Civil Society Organisations in Horizon 2020
Bernd Carsten STAHL
Dear members of the CONSIDER Network:
I am writing to you to update you on some of the developments in the European Union that have relevance to Civil Society Organisations involved in research.
You are all likely to know that the next research Framework Programme, Horizon 2020, has been agreed and that the first round of calls have just been published.
You may also have heard that one important difference between FP7 and H2020 is the introduction of responsible research and innovation (RRI) as a cross-cutting activity linked to all research. There are different views on what constitutes RRI and how it is to be implemented. One thing we do know at this stage is that RRI will be the umbrella term for all activities undertaken in the area of Science with and for Society, the successor of Science in Society (FP7) and Science and society (FP6).
The European Commission views RRI as a package composed of gender, ethics, science education, and open access. And, important for all of us interested in civil society activities in research, one key aspect of RRI will be public engagement. CSO inclusion in research projects is a core aspect of the broader public engagement agenda.
These activities in the Science with and for Society will be funded at 0.6% of the overall H2020 budget, meaning they will receive around €410 million. In addition RRI will be integrated into the thematic activities where it will be allocated another 0.5% of the budget. The overall annual budget available for RRI activities from 2014 to 2020 will therefore be in the order of €100 million.
For the breakdown of the budget, you can check this website:
Another novelty in H2020 will be that the evaluation of research will include civil society representatives. Given the express interest in public engagement and civil society inclusion in research, it is important to note that these aspects are likely to play a more prominent role in future evaluations of both proposals and projects. Furthermore, the Commission aims to include civil society concerns in the agenda setting of their funding programmes. The most prominent example of this is the Voices project:
http://www.voicesforinnovation.eu/
Overall, I think this shows that we live in exciting times for CSOs interested in contributing to research. There will be a number of opportunities to play a role in the design and execution of research. The CONSIDER project should contribute to the shaping of this emerging landscape and we hope you will help us to do so in a way that is relevant to your concerns.
Kind regards,
Bernd
Bernd Carsten STAHL
Professor of Critical Research in Technology
Director, Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility
De Montfort University
Faculty of Technology
School of Computer Science and Informatics
The Gateway
Leicester, LE1 9BH, UK
http://www.tech.dmu.ac.uk/~bstahl/