ResAGorA The objective of the Res-AGorA project is to develop a comprehensive governance framework for Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). In order to achieve this goal, the Res-AGorA project is conducting extensive case study research about existing RRI governance across different scientific technological areas, continuously monitors RRI trends in 16 European countries, and establishes a co-construction process with key stakeholders. This comprehensive work will generate the building blocks for the creation of a governance framework for RRI.
The empirical work programme and portfolio of case studies took place in 3 stages. All cases were interested in de-facto responsible governance of research and innovation, i.e. examples of the governance of research and innovation that had a responsibility dimension even if not explicitly referred to as Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). This page provides an overview of the Res-AGorA case studies. Finished cases are available for download. The transversal lessons derived from the case study analyses are summarized in a special report which summarizes the 13 lessons.
Download the Transversal Lessons Report here.
Stage 1 (Pilot Cases): September – December 2013
Klick here for Stage 2 Cases
Klick here for Stage 3 Cases
At Stage 1 the selection of cases was inductive and the cases explored understandings of responsibility, its contestation and operationalization in different research and innovation ‘situations’.
| Integration of RRI in policy advice– the case of synthetic biology assessments (health; medical; food; agriculture; energy). Author: Davy van Doren, Fraunhofer ISI |
| RRI governance in Research Infrastructures (material sciences). Author: Mickael Pero, Fraunhofer ISI |
| Fracking in Austria (energy and carbon capture). Author: Alexander Lang, IHS Vienna |
| Nanosafety governance in the Netherlands (nanotechnology). Author: Bart Walhout, University of Twente |
| Responsibilisation phenomena relating the EC Code of conduct for Responsible Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies Research (health; medical; generic technology). Authors: Daniele Ruggiu, Elena Pariotti, Guido Gorgoni, Simone Arnaldi, University of Padua |
| Occupational health protection in standardisation experiences as an example of self-regulation (health; medical). Authors: Alessia Muratorio, Guido Gorgoni, Elena Pariotti, Simone Arnaldi, University of Padua |
| When ‘responsible’ becomes ‘irresponsible’: biofuels in the USA and Brazil (energy; agriculture; food). Authors: Sally Gee, Jakob Edler, University of Manchester |
| RRI in Russia: where society is silent and the state controls the floor. Author: Evgeny Klochikhin, University of Manchester [not yet published] |
Stage 2 (development): February – April 2014
Klick here for Stage 1 Cases
Klick here for Stage 3 Cases
For Stage 2, case selection was refined to fur-ther inform the development of the Research Model. The Research Model was developed through analytical review of the literature incorporating lessons from the pilot cases. At Stage 2 the concepts proposed by the Research Model were refined and elaborated through the cases. Cases were selected to cover:
- A variety of responsibility claims and their contestation.
- Heterogeneous actor arrangements (actor constellations and governance instruments) involved in negotiating or implementing responsibility claims.
- Practice and processes towards responsibilisation (or not). See below
Non-Mandatory Ethics Bodies at Austrian Universities (health; medical). Author: Erich Griessler, IHS Vienna
Stage 3 (final cases and completion): June 2014 – February 2015
Klick here for Stage 1 Cases
Klick here for Stage 2 Cases
For Stage 3, cases were selected to fill remaining empirical gaps in line with the Research Model. Selection at this stage was informed by transversal analysis of Stage 1 and 2 cases reported in Deliverable 3.5. Cases in Stage 3 focused on organisations central to the development of RRI understandings, practice and capacity building: multi-national corporations; research funding councils and institutes; and engineering professional associations. Care has been taken to look at the structural conditions and constraints which mitigate against RRI, i.e. situations where there are existing understandings of responsible research and innovation, which may, or may not, coincide with European Commission (for example) understandings of RRI. All cases considered the variety in interpretations of responsibility and institutionalisation processes.
[Note: Stage 3 cases are work in progress and will be uploaded shortly]
| Responsibility and reflexivity in engineering: professional societies and codes of ethics (engineering). Authors: Simone Arnaldi, Alessia Muratorio, University of Padua |
| Institutionalising RRI – The case of a large re-search Organisation Authors: Kerstin Goos, Ralf Lindner, Fraunhofer ISI |
| Governance structures affecting data protection in advanced manufacturing – How much room does Germany’s ambition to lead the fourth industrial revolution leave for RRI? (advanced manufacturing) Authors: Daniel Bachlechner, Timo Leimbach, Fraunhofer ISI |
| ‘Practicing RRI in NanoNextNL’ (nanotechnology). Author: Bart Walhout, University of Twente |
| ‘Unhinged’ participation: The GM Vines Experiment in France (ag-bio). Author: Pierre-Benoit Joly, IFRIS |
| Critical Organisation-types, The ‘Good University’. Author: Sally Randles, University of Manchester |
| Critical organisations: Research Councils of UK. Authors: Kalle Stahl Nielsen, Sally Gee, Jakob Edler, University of Manchester |
| Critical organisations: Multi-national Corporations (ag-bio; consumer). Author: Allison Loconto, IFRIS |
| Small and Divided Worlds: A Systematic review and scientometric analysis of RRI literature. Authors: Elise Tancoigne, Sally Randles, Pierre-Benoit Joly, IFRIS and Manchester University |
| ‘Voices Visions and Action of RRI’: Institutionalisation, Institutional Entrepreneurs and de-facto responsible research and innovation. Authors: Sally Randles, Elise Tancoigne, Kerstin Goos. University of Manchester, IFRIS, Fraunhofer ISI |