Engage2020 is a project funded by the European Commission (DG Research) looking at research, innovation and related activities and exploring how members of society are involved today, and perhaps more importantly how they could be in the future.

From 2013 to 2015 the project have mapped, where and why members of the public, stakeholders, consumers and other groups are engaged in the research process, from early policy development to the delivery of research activity. With the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme being the largest to date with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years it is clear that the stakes for engagement are very high.

Engage2020 aims to increase the use of engagement methods and policies by mapping what is practiced and spreading awareness of the opportunities amongst researchers, policy makers and other interested parties. We will map existing policies, structures, methods, approaches, tools and instruments, as well as highlighting promising new or adapted approaches we would like to see in the future.

The European Commission has identified seven Societal Changes -key issues where focussed research is needed -ranging from demographic change to security. The Engage2020 project will highlight engagement policies and methods which are suited to engaging members of society in Research and Innovation activities related to these seven Societal Changes.

With the Horizon2020 funding already available Engage2020 will produce written results by autumn 2014, so that the results can influence the 2015 calls of Horizon2020.

We hope that Engage2020 will spread participative practice from the pockets of excellence, such as the foresight community and Science Shops, to wider groups.

Survey
The first activity within Engage2020 project is to map the use of methods for societal engagement in activities related to research and innovation. As part of this, we would like to invite you to take a short survey on the societal engagement methods you and your organisation have participated in. This survey will take around 5 minutes to complete, yet forms an important foundation for the future of science and its relationship with society. Share your experiences – take the survey here

Visit the project website: News | Engage2020

The Engage2020 consortium:

• The Danish Board of Technology Foundation, Denmark
• Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie, Germany
• The Involve Foundation, United Kingdom
• Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Netherlands
• Applied Research and Communications Fund, Bulgaria
• Dialogik Gemeinnuetzige Gesellschaft Fuer Kommunikation- und Kooperationsforschung mbH, Germany