The Contribution of the European Commission to Responsible Research and Innovation. A Review of the Science and Society and Science in Society Pro.

This report, associated with the conference Science, Innovation and Society: achieving Responsible Research and Innovation, which was held in Rome on the 19-21 November 2014, emphasises what has been done and highlights lessons learnt from the past and that can be important in preparing for the future. The aim of the conference is to explore these issues in light of the role played by the European Union through its Framework Programmes and the on-going Horizon 2020 programme. In particular, the conference will discuss the research carried out through the schemes 'Science and Society' (SaS-FP6) and 'Science in Society' (SiS-FP7). These activities have been crucial for improving the organization of the whole European Research Area and have provided inspiration to the scientific and technological research carried out in member countries as well as in other regions of the world. As the Horizon 2020 Work Programme (2014-2015) has already allocated 91 million euros to the programme 'Science with and for Society' (SwafS-Horizon 2020), it is crucial to reflect on what has already been learnt and what the future perspective will be. Among the objectives of the conference are to: (a) garner analysis, recommendations and best practices; (b) provide a platform for stakeholders, from member states and others, to discuss further developments in the Responsible Research and Innovation framework; (c) federate the Science in Society Community and provide input for future collaboration within 'Science with and for Society'; (d) present the international perspective of Science in Society projects over the FP6 and FP7, and further discuss and reflect on the international dimension of Science in Society. This report contributes towards the fulfilment of the conference's objectives. It is devoted to reviewing the activities that constitute the background of the conference, namely the activities carried out by SaS-FP6 (2002-2006) and SiS-FP7 (2007-2013), identifying the main priorities and achievements, and it singles out the projects that, in our judgement, could be useful for planning future activities.