Public Engagement with Research and Research Engagement with Society: Science Shops, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Universities from 16 European countries, funded by the European Commission’s Science in Society Program, Work Together to Advance the Co-operation in Setting Research Agenda’s Among Community Organisations and Universities.

摘要

We will describe various ways in which we formulate joint research agendas with CSOs. Next to varied face-to-face events, from once-offs to continuous dialogues, we have set up a web-portal for on-line dialogues. We have so far done three on-line dialogues to articulate research questions, in different domains. We started with discussing five different applications of nanotechnologies that have their impacts on environment and health. Then we discussed two different fields of social studies: research on domestic violence issues and research with Roma and other travelling minority groups. All these on-line dialogues have been prepared in longer co-operations with Community Organisations, such as Environmental NGOs, Women’s Associations and Roma and Travellers Communities. We can see clear differences between the natural sciences dialogue and the other two. Also, we are becoming more aware of the required follow-up -- and the practical web requirements. udTo answer the research requests, we turn to Science Shops and Research Funders. Science Shops are university-units or NGOs, doing or mediating research for Community Groups -already since the 1970s-, in all research fields, so science, humanities, arts, social sciences, engineering, etc. By making use of students in their curriculum, the service is affordable or even free. Please see workshop by Linda Hawkins if you want to learn more. udWe will thus also share some experiences on the ways in which we have set up ten new Science Shops as part of the project, and we will highlight our studies on the role of research funders in supporting Community-Engaged Research. For this, we interviewed policy makers and funders in UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands and more countries. udFinally, we will describe the way that the International Living Knowledge Network has enabled us to create this project, and we are interested to discuss follow-up and spin-off opportunities with the participants.