Luis Junqueira

Luis Junqueira

MY BACKGROUND:

I am a Sociologist with some previous education in Engineering. Early in my path on the social sciences I gravitated towards the sociology of science and technology and some other areas where science and technical knowledge often play a major role, namely the social dimensions of environment, energy, and food safety. I have always nurtured an interest in the public face of science that I have explored both as research subject and as a practice – through engagement activities in research projects, organization of outreach activities and being part of the editing team for my research group’s outreach blog.

WHY AM I INTERESTED IN RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION:

I have a wide set of interests related to science and technology that I had opportunity to nurture over the years, often overlapping with the objectives of Responsible Research and Innovation – namely science literacy, public engagement and broader participation of stakeholders in science and technology. Currently, I continue to pursue these interests across several projects: I am studying participatory processes in the implementation of renewable energies in Portugal, as part of the project Planning And Engagement Arenas For Renewable Energy LandscapeS (PEARLS); the public representations of nuclear fusion as an energy source as part of the EUROFusion Consortium; and the promotion of safer food practices through communication and education as part of SafeConsumE: Safer food through changed consumer behaviour.

I am also part of an institutional environment invested in Responsible Research and Innovation. Since 2015, the Institute of Social Sciences maintains a regular Responsible Research and Innovation Seminar. My research group, Environment, Territory and Society has a solid track record of outreach activities in the social sciences, that include the Observatory of Environment, Territory and Society (OBSERVA), a weekly blog, a series of policy briefs, as well as regular participation in outreach events.

WHAT DO I HOPE TO LEARN / CONTRIBUTE AS COUNTRY CORRESPONDENT:

I have experience using quantitative and qualitative methods applied to the study of the Research & Innovation systems, namely in interviewing researchers and other stakeholders related to the research and innovation system and in deploying and analysing surveys to the scientific community and scientific organizations. I have been working on national and international projects and on working across disciplinary boundaries. I hope to contribute with that experience, as well as with my knowledge about the Portuguese scientific system to wider discussion about how institutions across Europe engage in Responsible Research and Innovation. Likewise, I hope that the contributions from other correspondents as well as the contact with the research team can help me build a wider understanding of the landscape of RRI across Europe.