Mar 6, 2023
WBC-RRI.NET proudly announces that we reached an important milestone: we evaluated a set Good Practices and selected “Best Practices”. The competition was tough and high-quality applications demonstrated dedication to making a positive impact in their community. We are grateful for their contribution!
The Western Balkans have made significant strides in Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). To showcase these successes and inspire more stakeholders to join the cause, WBC-RRI.NET and ZSI launched a continuous call for submissions of good practices in RRI. The competition was referring to Gender Equality and Ethics in Research and Innovation, Public Engagement and Science Education, Open Science and Open Access.
A total of 32 good practices were submitted before our cut-off date on 31 December 2022 from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Each submission was evaluated by a minimum of three evaluators, and the winners were selected based on the averages of the scores. The scores related to the relevance of the good practice for the Western Balkans, its’ socio-economic impact and level of innovativeness, as well as its’ further transferability. Based on these, we awarded three winners and as so many excellent suggestions were received, “Honorary Mentions” were also given to those that scored well.
The three winners of the competition were announced on February 10th:
UNIGEM “The challenges of mainstreaming gender equality in university communities. Fighting gender-based violence.” This initiative aims to combat gender-based violence and sexual harassment by strengthening the capacities of state and private universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region. Their initiative is mainly related to the Gender Equality and Ethics aspect of RRI.
Haptic Synaptic won “Girls Love Tech.” This project helps parents and teachers encourage girls’ interest in tech through recommendations of great books, movies, projects, and activities. While it is also related to gender issues, the Public Engagement and Science Education category is also addressed very well!
Sister Analyst “Reproducible Research: Advancing Innovation Through Connectivity.” This project aims to establish an open access, fully transparent research resource that can be accessed by a diverse range of actors, ranging from businesses to NGO’s, civic authorities, and communities. A great initiative related also to the Open Science and Open Access aspect of RRI.
Each of the three winners may receive inputs awarding them up to 1000 euros. We also aim to organise events inviting them to share their experiences. Stay tuned!
By recognizing and promoting good practices in RRI, WBC-RRI.NET hopes to increase the impact of these actions and inspire more stakeholders to join the cause. Through collaboration and shared knowledge, the Western Balkans can continue to make strides in responsible research and innovation.
