In 2013, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme stressed the relationship between science and society through promoting research and responsible innovation (RRI), science education and culture. A year later, the Rome Declaration on RRI in Europe (2014) posed the need to align research and innovation with the values, needs and expectations of society. Currently,  among its objectives, the Horizon Europe (2021-2027) European framework programme for research and innovation includes operations to improve the relationship and interaction between science and society, in particular the visibility of science in society and scientific communication, and the promotion of citizen and end user participation in co-design and co-creation.

Thus, the universities must contribute to people’s scientific training and provide a critical view on the activities of teaching and research carried out at them; they must make science understandable for society without losing rigour, and must involve citizens in this activity and in the subsequent social review process. Universities’ scientific output, therefore, should be transparent and open to the people, integrating their interests and values in science-related activities. The citizens are not mere spectators but an active part of the research process, and the universities must ensure that the results fed back are sustainable, ethically acceptable and socially desirable.

Moreover, Pompeu Fabra University’s 2016-2025 Strategic Plan includes as its key elements the promotion of innovation and social transformation; encouraging the generation of social debate and commitment, critical reflection, dialogue with the various stakeholders, bringing society and University teaching and research staff closer together. 

Finally, in September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an action plan to benefit people, the planet and prosperity. The Agenda poses 17 sustainable development goals (SDG), which serve as reference to concretize the Agenda. For the first time, the United Nations, beyond governments and enterprise, makes an explicit appeal to the universities to participate. In this sense, research is a good way to contribute.

All these commitments reconsider and extend the classic model of scientific production and transfer and invite including the social component and the two-way communication of research (public engagement). Thus, beyond the research at Pompeu Fabra University already including the social dimension in the different phases of the research process, the need arises to deepen in social impact activities through the awarding of these grants to promote greater interaction between university research and society.

Therefore, with the aim of promoting activities with a social impact of the research and knowledge produced at UPF, we hereby announce financial aid for social impact research activities in 2022.

These activities should seek to increase the visibility of science in society and scientific communication and/or to promote the involvement of private individuals or end users in co-design and co-creation processes.

The call is aimed at active members of the UPF university community who have participated in research or knowledge-transfer projects.

Priority factors: In addition to the general criteria established in the rules for the call, the 2022 edition will give particular importance to proposals aligned with:

• The following Sustainable Development Goals:
  • 1. Ending poverty
  • 3. Health and wellbeing
  • 5. Gender equality
  • 13. Climate action
  • 16. Peace, justice and strong institutions
• And the goals of the UPF Planetary Wellbeing project