Ethics in the Framework of Responsible Research and Innovation

Alexei GRINBAUM, « Ethics in the Framework of Responsible Research and Innovation », (2019) 2 Technologos 21-30, DOI: 10.15593/perm.kipf/2019.2.02.

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is a framework for organizing the interaction between science and society within the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program. Although the implementation of this multi-billion-euro research funding program began in 2014, the conceptual foundations of RRI have been deeply explored in literature and discussed at conferences and expert meetings since around 2011. The goal of RRI is to engage the public (non-governmental and educational organizations, civil society) in a responsible and multifaceted dialogue with organizations directly involved in scientific and technological activities (research institutions, industrial companies, as well as regulatory and supervisory bodies). This dialogue revolves around five themes, referred to as the « RRI keys »: ethics, science education, open access to scientific publications, gender equality in scientific laboratories, and public engagement with science. This article focuses on ethical issues.

The central concept of scientific ethics is responsibility. The goal of developing scientific ethics in research organizations should be to raise scientists’ awareness of all aspects of responsibility. Moreover, this must take into account the criteria for proper conduct in scientific activities, which are based on values such as honesty, impartiality, and fairness.

To convince researchers and research organizations that ethical reflection is an important component of their work, a comprehensive set of measures is required. Firstly, ethics should be studied by both young and experienced researchers. Secondly, attention should be directed to « ethics champions, » individuals deeply convinced of the need for ethical reflection on technologies and willing to share their beliefs with others. Often, these « ethics champions » have the opportunity within their official duties to create organizational structures dedicated to scientific ethics. Finding such people and expanding their authority is an important task in organizing science within the RRI framework.

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