Ten new training programmes on Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) were presented in April at the HEIRRI second conference.

Packaged in an informative and educational format, the HEIRRI training programmes present various different sides of the RRI concept and are based on innovative and participative methodologies, following a “Problem-based learning” approach. They are designed for different educational levels: bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, MOOC, Summer schools, train-the-trainer, secondary school teachers. Presented in multimedia formats, they can be found online and in open access in the RRI Tools platform

Studying Responsibility: A Module-Based Integration of RRI into Bachekor's Programmes

BACHELOR / Between 20H and 50H

This training programme gives an introduction to different concepts of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), and related the ideas, rationales, and aims. In the modules of this programme, different cases are presented, discussed, and engaged with through different problem-based learning activities. Additionally, pratical approaches on how to address RRI will be provided.

Doing and Experiencing Dialogical Reflection on Research and Innovation

MASTER / More than 50H

The course focuses on different interactive approaches to facilitate dialogue on R&I developments, and their societal implications and impacts. These include but are not limited to scenario workshops, consensus conferences, public Technology Assessment, Round Table, (Neo-)Socratic Dialogue, or World Café. The respective R&I developments to be discussed in the course should be selected and outlined by the students themselves.

Enhance your Thesis

MASTER / More than 50H

The course provides room for investigating, reflecting, and discussing societal implications and possible impacts of research and innovation processes. As reference points for this deliberation, different concepts of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) will be used. Students will discuss a research or innovation case example (“What are ‘responsible’ research and innovation?”) before turning to their own master’s theses. Together with their colleagues, each student will identify and discuss RRI aspects of their thesis (“Present your thesis”) and then individually further explore on them (“Investigate your thesis”). They will present and discuss their findings, and reflect how they could practically deal with them (“Enhance your thesis”).

Responsible PhD: RRI and PhD Research Projects

PhD  / Between 20H and 50H

This seminar will introduce PhD students to different concepts of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and initiate deliberation on how to make a PhD research project more responsible. Students will read about and discuss several concepts of RRI in groups and then apply them to concrete case examples of R&I processes. Furthermore, participants will introduce their own PhD research projects or first project ideas and identify possibilities to make them more responsible by using various concepts of RRI.

Supporting RRI: Developing RRI Guidelines for PhD Candidates

Building on basic RRI literature and in-class discussions, students will develop responsibility guidelines for their academic setting (and potentially for their respective discipline), which are viable for the students’ further PhD research.

Teaching Responsible Research and Innovation in Higher Education

TRAIN THE TRAINERS /  HEI STAFF / Less than 20H

In this online course, participants will reflect on what responsible research and responsible innovation means, and learn and discuss ideas and concepts of RRI as well as some practical approaches to promote RRI. One focus in this regard will be on teaching and learning RRI in higher education.
 

Facilitating Reflection on Responsible Research and Innovation

TRAIN THE TRAINERS /  HEI STAFF / Between 20H and 50H

In this workshop, participants will envision possible futures connected to R&I developments. They will reflect on strategies and ways how to steer these developments and their possible wider societal and environmental impacts using concepts of RRI. Then, the course will especially focus on how to integrate such reflection on issues of RRI into higher education teaching and training. Together in groups participants will develop different approaches and designs for teaching RRI to various higher education audiences.

Considering Responsible Research and Innovation by Design

MASTER / PhD / More than 50H

The summer school deals with questions of how to make research projects as well as their processes and outcomes more responsible. Participants have the opportunity to first explore their own understandings of what constitutes responsible research and then deal with specific concepts and aspects of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) as well as concrete case examples. Their own deliberations as well as the concepts of RRI will then give orientation in their own independent group work on a research proposal that incorporates ideas of RRI. The summer school participants are free to define the concrete topic of their research proposal within the setting of the course. Thus, the course content depends to a great extent on the participants’ own deliberations and discussions.

Concepts and Practice of Responsible Research and Innovation

MOOC /  More than 50H

This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) introduces the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and the different approaches towards it. It will show inspiring RRI practices and activities and give participants the opportunity to investigate RRI in a role-play exercise. Participants will develop first ideas on how to implement RRI into practice and will be given the chance to exchange their views.

Science open to society. Schools open to science.

SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS /  Between 15H and 20H

This programme explains the concept of Responsible Research and Innovation to secondary school teachers. It is comprised of five parts addressed to help guide the teachers on how to include an RRI perspective into different high school contexts.

For more info on how to use the HEIRRI training programmes - you can download the HEIRRI Booklet

This booklet presents the HEIRRI teaching resources and explains how to use them in the endeavour of teaching RRI in universities.