Good Reads

Responsible research and innovation in practice an exploratory assessment of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in a Nanomedicine Project

While originally intended to transform research and innovation practice, the concept of responsible research and innovation (RRI) has largely remained a theoretical, policy-oriented construct, thereby engendering a perception that RRI indicators are very different from organizational or business indicators. As there is currently limited experience with RRI in businesses, in an attempt to gain more insights into RRI in practice, this paper focuses on an exploratory assessment of key performance indicators (KPIs) in a nanomedicine project. Based on correspondence analysis, we visually demonstrate associations among KPIs of RRI dimensions and of organizational ongoing R&D dimensions implying that these two indicators are not entirely different from each other and may even be potentially aligned. This finding may stimulate the motives of the RRI uptake in practice.
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Gender in research and innovation : statistics and indicators

Equality between women and men is one of the EU’s founding values. Since the European Commission’s ERA Communication of 2012, gender equality in research and innovation (R&I) as a priority has been strengthened progressively. The She Figures 2021 publication uses the latest available statistics to monitor the state of gender equality R&I across Europe and beyond, through providing comparable data and analysis for approximately 88 indicators. The data follow the ‘chronological journey’ of women from graduating from doctoral studies to participating in the labour market and acquiring decision-making roles, while exploring differences in women’s and men’s working conditions and research and innovation output.
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Country-level and individual-level predictors of men's support for gender equality in 42 countries

Men sometimes withdraw support for gender equality movements when their higher gender status is threatened. Here, we expand the focus of this phenomenon by examining it cross-culturally, to test if both individual- and country-level variables predict men's collective action intentions to support gender equality. We tested a model in which men's zero-sum beliefs about gender predict reduced collective action intentions via an increase in hostile sexism. Because country-level gender equality may threaten men's higher gender status, we also examined whether the path from zerosum beliefs to collective action intentions was stronger in countries higher in gender equality. Multilevel modeling on 6,734 men from 42 countries supported the individual-level mediation model, but found no evidence of moderation by country-level gender equality. Both country-level gender equality and individual-level zero-sum thinking independently predicted reductions in men's willingness to act collectively for gender equality
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Enabling open science and societal engagement in research

This report presents insights and recommendations from a workshop held on 1 July 2021 attended by beneficiaries of the Science with and for Society (SwafS) Responsible Research and Innovation institutional change portfolio of projects funded under Horizon 2020 and the initial group of European University Alliances under the European Universities Initiative that received funding under the SwafS programme. Participants discussed how open science and societal engagement could be enabled to become the norm in research performing organisations across the European Research Area, with a particular focus on universities.
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An unfinished journey? Reflections on a decade of responsible research and innovation

We reflect on a decade of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) as a discourse emerging from the European Commission (EC) 10 years ago. We discuss the foundations for RRI, its emergence during the Seventh Framework programme and its subsequent evolution during Horizon 2020. We discuss how an original vision for RRI became framed around five so-called ‘keys’: gender, open access, science communication, ethics and public engagement. We consider the prospects for RRI within the context of the EC’s Open Science agenda and Horizon Europe programme, before closing with some reflections on the contribution RRI has made to debates concerning the relationship between science, innovation and society over the last decade.
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White paper: Themes, objectives and participants of citizen science activities

In this White Paper from CS-Track - Expanding our knowledge on Citizen Science through analytics and analysis (872522), CS Track briefly summarises the main characteristics of the themes, objectives and participants of citizen science activities. This introduction to these topics will inform the development of policy recommendations and best practice manuals for the vastly expanding citizen science field.
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The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods for Social-Ecological Systems

The book provides a synthetic guide to the range of methods that can be employed in social-ecological systems (SES) research. It is primarily targeted at graduate students, lecturers and researchers working on SES, and has been written in a style that is accessible to readers entering the field from a variety of different disciplinary backgrounds. felt about their research and communication.
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Silent science: a mixed-methods analysis of faculty engagement in science communication

To address science literacy issues, university faculty have to engage in effective science communication. However, social pressures from peers, administration, or the public may silence their efforts. The purpose of this study was to understand the effect of the spiral of silence on faculty’s engagement with science communication. A survey was distributed to a census of tenure-track faculty at the University of Florida [UF], and the findings did not support the spiral of silence was occurring. However, follow-up interviews revealed faculty did not perceive their peers to value science communication and were more concerned about how the public felt about their research and communication.
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Voices of the new generation: open science is good for science (and for you)

