previous highlights

Call for expressions of interest for the selection of experts for Horizon 2020 Advisory Groups - 15/02/2013

In the preparation of Horizon 2020, the European Commission is widening its search for experts from all fields to participate in shaping the agenda of Horizon 2020, the European Union's future funding program for research and innovation.
You may have noticed that a call for expressions of interest for the selection of experts for Horizon 2020 Advisory Groups covering the Societal Challenges and other priorities was launched on 24/01/13.

Experts may register at the following link

Options for Strengthening Responsible Research and Innovation (1.18) - 13/02/2013

This expert group report on the State of Art in Europe on Responsible Research and Innovation has been authored by an interdisciplinary group with experts from science, innovation, economics, law, governance and ethics’. It was prepared as an intermediate step in the reflection on future policy initiatives regarding Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).
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Why a campaign on women in research and innovation? - 05/02/2013

Women continue to be under-represented in research at a time when Europe needs more researchers to foster innovation and bolster its economy. There is a growing pool of female talents in Europe from which research and innovation should benefit: the She Figures 2012 points out that the share of women graduating at PhD level now stands at 45%.
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Towards better access to scientific information: Boosting the benefits of public investments in research - COM(2012) 401 final - 23/01/2013

The European Economic and Social Committee gives a favourable opinion on the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Towards better access to scientific information: Boosting the benefits of public investments in research - COM(2012) 401 final
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Interim evaluation and assessment of future options for SiS activities - 19/12/2012

This report sets out the principal findings, conclusions and recommendations of the ‘Interim evaluation and assessment of future options for Science in Society actions’, which was carried out in the period November 2011 - July 2012 by Technopolis Group in collaboration with Fraunhofer ISI and Science-Metrix.

• Executive summary ( 464KB)
• Phase 1 ( 6.25MB)
• Phase 1 Annexes ( 595KB)
• Phase 2 ( 2.45MB)
• Phase 2 Annexes ( 1.09MB)

Communicating EU Research & Innovation - A guide for project participants (518 KB) - 29/10/2012

This short guide gives some examples of successful communication activities, as well as an elaborate checklist to help the project participants to develop a sound strategy for communicating about their work.
It also informs about legal requirements and expectations starting at the negotiation phase right up to the end of the project.

New leaflet on Responsible Research and Innovation (508 KB) - 02/10/2012

Responsible Research and Innovation means that societal actors work together during the whole research and innovation process in order to better align both the process and its outcomes, with the values, needs and expectations of European society.
The Responsible Research and Innovation framework consists of 6 keys:

MML Action Plans : new leaflet issued on call for proposals 2013 (1.01 MB) - 25/07/2012

The Science in Society work programme 2013 contains a call for proposals aimed at financing Mobilisation and Mutual Learning Action Plans on societal challenges in the following areas: infectious diseases; assessment of sustainable innovation; water; integrated urban management; ICT, Internet and society; ethics assessment.

Science in Society Networking Event to be held in Brussels on 19 September (210 KB) - 20/07/2012

The international network of Science in Society National Contact Points - SiS.net invites all stakeholders involved in the Science in Society Programme (SiS) of FP7 to the Info day and brokerage event to be held in Brussels.

Commission Communication and Recommendation to Member States on access to and preservation of scientific information adopted - 17/07/2012

The European Commission today outlined measures to improve access to scientific knowledge produced in Europe. Broader and more rapid access to scientific papers and data will make it easier for researchers and businesses to build on the findings of publicly-funded research. As a first step, the Commission will make open access to scientific publications a general principle of Horizon 2020.

Preliminary results of She Figures 2012 (1.11 MB) - 12/07/2012

She Figures is a major publication presenting a Europe-wide data collection on women in science from tertiary education through to the job market. The full data will be published in December 2012.

The 2013 'Science in Society' Call for Proposals is open! - 10/07/2012

(European Commission C (2012) 4526 of 09 July 2012)

"The Science in Society Work Programme 2013 aligns with, and contributes towards, the objectives of Europe 2020, the Innovation Union Flagship, and other EU policies. It bears a determined focus on fostering new ideas, on supporting world class teams tackling significant societal challenges, and on ensuring that the fruits of our investments can be properly exploited."

