Organising committee for Future for Responsible Research

The future of Responsible Brain Research 

How can we continue to build even more responsible practices of brain research?  This was the central question on the Human Brain Project’s (HBP) online conference on February 2nd, 2023. Work on responsible research and innovation (RRI) in the HBP has taken many forms, including Europe-wide citizen engagement, dialogue, engagement and co-creation with stakeholder and…

Etihics & Society

Curating the legacy of responsible research and innovation in the Human Brain Project

Over the last decade, the Human Brain Project Building has used structured and strategic approaches to embed responsible research and innovation (RRI) practices across the project. The efforts to curate the legacy of this work includes the development an online RRI toolkit. A recent paper explores whether this kind of toolkit can help embed the…

HBP workshop on dual use at Karolinska Institute in 2018. Photo credits: HBP Education

Developing a novel approach to address dual use issues

How to address issues of dual use in emerging neurosciences and neurotechnologies? This scientifically and practically challenging question has been on the agenda of the Human Brain Project’s (HBP) Ethics and Society team for almost ten years. In collaboration with researchers and experts within and beyond the HBP, we have undertaken research and engagement activities…

Lightbulb, image from Pexels

Ethics of AI – Cases and Options 

Are you looking for examples and case studies of ethics of artificial intelligence (AI)? Would you like to understand how these ethical issues can be addressed? If so, our new book will interest you: “Ethics of Artificial Intelligence – Case Studies and Options for Addressing Ethical Challenges” by Bernd Carsten Stahl, Doris Shroeder & Rowena…

Pencil and blueprint. Photo by Sven Mieke on Unsplash

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…

Photo by Florian Roost on Unsplash

A vision on socially beneficial development of the EBRAINS infrastructure

What is EBRAINS and why the need for an Ethics and Society vision? The emerging European research infrastructure EBRAINS is one of the main legacies of the 10-year EU flagship Human Brain Project or HBP, as it is often called. From the start, the European Commission and partners in the project recognised the need for reflection…

Man holding a postit that says "AI", photo by Hitesh Choudhary on Unsplash

HBP puts the European Union Assessment List for Trustworthy AI to the test

The ethical and social implications of using artificial intelligence in life science – or society – have become the main hurdle for implementation. The debate has intensified in recent years, bringing a long list of solutions in the form of approaches, tools and initiatives. One of the more prominent examples of this is the European…

Soap bubble, Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

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…

Postit notes - Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash

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…

A capacity-building programme for responsible brain research and innovation

Is responsible neuroscience research or innovation something you would like to get better at? Would you like to join other like-minded researchers, scientists and tech innovators to reflect on societal concerns of big neuroscience infrastructure like EBRAINS? Then, the capacity building programme on responsible innovation run by the Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) team at…