In the race to publish papers and secure funding, science can sometimes seem like a competition. But, in reality, modern science relies on open sharing and collaboration. One unexpected aspect of open science is the role it has played in uplifting the careers of myself and my lab members
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A community-led initiative for training in reproducible research

Open and reproducible research practices increase the reusability and impact of scientific research. The reproducibility of research results is influenced by many factors, most of which can be addressed by improved education and training. Here we describe how workshops developed by the Reproducibility for Everyone (R4E) initiative can be customized to provide researchers at all career stages and across most disciplines with education and training in reproducible research practices. The R4E initiative, which is led by volunteers, has reached more than 3000 researchers worldwide to date, and all workshop materials, including accompanying resources, are available under a CC-BY 4.0 license at https://www.repro4everyone.org/.
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A comprehensive appraisal of responsible research and innovation From roots to leaves

Responsible Research and Innovation and Responsible Innovation, as academic endeavours, have grown substantially since their birth in the previous decades. They have been used as synonyms on a structural basis, and both concepts have been studied from various disciplinary backgrounds. This paper discusses the most influential references in chronological order and sheds light on the accumulation of knowledge. The results suggest that Responsible Research and Innovation and Responsible Innovation have matured into an increasingly cumulative and interconnected research trajectory following the footsteps of similar, more mature research areas.
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Demonstrating trustworthiness when collecting and sharing genomic data: public views across 22 countries

Public trust is central to the collection of genomic and health data and the sustainability of genomic research. To merit trust, those involved in collecting and sharing data need to demonstrate they are trustworthy. However, it is unclear what measures are most likely to demonstrate this.
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Towards open, reliable, and transparent ecology and evolutionary biology

Unreliable research programmes waste funds, time, and even the lives of the organisms we seek to help and understand. Reducing this waste and increasing the value of scientific evidence require changing the actions of both individual researchers and the institutions they depend on for employment and promotion. While ecologists and evolutionary biologists have somewhat improved research transparency over the past decade (e.g. more data sharing), major obstacles remain. In this commentary, we lift our gaze to the horizon to imagine how researchers and institutions can clear the path towards more credible and effective research programmes.
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Case studies of open science from the Orion project

Ideas and examples on how to embed Open Science and RRI public engagment about science using co-creation, public dialogue, gaming, citizen science and art!
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Menu of co-creation tools

The ORION project seeks to promote institutional change in life science research performing and research funding organisations by performing co-creation experiments in three specific areas where stakeholders do not already frequently collaborate; Research strategy and funding, identifying risks and opportunities presented by disruptive technologies and citizen science in fundamental research. The menu of co-creation tools was designed to provide support and ideas to ORION partners and the wider community in facilitating co-creation experiments.
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Rethinking societal engagement under the heading of Responsible Research and Innovation: (novel) requirements and challenges

Societal engagement is a key dimension of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), aiming at making science, technology and innovation more transparent, interactive and responsive. Within this article, we identify and discuss the specific requirements and challenges for societal engagement under the heading of RRI along five dimensions. First, engagement aims at shaping research and innovation in a socially robust manner.
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Covid-19 in Brazil and the Various Faces of Pandemic

Pandemic is a term that designates an epidemiological trend. Indicates that many outbreaks are happening at the same time and spread everywhere. But such outbreaks are not the same. Each of them can have intensities, qualities and forms of injury very different and establishes relationships with socioeconomic, cultural,environmental, collective or even individual. A pandemic can even become event on a global scale. This is the case with Covid-19.
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Getting it right, a guide to improve inclusion in multistakeholder forums

This guide explains how to operationalize inclusion of women, Indigenous Peoples and other under-represented groups in multi-stakeholder forums (MSFs).
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Towards open, reliable, and transparent ecology and evolutionary biology

