Paper long abstract:

Universities face a call to make their research more 'responsible' and to contribute to the solution of global challenges. The notion of responsible research and innovation (RRI) has gained particular momentum in Europe by its inclusion as a formal requirement for projects in Horizon 2020. Although universities may show an increasing awareness of their societal responsibilities in their strategic communications, implementation of RRI within the regular organization of universities will not be easy. Studies on the development of inter- and transdisciplinary research indicate the many barriers for transitions in universities, such as existing career patterns, performance evaluations and the disciplinary orientation of scientific journals. This suggests that the governance of RRI requires profound changes in the organization of universities. The aims of this paper are to explore the impact of the implementation of RRI on the organization of European universities and to identify potential barriers for the implementation of RRI as a new mode of working. Following Stilgoe et al. (2013), we define RRI as a combination of anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion and responsiveness. The paper is based on a literature study on the notion of RRI, on previous experiences with RRI and similar activities, and on the (changing) organization of European universities, combined with interviews.