RRiA Newsletter No. 4 – June 2025

Responsible Research in Action (RRiA) – Unconference 2025

A multi-stakeholder Unconference to improve research culture and practice.

Dear Subscriber,

We are happy to send out our fourth newsletter with the latest updates on the Responsible Research in Action Unconference.

Call for Participation Is Open!

We’re excited to announce that the Call for Participation for the Responsible Research in Action Unconference is now open! Taking place from September 22–24, 2025, in Berlin, this collaborative event is all about turning ideas into action to advance a more responsible research culture and practice.

The event centers around a set of ten projects that were chosen in a rigorous selection process. These projects cover topics such as piloting reproducibility checks, enhancing preclinical systematic reviews, and developing innovative, researcher-driven funding models, among many others.

During registration, participants choose the project they are most interested in supporting and join a small, focused team to help move it forward. You can find more information about the selected projects below.

Spots are limited for each project, so don’t wait – sign up now to join us in shaping the future of research!

Register here today!

Explore the Ten Pioneering Projects at the Heart of the RRiA Unconference

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who submitted projects as part of the international call. The response was outstanding, and we appreciate the innovative contributions made by the research community. Although only ten projects were selected to anchor this year’s Responsible Research in Action (RRiA) Unconference, we encourage all submitters to join the project teams and participate in shaping these important discussions.

The ten selected initiatives are focused on addressing critical challenges in research practices, aiming to:

Pilot reproducibility checks in research
Overcome barriers to research assessment reform
Develop researcher-driven funding models
Enhance the impact of preclinical systematic review through stakeholder engagement
Promote preregistration and robust reporting in biomedical research
Advance EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) integration in meta-research
Advocate for values-based evaluation in academic assessments
Improve the accessibility and clarity of clinical trial informed consent
Strengthen the reporting standards for reproducibility studies
Formulate actionable plans to cultivate a positive research culture

Excited to learn more? Watch short introductory video pitches from the project leads and reserve your spot to engage with these forward-thinking topics here.

RRiA in a Nutshell

The Responsible Research in Action (RRiA) Unconference 2025 is a unique event designed to drive change in research culture.

It offers a collaborative and interactive environment for scientists and stakeholders across disciplines to co-develop solutions to pressing challenges in research. Instead of traditional presentations, participants will work hands-on in interdisciplinary teams to create actionable outputs, such as toolkits and recommendations, on topics including reproducibility, research assessment reform, funding models, and more.

Key Highlights

Project Teams: Choose from ten selected projects tackling critical issues in responsible research, from preregistration to funding reform.
Interactive Format: Work in diverse teams to co-create tangible solutions, rather than listening to lectures.
Pre-Conference Workshops: Optional, free workshops to build skills in leading and contributing to research improvement projects.
Networking & Collaboration: A unique opportunity to collaborate with researchers, project managers, funders, and other stakeholders.
Networking Dinner at the Dinosaur Hall of the Naturkundemuseum Berlin – dine with dinosaurs and researchers!

Join us to be part of this dynamic event that aims to not just discuss but actively improve research culture from within. Learn more about the event, projects, and registration here.

Upcoming Related Event

Join us for a Train-the-Trainer session on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Reproducibility Research following the RRIA Unconference in Berlin! This free workshop is on Thursday, 25 September 2025, from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM at the Berlin Institute of Health. Enhance your understanding, engage in interactive learning, and develop skills to incorporate EDI into reproducibility research. This workshop is ideal for metaresearchers, educators, and researchers keen on advancing their expertise. Spaces are limited, so register early! Find out more and register here.

Organized by

BIH QUEST Center for Responsible Research @ Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
Einstein Foundation Award for Promoting Quality in Research, Berlin, Germany
EXCELScIOR ERA Chair at the University of Coimbra, Portugal

Further Information

Do not hesitate to contact us with your questions or suggestions:

RRiA website

Follow us on LinkedIn

Email: RR-in-action2025@bih-charite.de

You can find our previous newsletters with some additional information here.

Help Us Disseminate – Invite Others to Register

We invite you to be part of the movement to improve research culture and practice! Thus, feel free to share this information with your colleagues and other persons that are potentially interested.

Best regards,

More information