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UCL to host European hub for responsible research and innovation

10 February 2014

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UCL is to be the home of the UK's National Hub for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), which will aim to bring together researchers, policymakers, industry and the public, as part of a €7m project funded by the European Commission.

"UCL recognises that we have 'grand challenges' like climate change and global health ahead," said Steve Miller, principal investigator on the project. "The concept of Responsible Research and Innovation is also set to be central to Europe's Horizon2020 framework. Hosting the UK hub will help us embed the idea that we need to take these issues into account, develop new ways to share our thinking with other institutions and parts of society and put UCL at the forefront of thinking and action in this area."

The RRI Hub is part of a three year long project funded under the European Commission (EC) Seventh Framework Programme (FP7 2007-2013) to develop a series of tools that will foster Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) across Europe. The project - RRI Tools - is coordinated by Spain's La Caixa Foundation and brings together 26 institutions across 30 countries. It will focus on six areas of work: public engagement; formal and informal science education; gender equality; ethics; open access to scientific results; and research governance.

"We are sure that RRI Tools will contribute to the Europe2020 strategy by helping transform Research and Innovation in Europe into a process targeted at the grand challenges of our time where deliberation with society should be a must," said Ignasi López from La Caixa, the project coordinator.

The UK RRI Hub will be based at UCL's Department of Science and Technology Studies and will be led by Professor Steve Miller, Melanie Smallman and Jack Stilgoe.

Photo credit: © UCL Creative Media Services. All rights reserved.

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Researcher profile

Project contact

Steve Miller
UCL Science & Technology Studies
020 7679 3490
s.miller@ucl.ac.uk

Media contact

Oli Usher
UCL Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
020 7679 7964
o.usher@ucl.ac.uk