EC) 2012 She Figures, 46% of PhD graduates, 33% of researchers, 20% of In the experience of Micheline Sheehy Skeffington, implicit bias top-level academics and 10% of university rectors in Europe are against women is still alive and well in academia. As a lecturer in women. Women are also paid 30% less than men in similar aca- botany at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG), she has demic positions in the European Union. That’s according to Mar- fought her own battles with gender bias. By 2009 she had applied cella Corsi, a professor of economics at the Sapienza University for promotion to senior lecturer three times without success. After of Rome in Italy, who is also gender consultant for the European taking a look at the numbers, she was astonished—only one woman Parliament. out of 17 had been promoted to senior lecturer at NUIG in 2009.

But ‘fixing the numbers’ is only one approach to fostering gender That same year she took NUIG to the Equality Tribunal for gen- equality in academia, adds Maren Jochimsen, managing direc- der discrimination. The Tribunal ruled in her favour. And in 2014, tor of the Essen College of Gender Research at the University of Sheehy Skeffington was finally promoted. Duisburg-Essen in Germany. She believes, we also have to ‘fix the knowledge’. This means integrating sex and gender analysis in research itself. Lastly, policy makers in Eu- rope must take into account the conti- nent’s different cul- Sheehy Skeffington’s case “has really shaken up the university sector here in Ireland,” says Aoife Cooke, the tures and societies. equality manager at NUIG. Before then, “people didn’t seem to be overly bothered about the fact that so few women were in senior academic positions.” Cooke points to NUIG’s “absence of a detailed marking scheme” as To tackle these is- one “weakness in the selection process in the 2008-09 promotion round.” sues, policymakers and their advisors FIXING INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES: GENDER IN SOCIETIES AND CULTURES must understand how different types Prominent gender biases appear in the upper echelons of many professions, says Nicola Lacey, a professor of law, of bias sway ac- gender and social policy at the London School of Economics in the UK. Women perform in terms of participation and earnings on a broadly comparable level up until about 30 and then things start to come apart, she adds.

In Norway, for example, “there’s tremendous gender balance in terms of household work and childrearing,” he says. And the Norwegian government has facilitated this balance. The country has State-subsidised daycare and flexible working hours. Consequently, Norway has a “good rate of participation of women in the workforce,” Vanessa Schipani is says Rice. a freelance science writer based in A country’s political structure can also affect gender balance, says Éva Fodor, an associate professor of gender Philadelphia. studies at Central European University in Hungary. For example, socialist countries like Hungary tended to have more women in managerial positions than capitalist countries, she says. Why? The inclusion of women “in all 7 www.euroscientist.com

aspects of social life, including education and the labour force” was part of the state socialist agenda after World War II, she explains.

Still, explicit gender bias runs rampant in Hungary. Based on polls conducted by the In- ternational Social Survey Programme (ISSP), “Hungarians are convinced that women can- not be happy without children” and are bet- ter off staying at home to raise children, says Fodor. But ironically, “almost half of the labour force are women,” she adds.

Associating women with child rearing, or lack thereof, has even embedded itself in the Ital- ian academic jargon, says Corsi. The phrase Vestale della Scienza can often be heard in the halls of Italian universities and translates to vestal virgins of science. The term implies that women scientists must often give up hav- ing children due to the profession’s demands, FIXING KNOWLEDGE: MEN notes. This includes changing our way of she adds. HAVE A GENDER, TOO thinking about gender issues to begin with. Addressing gender in research should not only Addressing cultural and societal norms may not Society and culture affect the balance be- be for the sake of women, she says—it should be enough to facilitate gender balance in sci- tween men and women scientists. But scien- be for the sake of scientific quality. ence in particular, a 2014 study in the Journal of tific findings also affect members of each sex Educational Psychology reported. The research- and gender differently, points out Jochimsen. So is the solution to gender inequality in ac- ers found that, “even nations with high overall And biases in scientific research translate to ademia and science as simple as enforcing gender equity…had strong gender-science ste- imbalances in society in an endless cycle. To quotas? Decidedly no. And will the same solu- reotypes if men dominated science fields.” stop this spiral, one approach is to make it “the tion work across Europe’s diverse societies and core business of science to look at the world in cultures? Probably not. Policy makers must un- The Netherlands, for example, ranked high in a gender sensitive way,” she says. doubtedly do their part. But researchers them- overall gender equality. Yet the country ranked selves can level the gender landscape of their low in women’s participation in science and had What is more, “everyone looks to women” to profession—much like Sheehy Skeffington’s some of the strongest explicit and implicit gen- address gender equality and the gender di- case did in Ireland. In the end, the problem of der-science stereotyping. This suggests the gen- mension in research, Jochimsen adds. “Why? gender inequality will remain complex, and der issues in science may be harder to surmount Men have gender, too.” To solve the gender the solution must be correspondingly holistic, than those in society as a whole. So what is the problem in academia, the solutions have to says Jochimsen. solution? Attack the problem from inside as well. come from members of both genders, she

