Description: The ETHNA System is an EU project (2020–2023) aimed at developing and pilot-testing an ethics and RRI governance system within research performing organizations (RPOs) such as universities and research centers. It focuses on establishing an “Ethics Governance” infrastructure – for example, an internal ethics/RRI office, codes of conduct, complaint mechanisms, and evaluation procedures – to ensure ORRI principles are embedded in everyday research management. The ETHNA governance model covers transparency, accountability, participation, and other RRI keys. In the European RRI policy agendas, Governance is specifically described as providing “tools to promote shared responsibility in R&D”, which is precisely what ETHNA implements.
Key Resources: ETHNA’s guidance documents (implementation guidelines, best practice reports) and its pilot results are key references. They draw from the European Commission’s vision of RRI and translate it into concrete institutional practices (e.g., how to set up a multi-stakeholder committee to oversee research projects, or how to update an organization’s governance manual to include ORRI criteria). The project also maps related initiatives and provides an online platform with resources for institutions looking to adopt the ETHNA model.
https://ethnasystem.eu/about-rri/#:~:text=Responsible%20Research%20and%20Innovation%20,where%20research%20and%20innovation%20go
How It Helps Researchers: By establishing formal governance structures in their institutions, researchers benefit from a clear framework and support for responsible innovation. For instance, with an ETHNA system in place, a researcher proposing a new study on genome editing will know there is an ethics board to guide them, data management policies to follow for openness, and channels to engage society (like citizen panels). This reduces the burden on individual researchers to figure out ORRI compliance on their own – the institution provides the “scaffolding” (training, policies, committees). It also means researchers’ proposals have better standing (funders see institutional commitment to ORRI), and the overall research culture becomes one of shared responsibility, where ethical or societal issues can be raised and addressed through established governance processes.
Total 0 Votes
0
0
