Abstract
New developments in the field of biomedicine can have extensive implications for society. To steer research efforts in a responsible direction, biomedical scientists should contribute to a forward-looking ethical, and societal evaluation of new developments. However, the question remains how to equip students sufficiently with the skills they need to contribute to this evaluation. In this paper, we examine how the four dimensions of Responsible Research and Innovation (anticipation, reflexivity, inclusivity, and responsiveness) inform the identification of learning goals and teaching approaches that contribute to developing these skills in biomedical scientists. We suggest that these educational approaches focus on the skills to anticipate intended and unintended outcomes, reflect on the epistemological and moral aspects of research practice, and be inclusive of the variety of voices in society. We argue that if these dimensions are properly integrated into biomedical curricula, they will help students develop the attitudinal aspects necessary for becoming responsive, and prepare them for implementing the dimensions of responsible research into their daily practice. This paper focuses specifically on skills biomedical scientists need for the responsible conduct of research. Therefore, our analysis results, at least in part, in domain-specific recommendations. We invite educators from other disciplines to do the same exercise, as we believe this could lead to tailored educational approaches by which students from various disciplinary backgrounds learn how they each have a role in contributing to socially robust and morally responsible research practice.
Highlights
Scientific developments come with increasingly large ethical and societal implications that require careful consideration
This normative consensus can be summarized as steering the processes and outcomes of research and innovation so they are ethically acceptable for society by involving different academic disciplines, stakeholders, and the public upstream in the research process
To ensure that future biomedical researchers are prepared to contribute to the proposed vision of ethical and socially responsible research, their educational program must be closely attuned to developing congruent skills
Summary
Scientific developments come with increasingly large ethical and societal implications that require careful consideration. As inspiration and direction for specifying these learning goals, we use previous work by Tassone and colleagues in which Responsible Research and Innovation competencies for students in higher education are described (Tassone & Eppink, 2016; Tassone et al, 2017). We determine specific learning goals for biomedical sciences students by starting with a reflection on how each of the four RRI dimensions and their corresponding competencies proposed by Tassone and colleagues fit into a biomedical sciences educational program. We do this in the light of closely related scholarly work in other disciplines (e.g., ethics, social sciences, science education, and moral education). Students reflect on how the dimensions of anticipation, reflexivity, and inclusivity are integrated in their projects
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