Unreliable research programmes waste funds, time, and even the lives of the organisms we seek to help and understand. Reducing this waste and increasing the value of scientific evidence require changing the actions of both individual researchers and the institutions they depend on for employment and promotion. While ecologists and evolutionary biologists have somewhat improved research transparency over the past decade (e.g. more data sharing), major obstacles remain. In this commentary, we lift our gaze to the horizon to imagine how researchers and institutions can clear the path towards more credible and effective research programmes.
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Science communication in the field of fundamental biomedical research (editorial)

The aim of this special issue on science communication is to inspire and help scientists who are taking part or want to take part in science communication and engage with the wider public, clinicians, other scientists or policy makers. For this, some articles provide concise and accessible advice to individual scientists, science networks, or learned societies on how to communicate effectively; others share rationales, objectives and aims, experiences, implementation strategies and resources derived from existing long-term science communication initiatives.
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Citizen Science as a Tool in Biological Recording—A Case Study of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle

Non-native invasive species frequently appear in urban and non-urban ecosystems and may become a threat to biodiversity. Some of these newcomers are introduced accidentally, and others are introduced through a sequence of events caused by conscious human decisions. Involving the general public in biodiversity preservation activities could prevent the negative consequences of these actions. Accurate and reliable data collecting is the first step in invasive species management, and citizen science can be a useful tool to collect data and engage the public in science. We present a case study of biological recording of tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle) using a participatory citizen model.
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Developing a Framework for Responsible Innovation

The governance of emerging science and innovation is a major challenge for contemporary democracies. In this paper we present a framework for understanding and supporting efforts aimed at ‘responsible innovation’. The framework was developed in part through work with one of the first major research projects in the controversial area of geoengineering, funded by the UK Research Councils. We describe this case study, and how this became a location to articulate and explore four integrated dimensions of responsible innovation: anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion and responsiveness. Although the framework for responsible innovation was designed for use by the UK Research Councils and the scientific communities they support, we argue that it has more general application and relevance.
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COVID-19 recovery science isn’t enough to save us

COVID-19 recovery: science isn't enough to save us. Policymakers need insight from humanities and social sciences to tackle the pandemic.
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RRI-Research-Landscape

This is a report from the EU-funded project SISCODE, in the shape of a Deliverable, that identifies, records and compares previous and ongoing EU framework initiatives and projects which have developed and tested relevant RRI approaches and methodologies.
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Indicators for promoting and monitoring Responsible Research and Innovation

This report presents the results of the work of the expert group on Policy indicators for RRI. It contains three parts: first a conceptual introduction of RRI; second a detailed review of possible indicators in eight key areas for RRI policy; and third a number of concrete proposals for indicator design and implementation.
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Bridging across methods in the Biosciences

This publication is a Science for Policy report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service. It aims to provide evidence-based scientific support to the European policymaking process.
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Map of approaches, policies and tools for Territorial RRI

This document contains a Map of Approaches, Policies and Tools for Territorial RRI (from now on, the Map) that can be used, together with the results of other already available mapping exercises, for designing and implementing the five TeRRItoria Transformative Experiments.
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Inventory of RRI governance innovation practices

This document represents an inventory of 43 RRI Governance Innovation Practices (RRIGIPs), detected in RRI projects conducted in Europe and beyond.
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Actions Plans for Structural Transformation to Achieve Gender Equality in Science

The STAGES Guidelines aim to contribute to this process of deriving new insights about the actual implementation process of gender equality-oriented projects in scientific institutions.
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Structural Transformation to Achieve Gender Equality in Science

STAGES involved the continuous monitoring, evaluation and cross-cutting analysis of the process activated in each institution in order to draw some conclusions, both to support implementation and to feed these final Guidelines.
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Conceptual evaluation framework for Gender Equality

Developing a conceptual evaluation framework for gender equality interventions in research and innovation
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Factors that facilitate or hinder Gender Equality interventions

Analysing facilitating and hindering factors for implementing gender equality interventions in R&I: Structures and processes
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A Framework to activate Gender Equality structural transformation

Setting up a dynamic framework to activate gender equality structural transformation in research organizations
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Public engagement: A practical guide

Scoping-Involving-Planning-Testing-Disseminating
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Orion Open Science, Citizen Science

PPT from the EU-Project Orion Open Science that shares the nuts and bolts of Citizen Science.
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Orion Open Science, Open data vs FAIR data

