LeNa-Move - Research in societal responsibility

Science and research also need to address how they can make their research processes sustainable. In the LeNa project (Leitfaden Nachhaltigkeit; 2013 to 2016), researchers published eight criteria for this in the form of a framework for reflection and further guidelines for action under the guiding principle of "research in societal responsibility". Now the follow-up project LeNa-Move is investigating how it can apply these criteria (e.g., transdisciplinarity and transparency) in concrete terms. To this end, the researchers are looking at facilitating and inhibiting factors for the implementation of the reflection framework. They also develop and test individual tools for application in everyday research.

To promote the dissemination of the LeNa reflection framework in the scientific community and the application of the reflection criteria in everyday research, the project is developing individual tools. These include, for example, a print companion, a web companion, and a workshop concept. These tools enable interested scientists to implement the reflection criteria more easily. This is independent of the research topic, as the LeNa criteria deal with the "how" of research (organization and framework) and not with the "what" (research content).

Application aids and tools

The LeNa print companion is a pocket-sized booklet designed to help researchers apply the criteria for "research in societal responsibility" to their own research projects. Concrete examples of application and clear presentations of the content facilitate the introduction. The digital LeNa web companion is intended to supplement the print companion as an interactive online variant. In the future, gamification, saveable progress and visual aids will make implementation even easier. With event formats such as the "Sustainability Thinking Workshops", the project enables scientists to discuss research in societal responsibility in a seminar group and to discuss the alignment of their own projects with this guiding principle with experts. This format is particularly helpful in difficult application cases (e.g. in basic research).

Customized research

In addition, a psychological research project is taking place in LeNa-Move. This is largely based on preliminary work on the Comprehensive Action Determination Model (CADM). The CADM is a behavioral model that conceptualizes and quantifies norms, habits, intentions, and external conditions (or perceived action control) as determinants of sustainable action. A study within the participating research organizations at LeNa-Move will provide information on whether this model is applicable to the context of "research in societal responsibility". Based on the results, it shall thus guide the design of the developed aids and tools.

Cooperation of science organizations

As a collaborative project, LeNa-Move brings together representatives of all the major non-university research organizations for the first time: the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Max Planck Society, the Leibniz Association and the Helmholtz Association. Furthermore, three universities are also involved in the project: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Eberhart Karls Universität Tübingen and Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen. By representing the scientific community in Germany, the researchers thus ensure broad applicability of the research results and the implementation tools developed.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

• Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology (UMSICHT)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI)

Helmholtz Association

• Research Center Jülich GmbH (FZJ)
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Leibniz Association

• Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF)
• Academy for Spatial Development in the Leibniz Association (ARL)
• Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)

Max Planck Society

• Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG)

Universities

• Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (LMU) -Chair of Christian Social Ethics
• Eberhart Karls University of Tübingen (TÜB) - International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities (IZEW)
• RWTH Aachen University - Information Management in Mechanical Engineering (IMA)