Implementing RRI in the HBP: an updated anthology
The Human Brain Project’s (HBP) commitment to ethics and societal values is a distinctive and sustainable approach to brain research, allowing for a broader, more inclusive perspective. To share their work in a sustainable and accessible way, the Ethics & Society team published a series of essays that reflect on their efforts. These contributions aimed…
Social, ethical & reflective work in the Human Brain Project
The HBP is characterised by a profound and broad interdisciplinarity, and it is unique among the large international Brain Initiatives in having included social sciences and humanities in the core research from its very beginning devoting approximately 5% of the budget to this end. The Ethics & Society research in the HBP has likewise been…
Inconsistencies in the treatment of disorders of consciousness: 200+ professionals surveyed
Research on patients who have impaired consciousness, especially those who acquired severe brain injury or who have suffered from prolonged disorders of consciousness, has exploded in the last decade, not least within the Human Brain Project. With two international guidelines (one from Europe and one from the United States) available to facilitate care for these…
EHDS: Meeting the Challenges of Responsible Data Governance
Data is a cornerstone for innovation and better health care. Responsible data governance is key to the public’s trust in science and the sustainability of research. The European Health Data Space (EHDS) is the European Commission’s response to the pressing need for a trustworthy health data infrastructure that reaches across member states. Needless to say,…
Including society and ethics in brain science
What is it that makes us human? Our brain is more complex than the brain of other animals. It has made us able to use tools, control fire, build supercomputers and explore the universe. Digital tools allow us to learn more about the brain. What we learn is embedded in, and dependent on growing worlds…
Recommendations from European Citizens to EBRAINS
To ensure the success of EBRAINS, the research infrastructure that became the product of the Human Brain Project, it is important that the public trusts researcher with their data. In order to do so, it is necessary to engage the public in a conversation about their vision and fears about sharing their data with a…
Join us to discuss on the future of responsible brain research
What is the future of responsible brain science? How should we advance work on neuroethics, society, and philosophy in research and innovation in the future, practically and conceptually? What is the status of approaches to developing more socially desirable and sustainable science and technology? On February 2, 2023, we invite you to join us online to…
Responsibility by Design: Moving beyond responsible research and innovation
A paper with the title “From Responsible Research and Innovation to responsibility by design” suggests that a ‘Responsibility by Design’ approach can help mitigate some of the challenges experienced in the application of Responsible Research and Innovation (sometimes called RRI) in the Human Brain Project (or HBP). This is a relatively new concept, that can…
Transparency, accountability and the management of interests in scientific research projects
Managing conflicts of interest is particularly important for a large publicly funded research project such as the Human Brain Project. It should not be reduced to a simplistic and narrow compliance requirement; instead, it should be considered through a wider lens as an exercise that encourages reflection on how an individual’s different activities and commitments…
Responsible management of conflicting interests: An example of the dialogue-oriented approach in the Human Brain Project
I would like to start this blog post, which should be read in conjunction with the post by Kristin Bergtora Sandvik, by thanking Kristin for her work and underlining that I see it as an outstanding example of the fruitful collaboration on ethical issues in the Human Brain Project (HBP). A few years ago we…