PPT from the EU-Project Orion Open Science showing the differences between Open Data and Fair Data, and related topics.
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Guidelines for Initiating Change

An RRI model for research organisations in the Biosciences
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UNESCO Interdisciplinary Chair

The UNESCO Interdisciplinary Chair in Biotechnology and Bioethics (2000-2009). An example of Responsible Research and Innovation between Europe and Africa
By Carla Montesano and Vittorio Colizzi

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RRI for Biodiversity Conservation

Responsible research and innovation for the conservation of biodiversity
By Elena Buzan
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Science Education as a trigger for RRI Structural Change

Science education as a trigger for RRI structural change
By Doris Elster, Tanja Barendziak, Julia Birkholz

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Inequality in science and the case for a new agenda

Joseph L. Graves Jr, Maureen Kearney, Gilda Barabino, and Shirley Malcom

Abstract

The history of the scientific enterprise demonstrates that it has supported gender, identity, and racial inequity. Further, its institutions have allowed discrimination, harassment, and personal harm of racialized persons and women. This has resulted in a suboptimal and demographically narrow research and innovation system, a concomitant limited lens on research agendas, and less effective knowledge translation between science and society. We argue that, to reverse this situation, the scientific community must reexamine its values and then collectively embark upon a moonshot-level new agenda for equity. This new agenda should be based upon the foundational value that scientific research and technological innovation should be prefaced upon progress toward a better world for all of society and that the process of how we conduct research is just as important as the results of research. Such an agenda will attract individuals who have been historically excluded from participation in science, but we will need to engage in substantial work to overcome the longstanding obstacles to their full participation. We highlight the need to implement this new agenda via a coordinated systems approach, recognizing the mutually reinforcing feedback dynamics among all science system components and aligning our equity efforts across them.

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Cultural Beliefs and Stakeholder Affiliation Influence Attitudes Towards Responsible Research and Innovation Among United States Stakeholders Involved in Biotechnology and Gene Editing

Jennifer Kuzma and Christopher L. Cummings

Abstract

Biotech developers are concerned about the future of gene editing having experienced the contentious history of first-generation GM foods. They have also expressed desires to do better with public engagement in gene-editing innovation. The framework of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) may provide a way forward to act on their desires for greater public legitimacy. However, in the United States, -there has also been reluctance to incorporate RRI into biotechnology innovation systems like gene editing in food and agriculture. In this article, we investigate individual- and group-level factors, including demographic, sociographic, and cultural factors, that influence attitudes towards RRI among biotechnology United States stakeholders. Using the Advocacy Coalition Framework’s (ACF) hierarchy of beliefs as a theoretical guide, biotechnology stakeholders (n = 110) were surveyed about their cultural (deep-core) beliefs and then about their attitudes towards principles (policy-core beliefs) and practices (secondary beliefs) of RRI applied to biotechnology innovation. Through statistical analysis of the results, we found significant relationships between stronger egalitarian cultural-beliefs and positive attitudes towards both the principles and practices of RRI. We also found that participants with higher levels of experience held more positive attitudes towards principles of RRI. In contrast, we found a significant inverse relationship between professional affiliation with industry or trade organizations and attitudes towards RRI practices. With these results, we present a model of factors that influence RRI attitudes for future testing. In closing, we interpret the results in the context of ACF to examine the potential for building cross-sector coalitions for practicing RRI within United States gene-editing innovation systems.

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How to measure the impact of citizen science on environmental attitudes, behaviour and knowledge? A review of state-of-the-art approaches

Luke Somerwill & Uta Wehn

Abstract

The effects of citizen science are wide ranging, influencing science, society, the economy, the environment, as well as individual participants. However, in many citizen science projects, impact evaluation is still overly simplistic. This is particularly the case when assessing the impact of participation in citizen science on the environmental attitudes, behaviour and knowledge of citizen scientists. In an attempt to bridge the gap between the state of the art in relevant scientific fields and citizen science, this systematic literature review identified best practices and approaches in the field of environmental psychology for measuring environmental attitudes, behaviour and knowledge. From the literature, five relevant and validated approaches were identified that can be used to measure changes in attitudes, behaviour and knowledge in citizen science projects. This would allow for improved understanding of the impacts of citizen science, as well as for improved project evaluation as a whole.