The 2013 Science in Society Work Programme provides for a smooth transition towards the new research and innovation framework programme for 2014-2020, Horizon 2020, which embeds Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). RRI means that societal actors (researchers, citizens, policy makers, businesses, civil society…) work together during the whole research and innovation process in order to better align the research and innovation outcomes to the values, needs and expectations of European society.

Access to the Work Programme 2013 – Capacities - Part 5 - Science in Society.
Access to the Call for Proposals.

Monitoring Policy and Research Activities on Science in Society in Europe (MASIS) - Final synthesis report (8.9 MB) - 19/06/2012

This report provides an overview of results emerging from the European-wide project on ‘Monitoring Policy and Research Activities on Science in Society in Europe’ (MASIS), funded by EU work programme ‘Science in Society’ (FP7 ‘Capacities’). It is based on analyses of 38 national reports accessible on www.masis.eu, which include data on research efforts, policies, and communication activities relating to science in society, different models and use of scientific advice and expertise for policy making, and activities related to assessment and ethical issues of science and technology in 38 EU and associated countries.
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Biobanks for Europe - a Challenge for Governance (961 KB) - 19/06/2012

This expert group report on the ethical and regulatory challenges of international biobank research has been authored by an interdisciplinary group with experts from science, law, governance and ethics. Biobank research is rapidly evolving, and in close interaction with developments in informatics and genomics. The size and breath of the collections of biological samples and associated data that can be assembled has increased exponentially. This opens up a vast range of new options for research and diagnosis, but at the same time also holds an important challenge for the governance of these activities. In this report, the expert group makes specific recommendations for good governance of Biobanks
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Video speech - Nordbib 2012 international conference "Structural frameworks for open, digital research - Strategy, policy & infrastructure" - 13 June 2012, Copenhagen, Denmark. - 13/06/2012

Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn addressed the participants of the Nordbib 2012 international conference "Structural frameworks for open, digital research - Strategy, policy & infrastructure", Copenhagen 13 June 2012. "We have excellent researchers in Europe, and I am determined to give them the very best conditions. Open access is one of these conditions", she said at a conference that is pivotal in getting the capture and re-use of research data to the forefront of European research policy thinking.
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Meta-analysis of gender and science research - 11/05/2012

The Meta-analysis of gender and science research is a comprehensive analysis of the last thirty years of European research on horizontal and vertical gender segregation in science.

For more information, please visit www.genderandscience.org

Science in dialogue – Towards a European Model for Responsible Research and Innovation – 23-25 April 2012, Odense, Denmark (298KB) - 23/04/2012

The Danish Presidency of the European Council invites research institutions, representatives from businesses and NGO’s, policymakers and civil servants to come together at the conference ‘Science in Dialogue’ to discuss the relationship between research, innovation and the wider society. ‘Science in Dialogue’ will focus on how a strengthened relationship between science, innovation and society may be realized in the future. The conference will present high-level speakers and draw upon the participants’ ideas, opinions and suggestions in an interactive conference format.

• Launch of the expert group report "Ethical and Regulatory Challenges to Science and Research Policy at the Global level" during the "Science in Dialogue" conference held on 23-25 April 2012
• Video and speech of the Commissioner Máire GEOGHEGAN-QUINN, Member of the EC in charge of Research and Innovation

Ethical and Regulatory Challenges to Science and Research Policy at the Global Level (1.6MB) - 20/04/2012

This expert group report has been authored by experts from Europe and the United States of America in an interdisciplinary manner. Science is a major driving force of globalisation. We cannot assume that the ethical values underpinning the European Union's Framework Programme are accepted outside Europe. The expert group has made specific policy recommendations for these two topics, especially in the light of emerging technologies.