RELATED SESSIONS AT ESOF2016

Women in science: how to reboot the system? 25 July (12:50-15:20)

Are quotas the right answer to reducing gender imbalance in academia? 27 July (15:45-17:00) EuroScientist JULY 2016 Journal 8 SOUND POLICIES NEEDED TO FRAME SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL

PROGRESS Hywel Curtis is a freelance writer based in Manchester in the UK. AUTHOR: HYWEL CURTIS PHOTO: INOZEMTSEV KONSTANTIN VIA SHUTTERSTOCK

ESOF2016 WILL DEBATE THE LATEST professionals involved outside the scientific com- TRENDS IN RESEARCH POLICIES munity to meet the needs of society. This matters in a wide spectrum of fields–from when making Today, the impact of a scientist’s work goes far funding decisions in international research proj- beyond their research group or institution. It ects, dealing with safety in emerging technologies is integrated with a wider ecosystem includ- or bringing the fruit of innovation to the market. ing markets, governments and citizens. All are better connected and more integrated than ever In this article, research policy experts share their before. views on the types of challenges that science pol- icy encounters when designing our scientific and One of the challenges facing policy-makers technological future. They are due to speak on is the need to take into account the available science policy-related issues at the forthcoming evidence base arising from research. Anoth- EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF2016) event, to be er challenge is to connect the dots with other held in July 2016 in Manchester, UK.

HELPING TODAY’S POLICY-MAKERS SOLVE cies” which will discuss scientific advice can be better delivered TOMORROW’S PROBLEMS to policy-makers in serious or emergency situations.

Policy-makers rely on scientific advice and insight to respond to EASAC’s advice can affect policy at the highest levels, but the new issues and prevent potential future crises. This advice needs approach is not without its limitations. Indeed, establishing a to be objective, free from the influence of lobbyists, personal or consensus among a large number of working scientists spread institutional agendas, and reflect as broad a consensus as possible around Europe can take time. “We are trying to get faster in from the experts in the field. providing advice” explains Diehl, “we have three steering pan- els that already function as a rapid reaction mechanism.” She ACCURATE, Policy makers therefore require access explains that, this year they will embark on a project to devel- to independent advice. For instance, op additional tools as part of working within the new Science IMPARTIAL “organisations like EASAC are able Advice Mechanism of the European Commission. She adds: to provide unbiased, in-depth advice “our goal is to provide a detailed response on important issues ADVICE IS from outstanding scientists,” explains [within] six months or less.” NEEDED Christiane Diehl, executive director of the European Academies Science Ad- When the voices of research are heard in policy, better decisions BEFORE NOVEL visory Council (EASAC), based in Halle, can be made and more informed laws passed. But equally, national APPLICATIONS Germany, adding: “We’ve worked with policies need to be considered during research, particularly when policy-makers and other academy net- the project is large. OF RESEARCH works on emerging issues like biofuels CAN BE and GM crops, which have an impact on COMMERCIALISING THE MATERIALS MORE WIDELY many people.” OF THE FUTURE USE D. Diehl will be contributing to the Developing trust in the latest research and in the products of ESOF session “Cool heads in crises: innovation is key for the future acceptance of such inventions sound scientific advice in emergen- and discoveries. 9 www.euroscientist.com

