Implementing responsible research and innovation and sustainability assessment in research projects: A framework and application

Responsible research and innovation concepts are popular at higher levels of organising research policy, which must align with the design and management of individual research projects. However, at this lower level, there is still a need for clearer guidance on how to support responsible research and innovation through the development of socially desirable and sustainable technologies. This is particularly evident in the agri-food sector, where calls for innovation have been on the increase, but novel technologies are often controversial and their contribution to sustainable development is uncertain. Integration of responsible research and innovation with sustainability assessment is required at the early stages of technology development in projects, during which technology development can still respond to social concerns and sustainability assessments. The few first attempts are often vague about the methods applicable in projects to support the sustainable and responsible development of technology. This paper develops a conceptual approach that integrates methods required to support the anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion, and responsiveness keys of responsible research and innovation with sustainability assessment methods, along typical phases of a research project. A case study of agricultural photovoltaics illustrates the applicability of the framework across a full research project cycle. The framework addresses the gap in how to apply methods that support responsible research and innovation and sustainability assessment in research projects. It enables synergies between responsible research and innovation and sustainability assessment. In the first steps of assessment, when the unknowns and uncertainties surrounding novel technologies are great, research and sustainability assessment require systematic anticipation of developments and impacts. In this context, sustainability assessment can support reflexivity in more detail than previously suggested approaches. • The gap in responsible research and innovation (RRI) at the project level is addressed. • A framework that integrates RRI with sustainability assessment (SA) is developed. • The RRI-SA framework facilitates socially desirable and sustainable research projects. • Methods for applying RRI and SA along the research project cycle are identified. • SA triggers the reflexivity key of RRI.