Centre for Responsible Innovation 2025-03 prototype

Change the future of innovation

Training and short courses | Study with us | Partner with us | People | Get in touch

About the UCL Centre for Responsible Innovation

The influence of science, technology and innovation in society is more important but more contested than ever. Today’s challenges are framed in different ways: safety, security, trustworthiness, ethics. Responsible Innovation has become an umbrella term to address these challenges that has gained salience with funders, researchers and government.

The UCL Centre for Responsible Innovation is a new centre that takes on these challenges through world class training, teaching, research and consultancy. We are based at UCL’s Department of Science and Technology Studies, where for over a decade our scholarship has contributed world class research and teaching to this maturing field. The Centre provides a place for scientists and innovators to systematically engage with the needs and values of the public. We achieve this by leading and contributing to research collaborations and providing teaching that builds capabilities in research, public sectors and industry. And our staff connect these activities to a global network of experts in innovation governance, responsibility and democracy. 

Training and short courses

We provide Responsible Innovation training and workshops for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at UCL, for students enrolled at the Department of Science and Technology Studies (see Study with us below) and also directly onto technical and scientific disciplines such as  UCL’s Integrated Engineering Programme, for instance Responsible Design: Engineering Engagement (HPSC0142). If you run a teaching programme at UCL and would like to talk to us about providing Responsible Innovation training, please get in touch. 

We also provide specialist training and short courses for UKRI Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) based at UCL and for CDTs across the United Kingdom. We have trained more than 1,000 PhD students in recent years. We teach across eleven of UCL’s EPSRC funded CDTs including those jointly run with the University of Cambridge (CDT for Electronic & Photonic Systems), Cardiff University (Compound Semiconductor Manufacturing), Loughborough University (Energy Resilience and the Built Environment), the University of Manchester (BioDesign) and Imperial College London (BioDesign).  

In addition, we run executive education short courses for professionals across sectors such as transport, health, finance, and construction. For more information on our short courses for industry professionals or our CDT training, please email us at responsible-innovation@ucl.ac.uk.

Study with us

UCL STS delivers academic programmes that combine excellence in teaching Responsible Innovation concepts with research-led learning. Responsible Innovation case studies, theory and methods are integrated acoss our Sociology and Politics of Science BSc undergraduate degree programme and our Science, Technology and Society MSc at postgraduate level.

Undergraduate modules

Masters modules

UCL STS also provides a rich and stimulating research environment at which to pursue doctoral studies in topics related to Responsible Innovation. For enquiries about PhD opportunities, please directly contact relevant academics listed below. You can find out more about our undergraduate, masters and PhD degree programmes here.

Partner with us

Our programme in Responsible Innovation for Industry Professionals has trained over 100 researchers and professionals from start-ups such as Elvie and Aidence, to public sector organisations and non-profits such as the Royal Academy for Engineering, Transport for London and the RNIB, to multinational firms such as Google, Microsoft, and Mace group. For more information about how to partner with us on training, research or consultancy projects email responsible-innovation@ucl.ac.uk.

People

  • Dr Cian O’Donovan is the Centre Director. He investigates the politics of innovation, and the social implications of transformation in digital systems and infrastructures. He is leading the Centre’s programme of activities for launch in 2025.
  • Dr Saheli Datta Burton is a Lecturer who investigates the (trans)national governance of emerging technologies with a focus on data-driven health and digital technologies. Saheli leads Centre for Doctroal Training activities.
  • Dr Stephen Hughes is a Lecturer and expert in science communication and responsible innovation. His work explores emotions at the intersections of science, technology, and society.
  • Professor Melanie Smallman is an expert on science communication and policy. 
  • Professor Jack Stilgoe is an expert in the governance of emerging technologies and is Co-Lead for Policy & Public Engagement at Responsible AI UK.
  • Greta Von Albertini is a doctoral researcher and Postgraduate Teaching Assistant who works across our teaching and training programme.