CONSIDER, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Designing Research Governance, is an EU FP7 research project that aims to establish a model of CSO participation in research, based on conceptually sound and empirically rich research of best practices. CONSIDER state that they are keen to understand the perspectives of those with experience of working in research projects as CSO representatives, to gain feedback based on experiences and expertise.

CONSIDER explain on their website that their goal is to “undertake conceptually sound and empirically rich research to establish a model of CSO participation in research. This will contrast theoretical views on benefits and limitations with empirical findings on the practice of CSO participation. Based on a grid of analysis, the project will survey all FP7 research projects. It will investigate 30 relevant projects as in-depth case studies. Using the conceptual grid of analysis and empirical data, a model of CSO participation in research will be developed. This model, representing relationships and causal effects of factors influencing CSO participation, will allow for comparative analysis of such to determine the role they play in achieving participation objectives. No such model currently exists, which renders it difficult to plan, implement and evaluate CSO participation in research. Stakeholders requiring such a model include researchers, research funders, policy makers and CSO”.

On 1 July 2014 CONSIDER will hold a Workshop at the Research Executive Agency, European Commission, in Brussels, with the aim of moving towards the goal stated above.

The workshop is entitled ‘Guidelines and Recommendations for Effective Participation of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in Research‘. The organizers hope that the workshop will allow for an exchange of ideas, the strengthening of common partnerships and development of CONSIDER’s guidelines and recommendations to incorporate stakeholders’ needs and opinions, and the Bassetti Foundation is pleased to participate, with Foreign Correspondent Jonathan Hankins as representative at the workshop.

Other invited guests include:
– Catherine Franche, ECSITE European Network Science Centres & Museums
– Francesco Fusaro, European Commission
– Dr Gabi Lombardo, Science Europe
– Gilles Laroche, European Commission
– Filip Pazderski, Institute of Public Affairs
– Alekandre Sidorenko, Independent expert

An agenda for the workshop is available on the CONSIDER website cited above.

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(photo: considering by by Christiane Wilke from Flickr)