RRiA Unconference 2025: A Groundbreaking Gathering for Research Culture Transformation

RRiA Unconference 2025: A Groundbreaking Gathering for Research Culture Transformation

More than 130 researchers, practitioners, and change-makers from around the world convened in Berlin for the Responsible Research in Action (RRiA) Unconference 2025, a three-day event focused on reforming how science is conducted, evaluated, and shared.

The Unconference, which ran from 22 to 24 September, brought together diverse voices from across the research landscape to collaborate on improving research culture. Hosted by the BIH QUEST Center and co-organized with the University of Coimbra and Einstein Foundation Berlin, the event received additional support from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Berlin University Alliance.

The programme began with a series of pre-conference workshops, where participants explored practical tools for change, including sessions on research-focused change management, design thinking, and behaviour change principles.

One of the central highlights was the keynote lecture delivered by Professor Maryann Martone, a neuroscientist and expert in open data practices. Her talk, titled “Are we FAIR yet? Changing the culture on data management and sharing,” addressed the growing need for robust, shareable, and interoperable research data. She advocated for the widespread adoption of FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), arguing that scientific progress increasingly depends on the ability to connect and build upon large, diverse datasets.

Following the keynote, Tracey Weissgerber of the University of Coimbra joined Martone on stage for a conversation on how individual researchers and teams can help drive cultural change in science, even in the face of systemic inertia.

Over the next two days, attendees worked intensively on nine RRiA Projects, chosen from more than 70 submissions worldwide. These collaborative teams addressed issues ranging from reproducibility and preregistration to accessibility, research assessment, and alternative funding models. The aim: to move beyond discussion and take tangible steps toward improving research practice.

At the end of the second day, participants heard from Christopher Schmied, winner of the 2024 Einstein Foundation Award for Promoting Quality in Research, who shared the story behind PixelQuality, a grassroots initiative focused on improving the reporting standards of scientific images. Schmied detailed how the project evolved from a small collaboration into a wider movement that contributed to new image standards at Nature.

Beyond formal sessions, the event offered ample space for informal exchange. On the evening of September 23, participants gathered for a networking dinner at Berlin’s Natural History Museum. Surrounded by towering dinosaur skeletons and one of the world’s most significant natural history collections, attendees continued their conversations in a setting that highlighted the intersection of science, history, and imagination.

The Unconference closed with a sense of momentum and shared purpose. Organisers emphasised that while the event had concluded, work on several projects will continue.