How can research better align with public needs? Bernstein et al. (2022) introduce the Societal Readiness Thinking Tool to help researchers and innovators design projects that actively respond to societal values, needs, and expectations.
The authors highlight the need for societally focused approaches in research and innovation that can work alongside traditional Technology Readiness frameworks. To develop this tool, they draw on concepts and practical insights from responsible research and innovation organized across key stages of a project’s life cycle. The tool is designed to address gaps in Technology Readiness models while improving on other initiatives that integrate responsible research and innovation, sustainability, and design thinking into research and development workflows. Finally, Bernstein et al. explain how the tool is put into practice, share results from early user tests, and discuss potential future versions and applications.
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Bernstein, M. J., Nielsen, M. W., Alnor, E., Brasil, A., Birkving, A. L., Chan, T. T., Griessler, E., De Jong, S., Van De Klippe, W., Meijer, I., Yaghmaei, E., Nicolaisen, P. B., Nieminen, M., Novitzky, P., & Mejlgaard, N. (2022). The Societal Readiness Thinking Tool: A Practical Resource for Maturing the Societal Readiness of Research Projects. Science and Engineering Ethics, 28(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-021-00360-3