• Launch of the expert group report "Ethical and Regulatory Challenges to Science and Research Policy at the Global level" during the "Science in Dialogue" conference held on 23-25 April 2012

Results of the public consultation on scientific information in the digital age (4MB) - 14/03/2012

This consultation, open from from 15.07.2011 to 09.09.2011 concerned access to scientific publications and scientific data as well as the preservation of scientific information. Stakeholders were given the opportunity to comment on the state of play, barriers and potential policy actions in these areas.


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Survey on open access in FP7 (11.2MB) - 24/01/2012

The European Commission launched in August 2008 the open access pilot in FP7.
In May 2011, the Commission sent a questionnaire to all project coordinators in order to collect feedback on their experiences of both the implementation of the pilot and the reimbursement of open access publishing costs.
Answers provide important input for the future of the open access policy and practices in Horizon 2020 (the future EU framework programme for research and innovation), and for the preparation of a communication from the Commission and a recommendation to Member States on scientific publications in the digital age.
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Science, H1N1 and society: Towards a more pandemic-resilient society (177KB) - 19/12/2011

The European Commission’s (former) Directorate for Science, Economy and Society decided in mid 2010 to set up an Expert Group on Science, H1N1 and Society (‘H1N1 Expert Group’, or ‘HEG’) in order to clarify the ‘Science in Society (SIS)-related research questions raised by the H1N1 pandemic and associated crisis management.

The HEG group reviewed various aspects relating to the involvement of scientific expertise in the management of the A (H1N1) pandemic through various documents from the WHO, articles in international health journals, European Union documents and some national reports.

National Open Access and Preservation Policies in Europe (2.12MB) - 15/12/2011

The present report is the analysis of the answers to the questionnaire that the European Commission prepared on open access and preservation policies in Europe, with a view to taking stock in 2011 of the status of implementation of the 2007 Council conclusions on scientific information in the digital age.


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Sharing knowledge: EC-funded projects on scientific information in the digital age (988KB) - 16/11/2011

The report presents and analyses discussions that took place at a workshop primarily organized by the European Commission Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, with the participation of the Directorate- General for Information Society and Media. Leaders from eighteen projects supported under different European Commission programmes. The overarching purpose of the workshop was to discern learning from the projects and to reflect upon how this learning can be translated into policy recommendations and concrete actions on scientific information in the digital age.
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Structural change in research institutions: Enhancing excellence, gender equality and efficiency in research and innovation (19.2MB) - 15/11/2011

The feminisation of the student population is one of the most striking aspects of the last 30 years. But women are still struggling to progress in their scientific career. At leadership level, women account for only 18 % of full professors and 13 % of heads of institutions in the higher education sector. Based on recent scientific findings and research practices, this expert report provides the analysis needed to take action and points to good practices in research institutions which retain and promote women in research and innovation.
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Sharing knowledge: open access and preservation in Europe (896KB) - 28/10/2011

A workshop held in Brussels in November 2010 gathered around 20 invited national experts from EU Member States, with the aims of getting an understanding of Member States’ implementation of the 2007 Council Conclusions on scientific information in the digital age. This report documents the proceedings, sets them in the context of developments so far on open access and preservation at an international level and makes a set of recommendations for future EC action.
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Towards Responsible Research and Innovation in the Information and Communication Technologies and Security Technologies Fields (1.50MB) - 27/10/2011

This publication consists of a series of research articles reflecting on how to proceed towards Responsible Research and Innovation in the Information and Communication Technologies and Security Technology fields. The authors who contributed to this publication are coordinators or participants to major FP7 projects funded under the Science in Society Programme.
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The Gendered Innovations in Science, Health & Medicine, and Engineering Project launches November 1, 2011 - 26/10/2011

The Gendered Innovations project was initiated at Stanford University July 2009. In January 2011 the European Commission set up an expert group on “Innovation through Gender” for a duration of two years with the aim of developing the gender dimension in EU research and innovation. In addition to drawing experts from across the U.S., this project now involves experts from across Europe.

http://genderedinnovations.eu/

European Gender Summit – Quality Research and Innovation through Equality, 8-9 November 2011, Brussels - 26/10/2011