For example, in the field of materials science, a key enabler to commercialising innovation tists and government representatives who novel biomaterials to replace cardiac tissue like graphene,” says Baker. might not normally collaborate at this lev- and nanomaterials designed to fend off can- el,” says Simon Berry, director of policy de- cer cells are currently being developed. There Policy can thus come into play when the fruits velopment at the SKA Organisation. The SKA are also a myriad of opportunities offered by of research are about to reach the market. project will be discussed in the ESOF2016 2D materials, such as graphene, due to the un- “People in the industry need to be assured session on ‘Big projects – going beyond the usual electronic and mechanical properties of that products are safe and effective, across realm of science’ featuring, among others, this one carbon atom thick layer. applications,” says Baker, “and this means de- the director general of the SKA Organisation. veloping standards that are trusted and rel- As part of the process, developing strategic evant.” With projects at this level, collaborating at partnerships with trusted bodies and advis- such a scale is not always straightforward: ers is an important emerging trend in sci- GETTING THE BIGGEST PICTURE “We need to balance the legitimate agen- ence policy at the international level. This is das of the more traditional nations with the because accurate, impartial advice is needed The development of channels and platforms newer members of the astronomy communi- before novel applications of research can be for engagement between different stakehold- ty, while trying to meet a huge science and more widely used. For instance, “we’ve part- ers is another interesting ongoing topic in engineering goal at the same time – it’s an nered with the National Physical Laboratory science policy. exciting challenge!” to make progress on standards in graphene technology, and are working to remove this Take, for example, the Square Kilometre Array Whether carrying out such cutting edge re- potential barrier to bringing it to market,” says (SKA). It will be the largest radio telescope search as the SKA, enabling better responses James Baker, business director at the Nation- ever developed. In addition, it will boast a res- to emerging science and technology-related al Graphene Institute in Manchester, UK who olution over 50 times greater than the Hubble challenges like EASAC or bringing innova- will be involved in the ESOF session on “Driv- Space Telescope. Currently being built at sites tions to the market, policy-makers are in- erless cars and quantum computers: when in Australia and South Africa, the SKA relies creasingly involved in scientific and tech- disruptive technologies meet regulation.” on a global team from over 100 organisations nological progress. Their role is to give such and more than 20 countries. advances a suitable framework. More than When the material concerned is as complex as ever, the decisions hinge on balancing avail- graphene, the legislation covering its manu- The SKA Organisation, based at the Univer- able evidence provided by researchers with facture, use and disposal needs to be detailed sity of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank in the UK, political and societal pressures. enough to be effective. This suggests that new coordinates this international work. “Projects materials need new standards. “Standards are like the SKA bring together a mix of scien- A journal covering European science science policy and conversations issues affecting the by the community, for relationship between the community. science and society in Europe. www.euroscientist.com

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INSPIRING FINDINGS TO EXPAND THE RRI SCENE AUTHOR: RALF LINDNER, DORIS SCHROEDER, ROBERT GIANNI, AKI MENEVIDIS PHOTO: Helen K Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

