The BIENVENÜE programme is open to researchers from any discipline, providing that they propose a research project contributing to the Breton Regional Innovation Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3). However, the strategy can be a bit disconcerting to read for researchers with its innovation focus. In particular, social science researchers have expressed some difficulties to see where they can contribute. Here are some solutions and examples!
The thematical approach in BIENVENÜE
The RIS3 is organized around key areas where Brittany’s R&I is leading, or areas identified as pivotal areas for territorial development: Strategic Innovation Areas. For each SIA, there are identified sub-domains – the so-called thematic levers – and general strategic objectives to work towards up to 2027.
For example, one SIA is “Maritime economy for a blue growth”, focused on marine issues that are essential to Brittany due to its geographic location. Among these issues there is the thematic lever “Ports, logistics and maritime transport” associated to two strategic objectives: SO1 and SO2 (find the complete list of the strategic objectives in Appendix of the Guide for Applicants). In the complete strategy, one may read the several problems distinguished here: around logistic in ports and their environmental impact.
Researchers from many backgrounds can help resolve these issues, such as:
- data science projects to produce better ships management tools
- marine biology projects to assess the impact of ships and ports to local biodiversity
- sociology to ameliorate work conditions, understand public acceptability of possible externalities of ports…
In addition to the 5 SIA, there is an transversal axis on transition. It was created to tackle systemic challenges we are facing, such as climate change or society digitalization. Transitions can be digital and industrial, ecological and energetic, or social and citizen ones. These challenges can be tackled in association with issues identified in SIA (such as ecological issues of the thematic lever “Ports, logistic and maritime transports”) or alone.
So, a research project can contribute to:
- a SIA
- several SIAs
- a or several SIA and the transversal axis
In any case, at least a strategic objective should be identified.
In conclusion, for a same theme, research project with various approaches can emerge and work towards a common strategic objective.
What kind of contribution?
As research projects eligible can be very different, so can be their contribution to RIS3. There are here differences:
- direct vs indirect contribution: one may directly and easily answer a issue identified, and other may also answer to the same issue but from a bit further, especially if working in less applied science. It is acceptable.
- short term vs medium term vs long term contribution: your project could explore and assess situations, where you could work on seminars or dissemination activities to share your results, but also develop a pratical solution in the short term and fill for a patent at the end of the fellowship.
Moreover, it is not expected for a project to resolve and attain all alone a strategic objective. It is more to understand as the research project being a step towards the identified objective.
Again, as the BIENVENÜE programme is organized around the idea of territorial development, there can be an emphasis on results valorization and sharing. In the application, it is expected that the researcher identifies stakes and implications around his research beyond the scientific workplan.
Find below examples of funded projects in 2021 with a social sciences approach:
- the HETEaching project by Dr Daniel Manzoni de Almeida, where he will build a science education model to vaccination for basic education teachers. This project in science education contributes to the RIS3 first through the SIA Health and welfare economics for a better quality of life and its subdomain Prevention – nutrition – environment – work, as well as the transversal axis on social transitions (contributing to re-inforce the dialogue between science and society)
- the ARAvIden project by Dr Marie Jarrell, where they are investigating psychological effects on users of Augmented Reality. This project is contributing to the SIA Secure and responsible digital economy, and its subdomain Images and Contents.
- other projects can be found in this article on already started projects
To read further
- the complete RIS3 strategy
- the Guide for applicants and its dedicated appendix
- the pages on the website about each SIA and the transversal axis (see menu)
- and view the section on this topic from the Information Webinar of 2nd December 2021