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Enabling Environments for Supporting and Sustaining Citizen Science

This discussion paper is the third in a series within the Mutual Learning Exercise (MLE) on ‘Citizen Science Initiatives - Policy and Practice’ (CSI-PP). The purpose of this MLE is to facilitate the exchange of information, experience and lessons, as well as to identify good practices, policies and programmes in relation to varying approaches at local, regional and national levels, towards supporting and scaling up citizen science. Eleven countries are participating in the MLE (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden), and the process is structured in five rounds of meetings on specific topics that have been pre-identified by the participating countries.
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Fourteen Recommendations to Create a More Inclusive Environment for LGBTQ+ Individuals in Academic Biology

Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and otherwise nonstraight and/or non-cisgender (LGBTQ+) have often not felt welcome or represented in the biology community. Additionally, biology can present unique challenges for LGBTQ+ students because of the relationship between certain biology topics and their LGBTQ+ identities. Currently, there is no centralized set of guidelines to make biology learning environments more inclusive for LGBTQ+ individuals. Rooted in prior literature and the collective expertise of the authors who identify as members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community, we present a set of actionable recommendations to help biologists, biology educators, and biology education researchers be more inclusive of individuals with LGBTQ+ identities. These recommendations are intended to increase awareness of LGBTQ+ identities and spark conversations about transforming biology learning spaces and the broader academic biology community to become more inclusive of LGBTQ+ individuals.
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Making Peace With Nature

The first UNEP synthesis report is titled: “Making Peace With Nature: A scientific blueprint to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies” and is based on evidence from global environmental assessments.
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Experimentation, learning, and dialogue: an RRI-inspired approach to dual-use of concern

Responsible Research and Innovation is promoted by research funders and scientific communities as a way to place societal needs and values at the centre of research and innovation. In practice, however, legal compliance still tends to dominate the RRI agenda. In order to move beyond the dominance of legal compliance and address a broader societal agenda, this article argues that RRI requires: (1) a productive intertwining of research and practice; (2) the integration of anticipation, reflection, engagement, and action (AREA) in a non-linear process; and (3) an experimental approach. Based on this framework, this article draws on our experience of developing and institutionalizing an RRI-inspired approach to address dual-use and misuse issues in the EU-funded Human Brain Project. Our experience suggests that the four dimensions of the AREA framework work better not as separate stages but rather being flexibly intertwined to enable experimentation, learning, and dialogue.
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A Community of Practice Approach to Improving Gender Equality in Research

ABSTRACT

Bringing together the latest research among various communities of practice (disciplinary and place based as well as thematically organised), this volume reflects upon the knowledge, experience and practice gained through taking a unique community of practice approach to fostering gender equality in the sectors of research and innovation, and higher education in Europe and beyond. Based on research funded by the European Union, it considers how inter-organisational collaboration can foster change for gender equality through sharing of experiences of Gender Equality Plan implementation and examining the role of measures such as change-monitoring systems. As such, it will appeal to social scientists with interests in organisational change, the sociology of work and gender equality.

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ResBios Publications

ResBios Factsheet

A one-page summary of ResBios action plans, its rational and partners involved.
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ResBios Brand Guidelines

Visual identity refers to a cohesive framework built around visual communication to deliver content to specific target audiences. This is our aesthetic direction.
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ResBios Policy Brief

An updated summary of the ResBios Policy- 2021
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RRI Explained Podcast

Through a series of podcast interviews with key project leaders and some animated short videos, we will explain to you exactly why each of the key pillars of RRI are important, and how by adressing these issues we can build a better relationships between science and society. ResBios hopes to promote these ideas within research institutes across Europe, and beyond.
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The Balkan chamois, an archipelago or a peninsula? Insights from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA

Andrea Rezić1 · Laura Iacolina1,2 · Elena Bužan2,3 · Toni Safner4,5 · Ferdinand Bego6 · Dragan Gačić7 · Vladimir Maletić8 · Georgi Markov9 · Dragana Milošević10 · Haritakis Papaioannou11 · Nikica Šprem1