The European Gender Summit is held under the auspices of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and supported by the European Commission through the FP7 Science in Society programme.
The European Gender Summit invites stakeholders from all sectors and disciplines active in the European innovation system to participate in the dialogue on the latest research, projects and initiatives on gender and innovation. Participants will hear about new trends, best practice and policy in the field.
http://www.gender-summit.eu
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A report on Responsible Research and Innovation (947KB) - 13/10/2011

New report on Responsible Research and Innovation.  This report explores the issues around Responsible Research and Innovation, particularly, though not exclusively, as expressed by participants at the DG Research Workshop on Responsible Research and Innovation in Europe in Brussels on 16-17 May 2011.
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"How to advance structural changes in order to improve gender equality in research organisations in Europe" Workshop, 30 June - 1 July 2011, Brussels - 12/10/2011

The event gathered researchers and practitioners, gender and science policy-makers from diverse backgrounds (research associations, research institutes, science policy organisations, ministries, parliaments, etc …). During the meeting, participants explored the notion of structural change, shared existing national and international examples in order to reach a common understanding on how structural change could trigger more gender equality in research organisations throughout and beyond the European Research Area. In the frame of this workshop participants were invited to identify approaches for further collaborative initiatives and new pilot activities that could be carried out in their specific contexts.

Structural Changes - Workshop report
Structural Changes - Newsletter (3.2MB)

Mobilisation and Mutual Learning Action Plan to the Science in Society Work Programme 2012 call for proposals. (637KB) - 05/08/2011

You are a research organisation, a business or a civil society organisation ready to collaborate with other actors on responsible research and innovation in the area of:

• Synthetic Biology
• ‘Human Enhancement’ technologies
• Healthy and active aging

We invite you to submit a Mobilisation and Mutual Learning Action Plan to the Science in Society call for proposals. Closing date: 22 February 2012

Responsible Research and Innovation Workshop, 16-17 May, Brussels, Belgium - 30/05/2011

Ten years of research and coordination activities at Community level in the field of Science in Society have brought some noticeable progress on the understanding of where the main concerns are and how to cope with. One of the most important point is that sustainability and responsibility go hand in hand. In the present context of economic and financial crisis, which invites to focus on short-term profits, there is an even bigger need than 10 years ago to show that such activities bring a real added value to Europe. The workshop "Responsible Research and Innovation in Europe" held on 16th and 17th of May 2011 gathered about 70 stakeholders from various horizons (researchers, civil society organisations, industries, policy-makers,...) into a collective reflection and mutual learning on Responsible Research and Innovation and its importance for the Common Strategic Framework that will succeed the 7th Framework Programme and for the European research Area.
The present Newsletter that gathers the raw material will give you an insight on the strong points of the workshop. A more elaborated report will be available to you on our website before summer break.

Newsletter (7.99MB)
Questions (11.8MB)

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MIConference, 12-13 May 2011, Venice, Italy - 06/05/2011

My Ideal City (MIC) is an EU-funded project (7th Framework Programme) exploring the use of shared virtual environments as part of a public discussion on the issues involved in building the city of the future. The project involves four science museums – Trento, Lisbon, Copenhagen and Jerusalem – and the IUAV University of Venice, with its Me.La. Multimedial Laboratory, which was responsible for the artistic coordination and implementation of part of the virtual environments. The initiative involves themes and skills related to social research, architectural and urban design, public administration and multimedial technology in an interactive exploration of the four cities, now accessible on web and through exhibitions in the four museums of the consortium.
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Scientix European Conference, 06-08 May 2011, Brussels, Belgium - 15/04/2011

The Scientix European Conference is a unique opportunity to learn more about different science education projects in Europe, get to know the people behind the projects, and share your expertise, knowledge and best practices with colleagues from across Europe. Also, it gives a thorough view of the potential and possibilities of the Scientix portal and community.
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MASIS - Monitoring research and policy activities of science in society (SiS) in Europe - 22/02/2011

The national reports on Science in Society policy and research activities in the Member States and Associated Countries are available on line. The project MASIS is an "observatory" designed to enable involvement and interaction of SiS stakeholders, to frame the implementation of ERA in this field and to serve as a basis for a more strategic approach in the future.

