A virtual side event at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference introduced the international research community to a game-changing tool designed to help ocean research projects align with societal and planetary needs. The event showcased the EU-funded BlueMissionAA project and its “Responsible and Sustainable Research Reflection Tool.”

The easy-to-use Reflection Tool integrates UN Sustainable Development Goals, Responsible Research and Innovation principles, Social Impact assessment, and Open Science practices into a single evaluation system. This comprehensive approach helps ocean research projects assess and demonstrate their contributions to addressing global challenges.

Oliver Wilson from Ireland’s Marine Institute shared insights on the tool’s practical implementation, demonstrating how it can be systematically integrated into grant call processes. The integration improves sustainability alignment, responsible research practices, proposal quality, transparency for funders, and capacity building across research communities.

Ana Faria from the AIR Centre emphasized the tool’s potential: “This tool has all the potential to improve everyone’s work and improve projects’ impact. I hope it becomes a regular tool we all use soon.”

The Reflection Tool directly supports the 2025 UN Ocean Conference and UN Ocean Decade objectives by making sustainable research practices accessible to researchers worldwide. Its design encourages consideration of multiple impact dimensions, essential for developing solutions that are scientifically sound, socially relevant, and environmentally sustainable.

The Virtual Side Event was organized through successful international collaboration between the AIR Centre, NIVA (Norwegian Institute for Water Research), Fraunhofer IRB, and Ireland’s Marine Institute. This partnership demonstrates the power of cross-border cooperation in developing tools that serve the global research community.

The positive reception suggests strong potential for widespread adoption, with organizers committed to furthering the tool’s development and promoting its use across ocean research communities worldwide.