JOINT LESSONS AND BETTER SOCIAL CHALLENGE supportive research and innovation policies. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM RESPONSIVENESS The Go4 projects have identified a number THE GO4 RRI PROJECTS of implications and requirements for future The quest for RRI has made remarkable prog- policy and programme development. In par- After more than three years of work, the first ress over the last few years. It all began in ticular, to foster institutional change towards EU-funded projects with explicit objectives 2003, emerging from a rather confined aca- increased responsiveness of research and in- to address the emerging concept of respon- demic debate until it became firmly estab- novation towards societal challenges, several sible research and innovation (RRI) are ready lished in the EU’s research and innovation issues outlined below need to be taken into to present their findings. These will be dis- policy as a cross-cutting theme in the current consideration. cussed at a dedicated ESOF2016 session, en- framework programme Horizon 2020. Further- titled Responsible research and innovation in more, the Rome Declaration on Responsible BESPOKE RRI action: policy and practice in Europe, in July in Research and Innovation in Europe received Manchester, UK. In this article, we present the high-level endorsement from the European First, responsibility in research and innovation outcome of four projects bundled as the Go4 Council in 2014. While the discourse on RRI is is a context-specific, emergent process that is projects including GREAT, Progress, Res-AGorA far from being settled, an impressive number maturing over time. Policy makers at the Eu- and Responsibility. These are concerned with of RRI activities have unfolded over the past ropean and Member State levels as well as developing a more contextualised under- few years. within individual organisations need to work standing of the concept of RRI. We also refer on these premises. This implies that they need to approaches, tools and mechanisms that For RRI to become part of mainstream re- to adjust and adapt the spirit of RRI to their have been developed to facilitate the uptake search and innovation, we need to encourage own circumstances, mobilising bottom-up in- of RRI within science and innovation. a shift in practices, a better environment and clusive processes. 13 www.euroscientist.com

Second, we caution against top-down often not flexible enough to adequately ad- the field of RRI. This has been made possible prescription of what the focal elements dress unforeseen issues, uncertainty, differ- thanks to the efforts of a growing community of responsibility in research an innova- ences in epistemic cultures and knowledge of academics, decision-makers and research tion should be. Indeed, the interpretation gaps. This leads to a lack of responsiveness and innovation practitioners. of what it means to be responsible in re- in some projects, which is closely linked to search and innovation differs from context the lack of institutional responsiveness in RRI will remain isolated in Europe–and pos- to context. For example, science education addressing such shortcomings. It also re- sibly the United States–if it does not link into and open access may be important consid- flects the funding institutions’ inability to relevant debates in emerging economies. erations for some actors but not for others. deal with these issues. Policy and funder efforts in China, India, and The latter may have other pressing societal South Africa to achieve “inclusive innova- and justice concerns that they wish to im- TACKLING GEOGRAPHICAL tion” through innovating for and with poorer prove and transform. UNBALANCE regions need to be taken into account in de- bates in high-income settings. Therefore, it is the research and innovation Across Europe, and between different actor actors themselves, who are best placed to groups, there is an uneven distribution of the More generally, it is now time for governments determine what RRI means for them through awareness and relevance of making research and funding institutions to vigorously encour- intra- and inter-organisational collective and innovation more responsible. The most ad- age, enable and fund experimentation with consultation. A genuine bottom-up inclusive vanced countries in realising this ambition are different RRI approaches and instruments in process will help actors to uncover and in the North and the West of Europe–name- as broad a diversity of settings as possible. formalise these priorities. ly, the UK, the Netherlands and Scandinavia. There, national policies are already well estab- There is indeed a risk that by attempting to lished, for example, within research councils. fix the normative content of RRI, it will turn it into a bureaucratic tick-box exercise. We A blanket top-down policy to encourage Ralf Lindner, Res-AGorA coordinator want to avoid at all costs falling into a kind more responsible science across various re- and senior researcher at the Fraunhofer of ‘responsibility-wash’ where the ambition gions in Europe is not the solution. However, Institute for Systems and Innovation of RRI remains on the organisational surface to tackle the geographical unbalance, sup- Research ISI, Germany. and does not become deeply institutionalised. port for networking activities to exchange experiences on the design and implemen- Doris Schroeder, Progress coordinator GREATER RESPONSIVENESS tation of RRI solutions would be a useful and director of Centre for Professional EU policy contribution. Eastern and South- Ethics and Professor of Moral Philosophy Another aspect that needs further consider- ern European countries, in particular, would at the University of Central Lancashire, UK. ation is the fact that the EC funding frame- require additional resources to make deci- Robert Gianni, member of the GREAT works shape the scope of action, which also sions and build their RRI capacity through coordination team affects the direction of research. While there their own approaches. Each solution needs and post-doctoral researcher at the is a need to meet political and economic ob- to be tailored to their current and projected University of Namur, Belgium. jectives, these may have negative constraints societal, technological and economic con- on other research goals. text-dependent future. Aki Menevidis, Responsibility coordinator and senior researcher at the Fraunhofer Researchers may thus need to find ways to RRI GLOBALISATION Institute for Production Systems and Design cope with multiple conflicting aims. Current Technology IPK, Germany. funding and project schemes have not taken We have reached an impressive collection sufficient account of these tensions. They are of conceptual and empirical knowledge in

