1st and 2nd September 2022
Kringler gjestegård, Maura

This year, DLN and the Research Council of Norway are opening their policy forum to the AFINO centre, which is a co-organiser of the 2022 edition. 

Kringler is located only a 15 minute drive from Oslo Lufthavn Gardermoen. Photo: Kringler Gjestegård.

Being both half-way through their funding period, and in the context of the recent changes within the RCN, DLN and AFINO thought it was important to open up a space for both centres to share experience relative to how they engage with (third generation) research and innovation policies in a context of complex societal problems, how they navigate the gaps between the DLN AND AFINO researchers’ intentions for their research and the outcomes expected from funding and policy institutions, as well as to reflect on the new types of collaborations that are needed between DLN, AFINO and the RCN.

About 15 participants from the two centres (including the centre leaders, coordinators, WP and project members) and the RCN will gather at Kringler gjestegård for a lunch-to-lunch meeting. In addition to a keynote lecture, the discussions will be articulated around three themes:

(1) The structures of both centres and how they currently relate to R&I policies

(2) The learning spaces in both centres and how they support reflexive discussions around R&I

(3) Looking critically at RRI as ‘beredskap’ (‘preparedness’) and what implications that might have on research, researchers and the various policy, funding and research institutions.

Preliminary programme:

Thursday 1st September

12:00 – 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 13:30 Welcome and recap from the previous policy forum (Anders Braarud Hanssen)
13:30 – 14:30 Keynote by Ulrike Felt and discussion
14:30 – 15:00 Break
15:00 – 17:00 Discussion: collaborations between DLN, AFINO and RCN
a. RCN’s vision for the two centres, and policy implications (Elisabeth Gulbrandsen)
b. Structural set-up of both centres (Kam Sripada for DLN and Siri Granum Carson for AFINO)
c. How do DLN and AFINO engage with R&I policies? Currently relate to RCN? What expectations and challenges are they meeting?
d. What kind of collaborations are needed between AFINO, DLN and RCN?
19:00 Dinner


Friday 2nd September

09:00 – 10:30 Discussion: learning and education in DLN and AFINO
a. The DLN and AFINO research schools and learning spaces (Maria Hesjedal for DLN and Anne Blanchard for AFINO)
b. Experimentation and innovation (Giovanni De Grandis, AFINO)
c. How can learning spaces in both centres encourage critical reflections on innovation?
10:30 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 12:30 Discussion: Slow research and RRI as ‘beredskap’ (Roger Strand, DLN)
Closing the meeting: what DLN and AFINO will take home from this policy forum (Trygve Brautaset for DLN and Siri Granum Carson for AFINO)
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch


The policy forum is organised by Anders Braarud Hanssen (senior adviser for RRI in DLN) and Anne Blanchard (leader of the AFINO research school).
It will be documented by the communication advisers Christoffer Hals (DLN) and Eva Murvold (AFINO), and some of this material will be made available on both DLN and AFINO websites.

Don’t hesitate to contact the organisers if you have any questions!

Featured image: Dining room at Kringler gjestegård. Photo: Kringler gjestegård.

Anne Bremer
Anne Blanchard
Researcher at Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, University of Bergen

Anne Blanchard is a researcher at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities at the University of Bergen, where she is working on projects studying how science is employed for complex and uncertain climate and health challenges.
She is also the leader of The AFINO Research School. Read more about Anne at AFINO's webpage.