On December 18th, IANUS partners from Uniroma1 and Fraunhofer- ISI organized a policy lab on trust in science with experts from HEIs and academic associations, focusing on the unique experience of researchers of academic ethics and research integrity.
While science continues to enjoy a high level of trust, such trust is starting to erode in some parts of society. To assess the current status of trust in science, and to open up practical and feasible pathways for restoring and maintaining trust in science, IANUS is organizing several ‘policy labs,’ that is special focus groups whose goal is to unveil the underlying elements of trust in science and improve our understanding of (dis)trust by involving several categories of experts.
IANUS latest lab, held on December 18th, was specifically tailored to professionals from Higher Education Institution and academic association with experience in Research Integrity and Research Ethics.
The virtual focus group discussion allowed experts to exchange their ideas and co-create recommendations focusing on topics such as the main critical aspects of the research process that could contribute to distrust in science, universities’ role in fostering trust in science, Research Integrity practices’ influence on (public) trust in science and so on. The lab was an opportunity for the participants to exchange experiences and thoughts, resulting in a lively discussion that touched on the current surge of skepticism, social media’s role when it comes to checking and promoting science, and scientists’ own responsibilities to civil society.
Participants’ recommendations are currently being analyzed by IANUS and will be incorporated into policy briefs for science policy makers. The goal is to translate these findings into tailor-made policy recommendations for key organizations and policy-levels involved in shaping science and innovation systems.