RELATED SESSIONS AT ESOF2016

Opening Doors on Responsible Research and Innovation: a special pre-conference event 24 July (9:15-13:30)

Responsible research and innovation in action: policy and practice in Europe 25 July (14:15-15:30) EuroScientist JULY 2016 Journal 14

HOW CITIZENS’ FEEDBACK CAN SHAPE HEALTH RESEARCH

AUTHOR: HYWEL CURTIS PHOTO: RAWPIXEL.COM VIA SHUTTERSTOCK

Hywel Curtis is a freelance writer based in Manchester in the UK.

NEW WAYS OF ENGAGING populations at the forthcoming ESOF 2016 leaving little opportunity for the public to HEALTH RESEARCH FOR conference, due to be held in Manchester in inform the direction or type of research.” To THOSE THAT WILL ULTIMATELY July 2016. address this, Kirk advocates “thinking more BENEFIT FROM ITS OUTCOME creatively, planning engagement activities CHANGING CULTURE AND which occur at different stages of the re- Increasingly, health researchers are likely to VALUING IMPACT search project lifecycle and communicating engage with the public before their project research as it is in progress.” has been completed. Typically, this takes Improving interaction between research several forms: involving citizens in project and society requires cultural change by “es- He also explains that over-analysing re- design, facilitating crowdsourcing and gen- tablishing institutional settings which en- search ‘impact’ can sometimes cause diffi- uine two-way dialogue during research. In courage, support and recognise the worth culties. Particularly, when asking “how does addition, communicating complicated re- of entering into conversations with the one measure the value of a conversation? sults clearly – to a representative sample of wider public,” says Robert Kirk, lecturer in Of a new idea? Of changing an idea or the the public and in a targeted manner – can medical history and humanities at the Cen- way we see the world? Of inspiring new also be a beneficial form of public engage- tre for the History of Science, Technology questions and encouraging curiosities?” He ment. and Medicine (CHSTM) in the University of adds: “If we had more faith in the worth of Manchester, UK. He is also co-organiser of engagement between researchers and wid- By involving citizens more systematically, the ESOF2016 session on “Making a multi- er society and less demand to prove that scientists hope to involve the people who species society” which will discuss the con- worth, then dialogue between researchers will ultimately be directly affected by the tribution of non-human lifeforms to human and citizens would flourish.” outcome of their research. In this article, we health and wellbeing. explore three case studies of how best to BETTER PROJECT DESIGN, involve citizens so that they have more of a Kirk believes this engagement should be CLEARER COMMUNICATION say on health research than previously. This about more than diffusing results at the piece is based on the opinions of the organ- end of a project as “this creates a linear tra- Another aspect of health research is per- isers of three sessions related to healthy jectory; more a monologue than a dialogue, taining to the wellbeing of people. For ex- 15 www.euroscientist.com

ample, the JRC are organising the ESOF2016 session “Tattoos – not just body art?”, which will discuss how research can contribute to the well-being of consumers in the tattoo industry.

One of the session participants has views on how best to improve the interface between scientists and citizens. “One practical way [of improving interaction between research and society] is to involve citizens more actively in the research itself, especially those whom the area of research touches di- rectly,” says Ciarán Nicholl, head of the public health policy support unit at the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC), Brussels, Belgium.

