Post date:
12/30/2010
The Ethics in Science and Engineering National Clearinghouse (ESENCe) beta project released "Ethics in Science and Engineering: Redefining Tools and Resources," a report detailing findings from an October 2009 workshop of the same name.
The workshop objectives were twofold: first, to explore the potential for leveraging the university’s role as a locus of education and mentoring for ethics and RCR in science and engineering and, second, to explore the potential and limitations of digital tools, including social media, for supporting such growth. It was prompted by recent legislation requiring all proposals for funding from the National Science Foundation to "certify" that appropriate “certify” that appropriate responsible conduct of research (RCR) plans were in place at the time of submission.
Workshop findings explored the need for a broader, multi-disciplinary ethics community of practice and to incorporate social science research into ethics theory and practice. They discussed the potential for emerging Web 2.0 and social media technologies to transform ethics education and value of open access, easily accessible materials for training.
ESENCe was an eighteen month initiative led by the National Center for Digital Government, the Science, Technology and Society Initiative, the Center for Public Policy and Administration, and the University Libraries. The report is available for download here.
