CFP: Workshop on Ethical, legal, social impact/aspect research frameworks: Towards an ELS-X Research community in Europe

Workshop on Ethical, legal, social impact/aspect research frameworks
Towards an ELS-X Research community in Europe

Karlsruhe, 4-5 December 2025

Co-organised by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) and the Academy for Responsible Research, Teaching, and Innovation (ARRTI) at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT).

Workshop theme and aim: 

After more than 25 years of applied ELSI/ELSA (ELS-X) research in the European Union with the adoption of the 4th framework program by the European Commission, many methodological, conceptual and practical challenges remain.

As public awareness grows regarding the complex impacts of technological innovation, research into ethical, legal, social, and economic aspects/impacts/factors is becoming increasingly important to help anticipate and avoid undesirable consequences. Now firmly embedded in European funding requirements for research and innovation actions, this type of research must clearly define its objectives, practices, and intended audiences.

This is exactly where we want to start with this workshop: to stimulate an interdisciplinary discussion about methodological and content-related aspects of ELSI/ELSA/ELSE, fostering collaboration across disciplines to better understand and address the multifaceted nature of these challenges. We also want to raise the profile of the international research scene and contribute to better networking among all those involved in ELSI/ELSA/ELSE-research.

Call for abstracts and posters

The main aim of this workshop is to engage in focused discussion. Next to a number of invited presentations on best practice examples, this workshop calls for submissions of posters and abstracts for short presentations.

We welcome contributions from all disciplines with focus on ethical, legal, social and (socio)economic issues and especially contributions addressing (but not limited to) the following questions:

• Who is and ought to be the target audience and what is the end goal of ELS-X?
• How can ELS-X be leveraged to be truly impactful, rather than a tick-box exercise?
• How should interdisciplinarity be conceived and implemented?
• ELS aspect, impacts or ethical, legal, social and economic (ELSE) factors?
• What methods work well for ELS-X? How can ELS-X research be anticipatory and participatory?
• What is the ideal timing of ELS-X research in an innovation process?
• How should ELS-X relate to other frameworks, such as RRI, ALTAI, Fundamental Rights Impact Assessments?
• What is a best-practice example from conducting ELS-X research?

Papers will be selected based on relevance for the workshop, ability to contribute to advancing the ELS-X research approach or starting a discussion, and with attention to the interdisciplinarity of presentations.

Submission Details and important dates

• Poster: please send your poster for consideration by 14 September 2025 via email to [email protected]with “Poster for ELSA workshop” in the subject line.
• Short presentation: Please send your short abstracts of maximum 250 14 September 2025 via email to [email protected] with “Submission for ELSA workshop” in the subject line.
• If you would like to participate without a presentation or poster, this is of course also possible: in this case, please register by email to: [email protected]

We are raising funds to award prizes for particularly outstanding contributions, so that the winners will receive a travel stipend if not covered by institutional funding.

Notification of results via email by 15 October 2025

Organising & Programme Committee

• PD Dr. Alexander Bagattini, Senior researcher at the Academy for Responsible Research, Teaching, and Innovation (ARRTI) at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technologie (KIT)
• Paula Gurtler, Associate Researcher at the Centre for European Policy Studies and PhD researcher at the Charles University, Prague