Sometimes it helps to involve people upstream. “We have found inviting participation of patient or- ganisations and patient advocacy groups into the design stage of research projects an effective means of steering the work,” Nicholl points out. He adds: “We have also found it very effective working with schools”, explaining that “activities in which school children are BY INVOLVING CITIZENS involved automatically win the attention of their par- MORE SYSTEMATICALLY, ents and families.” SCIENTISTS HOPE TO INVOLVE

But he also believes that results still need to be com- THE PEOPLE WHO WILL municated effectively. The challenge is “to describe ULTIMATELY BE DIRECTLY complex scenarios in a stimulating way to non-experts in the field, without overburdening them with all the AFFECTED BY THE OUTCOME specific details, no matter how important,” he notes. OF THEIR RESEARCH. A REPRESENTATIVE CROWD

Harnessing the enthusiasm of lay people for health research could, for example, be beneficial when investigating the human biome – the collection of microorganisms living within our human body. This topic will be the object of an ESOF2016 session entitled “Me and my microbes”.

Under the umbrella of the my.microbes project, researchers have adopted “a crowdsourcing model where ordinary people can contribute,” explains Peer Bork, strategic head of bioinformatics at The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, who organises the session. Bork acknowledges that this approach has not been without its difficulties, including ethical and legal issues, saying “we don’t have the means as scientists to raise awareness.” Instead, he believes that, where possible, “facilitating of scientific crowd sourcing should be taken up by funding bodies.” Bork also believes that crowd sourcing can lead to more representative feedback and participation.

As he explains, “anti-animal research movements might organised by Bella Starling, from Central Manchester not reflect the opinion of the total population for ex- NHS Trust & University of Manchester, UK. For example, ample, nor is philanthropic support of selected projects. initiatives like patientsincluded.org–whereby medical The more centralised and facilitated crowd sourcing I conferences only become accredited if they incorpo- propose might improve this situation, although some rate the experience of patients as experts in living with bias towards ‘sexy’ and applied projects are still expect- their condition–are encouraging. However, there is still ed.” much to be done to secure public involvement in sci- ence. But witnessing a greater level of engagement of NEXT STEPS citizens who will ultimately benefit from the outcome of the research at various stages of the process is very How previous biomedical research initiatives have suc- encouraging. cessfully engaged with the public will be discussed during an ESOF2016 session entitled ‘Public involve- ment in biomedical research: a science revolution‘ and EuroScientist JULY 2016 Journal 16

Kirsten Drotner is Inaugural Chair of media studies at the Department for the Study of Culture – Media Studies, University of Southern Denmark. She was also Chair of the Humanities Scientific Committee at Science Europe between 2012 and 2015.

DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION REQUIRES

Mariachiara Esposito is Senior Scien- HUMANITIES’ INPUT tific Officer for the humanities at Sci- ence Europe, Brussels, Belgium. AUTHOR: KIRSTEN DROTNER, MARIACHIARA ESPOSITO PHOTO: OLLYY VIA SHUTTERSTOCK

WHEN ARTS AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH FOSTERS DEEP CHANGE

Innovation has been on the lips of many politicians and policy-makers alike THE HUMAN FACTOR in Europe’s capitals over the past few decades. Innovation comes across as the one-size-fits-all solution for all of the economic problems of Europe. But Innovation is becoming ever more central to what does innovation really mean? And what about disruptive innovation? policy makers’ priorities for supporting research The answer to this question comes from experts in the humanities, who are policies, which are expected to guarantee socie- used to analysing the meaning of words, in their wider context. tal and economic impact. This requires radically new answers to new challenges, such as climate In particular, Science Europe’s Scientific Committee for the Humanities sets change, access to clean water, health and food out to explore the concept of innovation in an opinion paper entitled Radi- security, emerging alongside social and cultural cal Innovation, published in December 2015. It also analysed the dynamics progress. This paper focuses on innovation pro- which are at the basis of disruptive, or radical, innovation. cesses that have the ‘human factor’ at their very core. The human factor is akin to actions that INNOVATION REVISITED change peoples’ lives and behaviour–which arts and humanities research help to identify. The paper offers a wider and deeper understanding of the definition of inno- vation and its potential than previously understood. It suggests that the abil- In their publication, the Scientific Commit- ity to create and promote innovation depends on the capability of research tee’s members stress that radical innovation actors and policy makers to support meaningful research-driven strategies should therefore be integrated from the outset occurring in a truly innovative ecosystem. into any strategies for tackling societal chal- lenges. This requires creating conditions for The authors distinguish between radical and incremental innovation. researchers to work across disciplinary bound- Incremental innovation dominates research cultures where techni- aries. Indeed, interdisciplinary work facili- cal advancement takes precedence over social and cultural innovation. tates creativity and radical thinking designed Conversely, radical innovation is fostered by transformative approaches and to tackle complex societal challenges which radical thinking in cultural and scientific environments with great creativity are more and more interdisciplinary in nature. and imagination. Radical innovation is therefore a process, which leads to ‘unanticipated’ answers which are capable of producing deep changes. 17 www.euroscientist.com

