FASTER
FASTER
Feasibility Study for an Advanced Systematic Documentation, Information and Communication Tool in the Field of Ethical Issues in Science, Research and Technology
Abstract
The FASTER study was created by the Commission under FP6 as a feasibility study for an advanced systematic documentation, information and communication tool in the field of ethical issues in science, research and technology.
To that end, the study has identified and evaluated criteria necessary to create an infrastructure of ethics for an advanced systematic documentation, information and communication tool in the field of ethical issues in science and research.
The purpose of the feasibility study has been to evaluate a new type of infrastructure of ethics which covers not only the field of bioethics but the whole range of ethical issues in research and technology in Europe, and which focuses not only on the question of networking on an academic level, but asks how an infrastructure of ethics can help to facilitate the dialogue between science and society on all levels.
The question of how ethical information can become accessible to scientists, information multipliers (teachers, journalists, academics, etc.), policy-makers, and others who might not have the time or search-expertise to access the academic material available has been central for the study.
In this sense the aim of an infrastructure of ethics differs from existing infrastructures in science. Its scope should not only be to bring the European research community closer together, its main objective should be to have a catalysing effect on the process of bringing the aims and objectives of science and technology closer to citizens and to promote a European culture of ethical decision-making on all levels of society.
The study was cross institutional so as to bring maximum experience in the field into the study, and also to ensure that important ethics-networks of Europe could participate in the dialogue concerning how a European infrastructure of ethics might be developed.
The project partners represented 13 different institutions from a broad range of European countries including NAS countries. Furthermore there were participants from major European and global ethics-networks namely: EURETHNET with ENDEBIT and EUROETHICS, EACME, PRIVIREAL, CCELS and FAO.
The methodology of the study was built around 5 key issues:
- Content and areas of Ethics in Research, Science and Technology,
- Users and Needs and Value-Added Information Products and Services,
- Legal basis and funding requirements,
- Network structure and design,
- Electronic data management and communication.
These issues cover the different aspects and problematics concerned with developing the proposed infrastructure: the work-packages (WP) of the project were structured according to these issues, i.e. each issue is covered by a WP.
The WP themselves are cross institutional and are subdivided into more specific problematics.
Co-ordinator
The German Reference Centre for Ethics in the Life Sciences (Deutsches Referenzzentrum für Ethik in den Biowissenschaften, DRZE), Bonn
Partners
- Catholic University Leuven, Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law; Leuven, Belgium
- University of Sheffield, Sheffield Institute of Biotechnological Law and Ethics (SIBLE); Sheffield, UK
- Universität Göttingen, Medizinische Fakultät, Bereich Humanmedizin; Göttingen
- Universität Tübingen, Internationales Zentrum für Ethik in den Wissenschaften (IZEW); Tübingen
- University of Wales, Cardiff Law School; Cardiff, UK
- International Forum for Biophilosophy; Leuven, Belgium
- University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Department of Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine; Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- University of Tartu, Centre for Ethics, Department of Philosopy; Tartu, Estonia
- Loyens; Brussels, Belgium
- Institut National de la santé et de la recherché médicale (INSERM); Paris, France
- Universität Bonn, Institut für Informatik III; Bonn
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); Rome, Italy
Funded by
European Commission
Funding period
01.01.2004 – 30.11.2004
Contact person at DRZE
Dr. Dirk Lanzerath
lanzerath@drze.de +49 (0)228 3364 1930 +49 (0)228 3364 1940