Abstract
The Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) is widespread on the Balkan Peninsula, along mountain massifs from Croatia in the north to Greece in the south and Bulgaria in the east. Knowledge on the genetic structure of Balkan chamois populations is limited and restricted to local studies. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to use nuclear (16 microsatellites) and mitochondrial (partial 376 base pairs control region) markers to investigate the genetic structure of this chamois subspecies throughout its distribution range and to obtain information on the degree of connectivity of the different (sub)populations. We extracted DNA from bone, dried skin and muscle tissue and successfully genotyped 92 individuals of Balkan chamois and sequenced the partial control region in 44 individuals. The Bayesian analysis suggested 3 genetic clusters and assigned individuals from Serbia and Bulgaria to two separate clusters, while individuals from the other countries belonged to the same cluster. Thirty new haplotypes were obtained from partial mitochondrial DNA sequences, with private haplotypes in all analyzed populations and only two haplotypes shared among populations, indicating the possibility of past translocations. The subspecies genetic composition presented here provides the necessary starting point to assess the conservation status of the Balkan chamois and allows the development of conservation strategies necessary for its sustainable management and conservation.

Keywords Conservation · Genetic diversity · mtDNA · Population genetics · Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica
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A Mother’s Story, Mitogenome Relationships in the Genus Rupicapra

Laura Iacolina 1,2,3 , Elena Buzan 2,4 , Toni Safner 1,5,*, Nino Baši´c 2,6,7 , Urska Geric 2 , Toni Tesija 1 , Peter Lazar 8 , María Cruz Arnal 9 , Jianhai Chen 10, Jianlin Han 11 and Nikica Šprem 1

Simple Summary:
Two species of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra and R. pyrenaica) are currently recognized by taxonomy and further subdivided into seven and three subspecies, respectively. However, recent research based on molecular markers finds this classification questionable. We aim to increase the resolution of published research on chamois phylogeny by including mitogenomes of all available subspecies, including the previously unpublished mitogenomes of R. r. balcanica and R. r. tatrica subspecies. The inferred phylogeny based on the full mitogenomes confirms the previously reported genus subdivision in three clades and its monophyletic positioning within the Caprinae. Phylogeny and taxonomy of Rupicapra species thus remain controversial prompting for the inclusion of archeological remains to solve the controversy.

Keywords: chamois; mitogenome; phylogeny; Rupicapra
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Population structure and genetic diversity of non‑native aoudad populations

Sunčica Stipoljev1 , Toni Safner 2,3*, PavaoGančević1 , AnaGalov 4 , Tina Stuhne1 , Ida Svetličić4 , StefanoGrignolio 5 , Jorge Cassinello 6 & Nikica Šprem 1

Abstract:
The aoudad (Ammotragus lervia Pallas 1777) is an ungulate species, native to the mountain ranges of North Africa. In the second half of the twentieth century, it was successfully introduced in some European countries, mainly for hunting purposes, i.e. in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Spain. We used neutral genetic markers, the mitochondrial DNA control region sequence and microsatellite loci, to characterize and compare genetic diversity and spatial pattern of genetic structure on diferent timeframes among all European aoudad populations. Four distinct control region haplotypes found in European aoudad populations indicate that the aoudad has been introduced in Europe from multiple genetic sources, with the population in the Sierra Espuña as the only population in which more than one haplotype was detected. The number of detected microsatellite alleles within all populations (< 3.61) and mean proportion of shared alleles within all analysed populations (<0.55) indicates relatively low genetic variability, as expected for new populations funded by a small number of individuals. In STRUCTURE results with K= 2–4, Croatian and Czech populations cluster in the same genetic cluster, indicating joined origin. Among three populations from Spain, Almeria population shows as genetically distinct from others in results, while other Spanish populations diverge at K= 4. Maintenance of genetic diversity should be included in the management of populations to sustain their viability, specially for small Czech population with high proportion of shared alleles (0.85) and Croatian population that had the smallest estimated efective population size (Ne= 5.4)
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The ICM-CSIC publishes a Guide to promote non-sexist and inclusive communication at the Institute

Silvia Donoso Institut de Ciències del Mar Janire Salazar Institut de Ciències del Mar Gracia Puga Esther Garcés

The Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC) in Barcelona has published a Guide for the use of inclusive and non-sexist communication aimed at all the centre's staff. The document, which is part of the actions included in the ICM-CSIC's Gender Equality Plan, provides communication resources, examples and guidelines that address the specific reality and daily activity of the Institute.