The paper outlines a series of examples of heritage; and how innovative ways of ad- ing programmes so far, in particular Horizon radical innovation taking place within arts- dressing environmental problems are dealt 2020. The authors find that the current ap- and humanities-driven projects. Some ex- with through designers’ and anthropolo- proach has relegated the human factor–and amples also concern those innovations that gists’ research methods. hence arts and humanities research–to the happen in the context of research itself, peripheries of the scientific landscape. such as innovative methods of organising In addition, the paper gives examples of If Europe aims to transform a culture of re- interdisciplinary teams that take place in how some Asian countries such as South production into one of innovative production, several emerging fields, including medical, Korea, support cultures of innovation. In it is essential to bring the arts and humanities digital and environmental humanities. particular, it refers to cases where the arts to the centre of technological and scientific and humanities are driving research fields developments. For these reasons the paper THE ROLE OF ARTS AND and where there is no hierarchical order be- strongly advocates the urgency of taking HUMANITIES tween different scientific disciplines or be- measures across the research ecosystem to tween the ‘hard sciences’ and the arts and support further integration of arts and hu- The arts and humanities should not merely humanities. manities with other scientific disciplines. be relegated to supporting an understand- ing of how innovation happens. These dis- RECOMMENDATIONS Finally, the paper advocates stimulating a ciplines also act as catalysts in explaining genuine interaction between these disci- why innovation happens and–in so do- When it comes to recommenda- plines in order to develop strategies address- ing–help to design the future shape of the tions, the paper states that ing and supporting all aspects of world. This humanities-driven approach to Europe should abandon innovation, which also works to innovation can create ‘game-changing’ solu- the prevailing approach promote non-linear and in- tions to the major challenges of our soci- to innovation that has tangible innovation. eties. They can help transform the ways in informed European which we conceptualise, manage, study and policies and fund- act in the world.

The case studies described in the opinion paper represent a variety of projects which have been conducted across Europe, either with national or European funding. These include how psychosis in urban environ- If Europe aims to transform a ments is studied from an interdisciplinary culture of reproduction into angle; how co-operation between neuro- one of innovative production, scientists and sociologists, philosophers or linguists help tackle clinical and health it is essential to bring the issues based on humanities-centred re- arts and humanities to the search questions; how new methodological center of technological and approaches advance the study of cultural scientific developments

RELATED SESSIONS AT ESOF2016

Collaborative approaches to science and technology: lessons from the humanities? 25 July (17:10-18:25)

Arts and sciences: the crossroads of creativity 26 July (17:10-18:25) EuroScientist JULY 2016 Journal 18

THE EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS AND SCIENCE

AUTHOR: HYWEL CURTIS PHOTO: SEBASTIEN WIERTZ FLICKR (CC BY-NB 2.0)

Hywel Curtis is a freelance writer based in Manchester in the UK.

