Panagiotis Kavouras
MY BACKGROUND:
I am a physicist with an MSc and a PhD in Materials Science and Technology. For several years I was involved in research on solid waste management; currently, my main research interest is development and application of experimental protocols for the characterization of physical properties of innovative materials. I am also active in the field of research integrity, by participating in several Science with and for Society H2020 projects. As a member of the coordinating team of EARTHnet and by participating in open dissemination events, I am involved in capacity building and awareness-raising activities for research integrity in Greece.
WHY AM I INTERESTED IN RESPONSIBLE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION:
Being a researcher in Natural Sciences and Engineering for more than 20 years I have obtained a rather complete picture of the breadth of challenges someone has to face when doing research. However, this rich experience barely provided an equally wide perspective of the additional skills needed to produce reliable and responsible research. These skills entered into my professional world when starting working in research integrity, almost 5 years ago; it was a game-changer in my career. Equally blissful was the experience of working together with people from Social Sciences and Humanities. Before the enthusiasm of this first acquaintance with research integrity settled down, another revelation was making its appearance. It was this “connector” of the principles of reliable research with everyday research practice and societal needs; the initially “cryptic” RRI acronym was revealing itself as an overarching framework, making a wide synthesis in order to foster reliable and responsible research. So, this is why I am interested in RRI; because I see it as an enabler of reliable and responsible research.
WHAT DO I HOPE TO LEARN / CONTRIBUTE AS COUNTRY CORRESPONDENT:
As a country correspondent I will have the exciting task to monitor existing RRI policies and practices active in Greek RPOs and RFOs and to contribute towards a scientific understanding on how and in which context they produce tangible benefits. Working in a country with an active and extrovert scientific community, my position as a country correspondent will increase my capacity to raise awareness on RRI in Greece. It goes without saying that interacting with colleagues from all over Europe, in the context of SUPER MoRRI, will greatly help me draw direct comparisons between the Greek and other European countries’ RRI environment.