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The ocean we want : inclusive and transformative ocean science

Josep Lluís Pelegrí; Josep-Maria Gili; Maria Victoria Martínez de Albeniz

Abstract

Scientists and technicians at research and technology centres have the great fortune to work on topics that are interesting and creative and that can contribute to the integral development of the human species. The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development makes this challenge clear at a time when the anthropic impact of global change and climate change urges us to take a new course and to seek new models for interacting with each other and with nature. The Ocean Decade focuses on the greatness and complexity of the oceans, which give ocean sciences the opportunity to become inclusive and transformative, to create a shared future of social justice, environmental sustainability and individual and collective human evolution.

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PROMOTING SUSTAINABILITY LITERACY IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

D. Elster University of Bremen (GERMANY)

Abstract

In this paper, we report about the promotion of Sustainability Literacy (SL) within the master study programme of ongoing biology teachers at the University of Bremen. Starting from a literature recherché on the epistemological aspects of SL we examine different scenarios of complex and controversial socioscientific issues in the context of biodiversity change and climate change. We argue for a complexity of content, context, and methods in understanding of current problems in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

Focusing on a model of project learning which includes subject knowledge, dialogical and reflective approaches we develop a complex seminar programme (one semester, 180 hours work load) to different future challenges such as „Future change: Woods and Forests“, and „Future change: Agriculture“. We call the programme „INQUIRE for Teacher Students“ (Inquiry based Teacher Education for a Sustainable Future) course.

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Unexpectedly well-preserved gorgonian communities thriving within Barcelona's city waters

Conference: 15th International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS 2022)

Salazar, Janire & de Domingo, Angela & Biel, Marina & Baena, Patricia & Santín Muriel, Andreu & Gili, Josep-Maria. (2022). Unexpectedly well-preserved gorgonian communities thriving within Barcelona's city waters. 10.13140/RG.2.2.32025.49768.

Abstract

The "Gorgònia Barcelona" project was born in 2021 in Barcelona, one of the cities with more inhabitants of the Mediterranean, in collaboration with the Catalan Federation of Subaquatic Activities (FECDAS) and local social associations. This project counts with the support of the City Hall of Barcelona and the community of practices of biosciences & RRI from ResBios. The project’s approach allows not only to set a base ground for experimental analysis and explore improvements on existing marine restoring techniques, but also to conduct epistemological studies and contribute to ocean literacy and to blue economy of the city of Barcelona.

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Traces of past reintroduction in genetic diversity: The case of the Balkan chamois (Mammalia, Artiodactyla)

Andrea Rezić, Toni Safner, Laura Iacolina, Elena Bužan, Nikica Šprem

Abstract

The translocation of wild animal species became a common practice worldwide to re-establish local populations threatened with extinction. Archaeological data confirm that chamois once lived in the Biokovo Mountain but, prior to their reintroduction in the 1960s, there was no written evidence of their recent existence in the area. The population was reintroduced in the period 1964–1969, when 48 individuals of Balkan chamois from the neighbouring mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina were released. The main objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of the existing historical data on the origin of the Balkan chamois population from the Biokovo Mountain and to assess the genetic diversity and population structure of the source and translocated populations 56 years after reintroduction. Sixteen microsatellite loci were used to analyse the genetic structure of three source chamois populations from Prenj, Čvrsnica and Čabulja Mountains and from Biokovo Mountain. Both STRUCTURE and GENELAND analyses showed a clear separation of the reintroduced population on Biokovo from Prenj’s chamois and considerable genetic similarity between the Biokovo population and the Čvrsnica-Čabulja population. This suggests that the current genetic composition of the Biokovo population does not derive exclusively from Prenj, as suggested by the available literature and personal interviews, but also from Čvrsnica and Čabulja. GENELAND analysis recognised the Balkan chamois from Prenj as a separate cluster, distinct from the populations of Čvrsnica and Čabulja. Our results thus highlight the need to implement genetic monitoring of both reintroduced and source populations of endangered Balkan chamois to inform sustainable management and conservation strategies in order to maximise the chances of population persistence.

Keywords

Biokovo, genetic structure, microsatellite, Prenj, translocation
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