Responsible and Sustainable Research Reflection Tool for Ocean and Waters

Welcome to the Responsible and Sustainable Research Reflection Tool for Ocean and Waters!

This tool supports research and innovation projects in addressing societal and environmental needs in their water-related research. It integrates the concepts

• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
• Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI),
• Open Science and
• Social Impact. 

The Reflection Tool enables projects to self-evaluate their adherence to responsible and sustainable research practices in approximately 20 minutes.

How does it work?

Nineteen evaluation questions help users to understand how they can research and innovate responsibly and sustainably. The results indicate strenghts and areas for improvement. The tool can be applied throughout all phases of a project – from conception to implementation and completion – to iteratively enhance sustainable research practices. We recommend focusing on one specific project when using the tool. Not all questions may apply, so users are encouraged to concentrate on relevant aspects to their work.

Background and Links

Developed as part of the EU-funded project BlueMissionAA, the Reflection Tool contributes to the EU Mission "Restore our Oceans and Waters". There is also a general version of the Reflection Tool, not only applying to water-contexts. The tool was presented during the UN Ocean Conference on June 11, 2025, and can be watched here. Further details are available in Deliverable 5.9 of BlueMissionAA and on Fraunhofer IRB's project page. Recommendations for researchers and funders are outlined in this Policy Brief. Additionally, self-reflection results from previous users are visualized on Wavelinks.eu under the tab "Sustainable Research Reflection Tool".