How to spend EU research funds in the best way?

 

The European Union invests billions of euros in research and innovation, every year, to know the challenges of modern society. Often only experts and policymakers are involved in deciding process about how money is used. To ensure that research priorities effectively reflect the use of funds for the wishes and needs of society, CIMULACT will start with more than 1000 European citizens who will use their own words to formulate their visions for the future and it will build the rest of the project based on these views. This is the first time that a project is so ambitious involving citizens in an effectively formulating process of EU's research and innovation agenda.

 

From citizens' views to priority actions for Horizon 2020

 

Citizens from all EU countries, plus Norway and Switzerland, will meet in forums for the national citizen's vision, for a full day, to formulate and debate their visions for sustainable and desirable futures. In total, more than 1000 citizens will participate. All forums will use the same method to promote citizens' visions, which makes it possible to aggregate results of desirable future citizens across Europe.

When the visions are collected, a variety of other actors will be involved in the broad and intense participatory process that follows:

• First, a major international forum where citizens will meet with researchers, social actors, policy makers and atypical challengers to co-create research program scenarios.

• Next, the scenarios will be tested, validated, enriched and treated in a second consultation phase, including a new cycle of different types of consultations: face-to-face with citizens and actors from 30 countries, and - in parallel - an online consultation.

• Finally, the results of this second phase will be discussed and translated by researchers, stakeholders and policy makers into priority actions for Horizon 2020. This concrete information will be widely communicated and disseminated to key target groups

 

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A key contribution to Responsible Research and Innovation

 

CIMULACT is a three-year project funded by European Commission and coordinated by Danish Board of Technology Foundation. With the involvement and inclusion of many relevant partners, CIMULACT contributes to Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in the EU - a key concept in the European research agenda when it is necessary to dealing with the challenges of modern society.

The goal is establish, by the project, a new reference for public participation through the development, testing, training and evaluation of methodologies for involving citizens and stakeholders. By bringing together partners from all over Europe, all aiming for high levels of public participation, CIMULACT will build strong competences on the ground - inspiring future engagement processes.

 

In short, CIMULACT will:

 

• To create visions and scenarios that combine  society’s needs  with expected future advances of Science and their impact on technology, society, environment, etc., associated with the Great Challenges;

• Provide concrete information for Horizon 2020 funding program through policy recommendations and options for Research & Innovation (R & I) and the simulation of warnings for Horizon 2020 Work Programs;

• Involve citizens and social actors in an intensively participatory debate / consultation / process on sustainable and desirable future research scenarios;

• Empower citizens and the participation of diverse actors for Research and Innovation through the development, testing, training and evaluation of the methods of participation;

• Facilitate dialogue and share understanding among policymakers, citizens and social actors;

• Reveal the importance of the results of consultations that give voice to citizens.

 

Where to learn more?

 

For more information about the project and national partners, please visit www.cimulact.eu. Here, you can find a short video presentation and a project brochure, as well as subscribe CIMULACT e-newsletter.

 

Contacts

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Ursula Caser, national coordinator of CIMULACT, MEDIATEDOMAIN, Lda.

Email: cimulact.portugal@gmail.com, Mobile: 964758828, Website: www.uc-mediation.eu.