Cementing Links between Science and society toward Engagement and Responsibility

ended

The European Researchers’ Night (ERN) has become an annual tradition in Piedmont thanks to an extraordinary 10 years experience that has made citizens of all ages eagerly awaiting this appointment with the scientific vocation of our district and the European Commission. The CLOSER project will involve all the 8 provinces of Piedmont and the major city of the Aosta Valley (who recently joined the project), treasuring the capitalized experience of the past editions: it will build on the results achieved along this thrilling journey and move forward, also on the basis of the European agenda defined by H2020 in relation to the science and society issues. The acronym CLOSER reflects the whole thread of this proposal, which aims at establishing an alliance between researchers and the various societal actors by bringing them closer to one another, using the RRI approach to encourage them to take responsibility and work together to design a sustainable, ethically acceptable and socially desirable future. For this purpose, specific actions will be devised to actively engage citizens, schools and young people, policy makers and industries, who won’t be just the audience but the protagonists of each of the proposed action. A special programme will particularly target young people to foster their interest in scientific careers. In addition, CLOSER aims at strengthening the European citizenship feeling of the public involved as well as increasing their awareness of the importance of the European dimension in research through specific activities such as the ‘European Stage for Research and Innovation’, ‘A talk with young research!’ and ‘The Human Face of Research’. To realise such an ambitious programme, the engagement of a large, trans-disciplinary, gender-balanced community of researchers committed to public engagement will be vital: CLOSER will provide them with innovative, creative formats of communication that will strengthen their capability of communicating their research.