International Year of Chemistry 2011, 18 January - Women Sharing a Chemical Moment in Time - 14/01/2011

2011 has been designated by UNESCO as the International Year of Chemistry (IYC 2011). The goals of IYC2011 are to increase the public appreciation of chemistry, to encourage interest in chemistry among young people, to generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry and to underline the critical role it plays in a sustainable future. The year 2011 will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize awarded to Madame Marie Sklodowska Curie and is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of women to science.

EuCheMS, the European Association for Chemical and Molecular Sciences, is the European partner for IYC2011. EuCheMS provides a single voice for chemistry in Europe, we have 47 member societies which represent chemists in academia, industry and government in 34 countries across Europe.
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European Textbook and Syllabus on Ethics in Research - 03/12/2010

This textbook and syllabus are designed for use in the training of science students, researchers and research ethics committee members throughout Europe and beyond. The scope is the ethics of scientific research involving human beings. The publications contain case studies relating to a variety of scientific disciplines, including biomedical and human life sciences, new technologies and the social sciences. These have been chosen to illustrate and facilitate discussion of key ethical issues, and to give a flavour of the range of research settings in which these issues occur.
The syllabus (2.35MB) is an accompaniment to the textbook (3.93MB). It provides an overview of the content of the textbook and ideally will be used in conjunction with it, but it may also be used independently.
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Don't miss the 2WAYS science festival in Brussels on 30 November and 1 December 2010! - 24/11/2010

2WAYS is a groundbreaking FP7 science communication project to increase dialogue and public knowledge regarding European life sciences research. This one of its kind science festival will see the first 'Young Europeans Science Parliament' taking place at the European Parliament as well as a fantastic exhibition of innovative and interactive life sciences presentations show-cased at the nearby 'Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences'. Draft programme .
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Europeans support responsible innovation in life sciences and biotechnology (1.27MB) - 15/11/2010

This survey on life sciences and biotechnology indicates that the crisis of confidence in technology and regulation that characterised the 1990s is no longer the dominant perspective. While entrenched views about GM food are still evident, in 2010 there is a greater focus on the technologies themselves. The survey also reveals important knowledge gaps, pointing to a need for more communication: a majority of respondents had never heard of some of the areas covered by the survey, such as nanotechnology (55% unaware), biobanks (67% unaware) and synthetic biology (83% unaware). The Eurobarometer, carried out in February 2010, is the seventh in a series since 1991.
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genSET, FP7 SiS project, 18th October 2010 - 08/11/2010

The University of Tromsø (UiT) leads European science institutions in adopting genSET Recommendations for Mainstreaming Gender in Science as the guiding principles for development of new gender action plan.
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‘Beyond the leaky pipeline’ conference: a success of participation discussing gender and science issues - 28/10/2010

On the 19th-20th October 2010 took place in Brussels the conference ‘Beyond the leaky pipeline. Challenges for research on gender and science’, co-organised by CIREM Foundation, DULBEA and the Belgian Institute for the Equality of Women and Men.
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Stocktaking 10 years of “Women in Science” 1999-2009 - 13/10/2010

Ten years ago the European Commission started its activities on “women in science”. This Report records this ten-year history, analyses the activities undertaken, provides an assessment of their effectiveness and appropriateness, and – whenever possible – includes a reflection on what did not work, what was not done, and how these omissions could be addressed.

