FUNDACIO CATALANA PER A LA RECERCA I LA INNOVACIO

Their core work

FCRI is a Catalan foundation dedicated to promoting research culture, public engagement with science, and responsible research and innovation (RRI) practices. They design and deliver science communication programs, citizen consultation exercises, and training initiatives that bridge the gap between researchers and society. Their work includes organizing public outreach events like Researchers' Night, developing integrity training curricula for early-career researchers, and embedding RRI governance frameworks into regional innovation ecosystems.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

FCRI began with broad science communication and public engagement activities — organizing Researchers' Night events (OurFuture, 2014) and running large-scale citizen consultations on EU research priorities (CIMULACT, 2015-2018). From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward research governance: building institutional capacity for research integrity (Path2Integrity) and embedding RRI principles into regional decision-making (RRI-LEADERS). This evolution shows a move from outward-facing science popularization toward systemic change in how research institutions operate and govern themselves.

FCRI is moving upstream — from communicating science to the public toward shaping how research institutions embed responsibility, integrity, and inclusiveness into their governance structures.

How they like to work

FCRI consistently joins projects as a participant or third party rather than leading them — zero coordinator roles across five projects. With 73 unique partners across 31 countries, they operate within large, diverse consortia typical of Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs). This profile suggests they are valued as a delivery partner for outreach, training, and engagement work packages rather than as a project architect — a reliable contributor you bring in for specific tasks.

FCRI has collaborated with 73 distinct partners across 31 countries, reflecting the broad, pan-European consortia typical of CSA projects. Their network is wide but likely shallow — many one-time partnerships rather than deep recurring collaborations.

What sets them apart

FCRI occupies an unusual niche as a foundation that combines hands-on science communication experience with deep expertise in research governance and integrity training. Unlike universities or research institutes that treat public engagement as a side activity, FCRI's entire mission centers on the interface between research and society. For consortium builders, they offer a credible, mission-driven partner for dissemination, citizen engagement, and RRI work packages — particularly valuable in proposals where these elements need genuine expertise rather than token effort.

Highlights from their portfolio

• Path2Integrity
  Largest funded project (EUR 225,612) with an innovative approach using role-playing and role-models to teach research integrity — a practical, replicable training methodology.
• RRI-LEADERS
  Most recent project (2021-2023) representing FCRI's current strategic direction: embedding RRI governance at the territorial level through co-creation methods.
• CIMULACT
  Large-scale citizen consultation exercise that directly influenced Horizon 2020 programming — demonstrates FCRI's capacity to run participatory processes at European scale.