Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has been defined as “the on-going process of aligning research and innovation to the values, needs and expectations of society.” (Rome Declaration, 2014). This idea has been adopted by a number of research funders, notably the European Commission and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The EPSRC uses the AREA framework (anticipate, reflect, engage and act) as a way to define expectations on researchers and research organisations (https://www.epsrc.ac.uk/research/framework/).

Most researchers agree with the principle that research and innovation should benefit society, but many are less clear on how they can put RRI in practice. This workshop will therefore give a brief introduction to the concept of RRI and its components. It will outline the Framework for RRI in ICT and give participants the opportunity to work with this framework on a set of case studies to better understand practical implications. The workshop will highlight the services offered by the EPSRC-funded ORBIT project (www.orbit-rri.org) that is tasked with promoting a culture of RRI across the ICT portfolio.

Attending the workshop will help participants understand the EPSRC expectations and offer ways of integrating RRI into research projects and proposals to ensure they are in line with societal preferences and funding requirements.