- Stocktaking 10 Years: Book
- Stocktaking 10 Years: Annexes
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EUCYS 2010: European Union Contest For Young Scientists - 01/10/2010

EUCYS is an annual event where the winners of national science competitions are brought together to compete for the ultimate prize of European Young Scientist of the Year.
It is for students aged between 14 and 20 and takes place in a different European city every year.
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2011 "Mobilisation and Mutual Learning" call for proposals (511KB) - 25/08/2010

The Science in Society Work Programme invites to a wide collaboration between research organisations and civil society organisations on the following societal challenges :
- moving towards a low-carbon society
- reconciling food innovations and health concerns
- preserving our marine and maritime resources
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Research with CSOs for sustainable development: Reflecting on experience - 23/08/2010

On 29th September 2009 the FP7 funded project ‘Co-Operative Research on Environmental Problems in Europe’ (CREPE) organises a workshop to compare experiences of doing research relevant to sustainable development with or as Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
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FP7 Calls for Proposals 2011 published - 11/08/2010

On 20 July 2010, the European Union published more than 50 calls for proposals under the 7th Framework Programme for Research & Development, worth a total of EUR 6.4 billion. Two of these calls address Science in Society issues with a total budget of over EUR 45 million.
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When science meets society- through journalists: the RELATE project (164KB) - 09/06/2010

Improving scientific communication, by strengthening scientists and journalists relations, is the challenging mission of RELATE project - REsearch LAbs for TEaching Journalists.
Young journalists stay in a EU research lab for 1 full week, side by side with scientists and work as real science journalists. Take part in the 3rd session in November 2010 and apply online by the 30/06/2010!
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Scientix: The new web-based community for Science Education (17KB) - 08/06/2010

The European Commission has launched Scientix, a new web-portal targeted towards teachers, researchers, policy makers, local actors, parents and anyone interested in science education. Scientix will give access to teaching materials, research results and policy documents from European science education projects financed by the European Union and by various national initiatives. The new platform will facilitate regular dissemination and sharing of news, know-how, and best practices in science education across the European Union.
: EN (17KB) - DE (17KB) - FR (19KB)
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The 2009 Science, Economy and Society highlights are published! (3.4MB) - 06/06/2010

The publication brings in an attractive form an overview of the many activities carried out in 2009 by Directorate L - Science, Economy and Society of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research. The Directorate has the responsibility of managing both the Science in Society (SIS) and the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities (SSH) Programme.
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Understanding Public Debate on Nanotechnologies (997KB) - 04/06/2010

This publication consists of a series of research articles on the nature of public debate on nanosciences and nanotechnologies, and the ways in which deliberative approaches could lead to better governance of these technologies. The authors of these articles were involved (as coordinators or participants) in a number of now completed European Commission-funded ‘Science in Society’ projects.
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FP7 Science in Society synopses have been published (2.2MB) - 04/06/2010

This publication presents the synopses of SiS projects funded in 2007-2008. It will remain a helpful reference for both those willing to exploit the results of these actions as well as for future applicants to the Science in Society programme.
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PRAGES - Guidelines for Gender Equality Programmes in Science (814KB) - 04/06/2010

These guidelines are the final result of the 21-month project "Practising Gender Equality in Science" (PRAGES), which aimed to survey the best practices available at world wide level in order to address women's under-representation in high-profile positions in scientific and technological research.
The aim of the project has been that of taking stock of the situation by highlighting strategies and measures that have proven effective in accelerating the pace of progress, still unexpectedly slow despite women's growing inclusion in, and contribution to, scientific and technological disciplines and professional areas.
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Assessing Europe's University Based Research (1.46MB) - 04/06/2010

This report presents findings of the Expert Group on Assessment of University-Based Research set up by the European Commission, DG Research in 2008 to identify the framework for a new and more coherent methodology to assess the research produced by European universities.
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Challenging futures of Science in Society - The MASIS report has been published (1.46MB) - 04/06/2010

The report represents a collective overview and reflection on emerging trends and important cutting-edge policy and research issues, priorities, strengths and weaknesses that influence the ‘Science in Society’ dimension in the ERA and which could develop further into trans-national activities.
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Monitoring progress towards Gender Equality in the Sixth Framework Programme - Synthesis report (5.40MB) - 04/06/2010

This report presents a synthesis of the key findings and recommendations of the six studies.
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"Global Governance of Science" report is now available in German, French and Spanish (1.2MB) - 04/06/2010