PERCEPTION AND SCEPTICISM Lausanne, Switzerland, “but we’re living in DO NOT BODE WELL FOR an era where there’s lots of scepticism of THE BUSINESS AND SCIENCE science that we need to take into account.” INTERFACE O’Brien is organising the ESOF2016 session on the challenges facing today’s food pro- The interaction between business and sci- duction industry, entitled ‘Future food: ana- ence is not always smooth. The difference in lysing the risks.’ culture between the two fields often means that there is a lot of misunderstanding or O’Brien believes that “scientists and busi- a difference in expectations on either side. nesses have a responsibility to work togeth- Increasingly, businesses rely on research to er to understand and inform the public.” develop new solutions. However, there is a He explains that “in food safety a lot of our disconnect between the pace of industry and decisions are actually driven by perception. that of research and innovation. In this arti- Everyone knows that there are real risks to cle, EuroScientist explores how the interface consider, but we also need to deal with per- between science and business has evolved ceived risks.” in recent years. Science and business can work well togeth- OPENNESS AND DIALOGUE er, according to Ros Le Feuvre, SYNBIOCHEM director of operations at the Manchester In- “In industry we need to hear from science stitute of Biotechnology, UK. “I think the ac- now more than ever,” says John O’Brien, dep- ademic community is becoming more aware uty head of the Nestlé Research Centre in of the commercial potential of their science 19 www.euroscientist.com

and how to exploit it,” says Le Feuvre, “there To bridge the culture gap, Aidan Gilligan, is a more open culture and increased dia- CEO of policy and communication consul- logue.” She is organising the ESOF2016 ses- tancy SciCom, believes organisations on ei- sion entitled ‘Synthetic biology, the pathway ther side have a role to play. “Business moves to commercialisation‘ focusing on challeng- fast and innovation is incremental,” Gilligan es emerging technologies face in the mar- points out, “researchers and funders need to ketplace. understand this when they make decisions on where to invest.” He says that “the busi- It appears that in her field there has been an ness perspective is often given by people increasing level of connections with industry. who haven’t been in business – it’s too the- “Over the past decade we‘ve developed clos- oretical.” er relationships with industrial partners, from large multi-nationals to smaller start-ups,” Le He would like to see research move a bit Feuvre notes. She believes this enables them closer to business. “Science sometimes just to better understand “the different priorities pays lip service to business. Companies far and time scales important to both.” outspend the EC on R&D and have distribu- tion networks that dwarf what researchers UNDERSTANDING TIME SCALES can access, but we don’t hear from them enough,” says Gilligan. He is organising the However, collaboration is not always ESOF2016 session entitled ‘The right to be straightforward. “For areas where technology forgotten versus the right to know‘ to discuss is rapidly evolving there sometimes needs the European Court of Justice’s 2014 ruling to be additional support to bridge the aca- enabling individuals to request removal of demic/industry divide,” she adds. Le Feuvre links from search engines. says this is vital “to facilitate development of high-risk but high-potential research.”

TOWARDS TWO-WAY INNOVATION

Increasingly, the dialogue between science and business is becoming a two-way source of innovation. “In healthcare, there is a new tension on the innovation horizon where regulators are considering the need to validate predictive algorithms and software used to target clinical services,” points out Iain Buchan, Professor of Public Health Informatics at the University of Manchester and Director at the Farr Institute for Health Informatics, UK. He will speak at the ESOF2016 session ‘Trust me, I am data,’ which will discuss relationships between the public, industry and researchers in innovative uses of data.

This will demand faster deployment, according to Buchan. “The traditional approach to ‘translation’ of research and innovation is a long road to one-size-fits-all policies.” Instead, Buchan says, “translation of research needs to be a two-way street of ‘always on analytics’ – feeding research into practice and practice into research.”

He adds: “there is a need for agile, multi-sector partnerships to research, test and deploy analytics in a ‘perpetual beta [testing]’ model and have an honest conversation with the public over doing the best with their data to meet such needs.” This approach is being tested in the Health North Connected Health Cities pilots for example.

Although it can be challenging for business people and scientists to appreciate each other’s priorities, realising the benefits of closer collaboration to get innovation to market can bring both parties closer. Further debate on this topic will take place during ESOF2016 sessions, focusing on how operating time scales, public perceptions and increased dialogue on both science and industry sides, might be to everyone’s advantage. ESOF 2016 IN A NUTSHELL

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