Science and society: the recommendations of Science Europe

"Research ethics and integrity in the context of public engagement" - this was the theme of the High Level Workshop of European funding organisations in Zurich. A report presenting the outcomes of the event has now been published.

It is clear that society needs to be more involved in science in order to foster better dialogue and promote ethical standards and scientific integrity. How can this be achieved? Researchers should, for example, devote more time to interactions with stakeholders in their projects. Funding agencies can incentivise this by taking such interactions into account when evaluating grant applications.

It is important that all actors are aware of their roles and competencies. Researchers bring their knowledge to the table, and governments make policy decisions.

Further insights and recommendations can be found in the report. The SNSF and the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation hosted the High Level Workshop in Zurich in November 2022. Science Europe, the association of research funders, has been working to strengthen the European Research Area since 2011.