The product of an expert group acting under a mandate from the European Commission Directorate General for Research to which legal scholars, sociologists, philosophers and political scientists from Europe, the United States of America, China and South-Africa have contributed. The report seeks to advance a vision of global governance for the common good that invokes European principles of good governance and fundamental rights.
: EN (1.2MB) - DE (1.5MB) - FR (1.4MB) - ES (1.4MB)
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Embedding society in science & technology policy European and Chinese perspectives (2.25MB) - 04/06/2010

This book is the result of a series of discussions initiated by an FP6 project carried out during the year 2007 and which focused on issues of Science and Technology (S & T) governance and ethics in Europe and Asia. The main purpose is to provide an actual analytical description of the different facets of Science in Society (SiS) in Europe and China.
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All you ever wanted to know about gender in research, but never dared to ask - 04/06/2010

To further promote gender equality in scientific research within the 7th Framework Programme, the European Commission's Research DG offers training opportunities on how to integrate gender aspects into research.
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Goverscience - Civil Society Organisations seminar (1.4MB) - 04/06/2010

New forms of collaboration between the spheres of science and civil society are emerging that the Seventh European Framework Programme for Research supports through different schemes. This publication reports on the discussion of those who engaged in these schemes. They explored together new ways of knowledge production and suggested from their experience how the future of such collaborations can be shaped.
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Report of the Governance Seminar on Energy and the Environment, Brussels 9-10 December 2008 (2.66MB) - 04/06/2010

The inclusiveness of research governance processes is becoming an essential feature of the strategy to overcome the big societal challenges Europe is facing, such as according energy needs and production in a sustainable way.
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Report of the Governance Seminar on Inclusive Risk Governance, Brussels 4-5 December 2008 (742KB) - 04/06/2010

Risk governance is a moving target in the European research area. Indeed, as risks and their governance are constantly evolving through scientific discoveries and technological innovation, governance practices evolve too through natural learning processes and social science research.
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Gender Equality Report FP6 (342KB) - 04/06/2010

Gender data throughout the Sixth Framework Programme now published.
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Women & science: preliminary results of She Figures 2009 (1.61MB) - 04/06/2010

She Figures is a major publication presenting a Europe-wide data collection on women in science from tertiary education through to the job market. The full data will be published in September 2009.
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Global Governance of Science (1.2MB) - 04/06/2010

This report is the product of an expert group acting under a mandate from the European Commission Directorate General for Research to which legal scholars, sociologists, philosophers and political scientists from Europe, the United States of America, China and South-Africa have contributed. The report seeks to advance a vision of global governance for the common good that invokes European principles of good governance and fundamental rights.
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"We are more intelligent together" - EU citizens value science and cooperation at national and European levels (506KB) - 04/06/2010

According to a new qualitative study published in January 2009, regarding the image of science and the perceptions and attitudes on the European research policy of the EU citizens, science is highly valued and intimately linked to the idea of progress.
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Public Engagement in Science (1.9MB) - 04/06/2010

This publication reports on the discussion which took place during the Portuguese Presidency Conference "The Future of Science and Technology in Europe" (Lisbon, 8-10 October 2007) on the purposes of public engagement and the forms it can take during the process of production and regulation of science and technology. It also presents the results of the 2007 consultation concerning public engagement in science and research.
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Joint publication by the European Commission and the German Commission for UNESCO: "Open Access - Opportunities and challenges - A handbook" (July 2008) (6MB) - 04/06/2010

"Open access" - refers to free access to scientific publications over the internet. This concept is the subject of a lively debate among the research community, libraries, publishers and funding bodies. This handbook intends to inform stakeholders and the society-at-large of the opportunities and challenges surrounding open access, and to promote a broad and inclusive debate on the future of scientific publishing in the European Research Area.
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Benchmarking national policies on gender equality in science (6MB) - 04/06/2010

The report provides an update on the national policies and on the statistical profiles of the 33 countries represented in the Helsinki Group on Women and Science, and it introduces for the first time data from the Western Balkans. The report gives an interesting and original overview on the various national situation and tries to develop a European synopsis.
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