The ambitious HORIZON 2020 NUCLEUS project has been further strengthened by the joining of the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridge, UK as the 25th member of the consortium.
NUCLEUS is a four-year €4 million project investigating how to make Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) a reality in universities and research institutions. The Wellcome Genome Campus will play a vital and active role in the implementation phase of this project, scoping and applying new approaches that facilitate better access between research communities and stakeholders.
The Wellcome Genome Campus is home to some of the world’s foremost institutes and organisations in genomics and computational biology including the Wellcome Sanger Institute and EMBL-EBI, and also major engagement programmes, through Connecting Science. Established 25 years ago to spearhead the UK’s role in the International Human Genome Project, the Campus is founded on principles of openness and sharing of scientific data, which echoes the aims of today’s responsible research and open science agendas.
A principal contribution of the Genome Campus will be to offer coordination and support for three Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) test beds called ‘Embedded Nuclei’. Dr Ken Skeldon, Head of Wellcome Genome Campus Public Engagement, based within Connecting Science, will lead the mentorship of these three research institutions, two of which are in Germany with the other in China.
This mentorship will focus on practical interventions to better support engagement with stakeholders as part of the research lifecycle. During the project timeline, data will be gathered which will lead to recommendations, which will be shared by policy makers at the European Commission involved in setting open science agendas.
“ We are delighted to be part of this exciting Horizon 2020 project to bring responsible research and innovation to life. There are many parallels between what NUCLEUS is trying to achieve and our drive to change the culture of public engagement on our campus. This project creates great networking opportunities both across Europe and further afield, which will reap benefits for other areas of public engagement work and global reach
Dr Ken Skeldon, Head of Wellcome Genome Campus Public Engagement
“ Connecting Science’s mission is to enable everyone to explore genomic science and its impact on research, health and society. Collaboration and innovation is a key part of everything we do, and NUCLEUS is a great example of those principles in action. We are delighted to be part of this consortium
Dr Julian Rayner, Director of Wellcome Genome Campus Connecting Science
“ Genomics is a rich field to catalyse discussion of responsible research and open science in Europe. The translation of basic genomics science into applications requires bio-ethical and socio-economic considerations appropriate to the impact of such game-changing innovations. The Wellcome Genome Campus is well placed to support the embedding of stakeholder involvement in fast-moving, often multidisciplinary, research journeys
Professor Alexander Gerber, NUCLEUS project lead and Professor of Science Communication at Rhine-Waal University in Germany
NUCLEUS is a four-year, Horizon 2020 project investigating how to make Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) a reality in universities and research institutions. What institutional barriers prevent these organisations from engaging with their stakeholders to align research with society’s needs? How can these obstacles be overcome? NUCLEUS will implement new policies and programming in 30 international test sites.