Empowering researchers to share stories about their work is essential to reach stakeholders and the public, whose lives will be impacted by the technology.
This 2-way discussion will be essential to shape the science & technology for the benefit of society. When done well, responsible stories can also help increase visibility and impact of the work, lead to new connections, raise funds, and promote diversity.
Furthermore, researchers are increasingly being asked to move towards a participatory model beyond the academic field where end users, industry, the public authorities, and the whole of society through its citizens are involved in the research process.
Therefore, it is key that researchers make the transition towards this way of doing research to continue in the research world, since it is becoming one of the foundation pillars. For example, it is now an excellence evaluation criterion to access research funding in the Horizon Europe programme.
Nowadays, these practices are, however, an added burden for researchers and research centres. The culture of research responsibility is not fully established in the research community yet.
Scientific Agitation guides researchers in a smooth transition towards responsibility in their science communication and their research and innovation to relieve them of the extra burden, and improve their mental health & general well-being. Because ensuring the well-being of researchers is also intrinsic to supporting their research career, thus becoming a fundamental aspect of a culture of responsibility.