Toward more responsive research

Scientific training largely relies on mentoring, both at the individual and collective levels.

Mentoring is a relationship that requires commitment and is grounded in mutual respect and trust. It calls for availability on both sides: taking the time to understand the other person’s needs before addressing them. The platform MentorFirst (https://mentorfirst.org/) proposes a set of commitments aimed at improving mentoring practices:

• Foster an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued.
• Make professional development a priority.
• Communicate clearly, set expectations, and promote transparency.
• Encourage attentiveness and well-being.
• Continuously improve through training and regular self-assessment.

The article Mentoring is More Important Than Ever (Heemstra & Garg, 2022) presents the #MentorFirst initiative and highlights its importance.

The Putting Mentoring First website illustrates this commitment through concrete actions to better support scientific mentoring and provides updates via the #MentorFirst account.

A mentoring guide developed by the University of Montreal offers clear and practical guidance, going beyond the often overly narrow view of mentoring as limited to doctoral supervision:
https://saisonsesp.umontreal.ca/fileadmin/saisonsfesp/images/mentorat/GUIDE_POUR_LES_MENTOR%C3%89S-site_web.pdf

This guide also includes a code of ethics for mentoring and other practical resources:
https://saisonsesp.umontreal.ca/fileadmin/saisonsfesp/images/mentorat/documents/Code_d_%C3%A9thique_Mentorat.pdf

In France, the Confédération des Jeunes Chercheurs (CJC) has developed a doctoral guide (https://guide-doctorat.fr/). At the European level, Eurodoc has published a statement on doctoral supervision (https://www.eurodoc.net/).

Adopting socially responsible and environmentally sustainable practices is a major challenge for the future of humanity and the planet. It is essential to reflect not only on climate change but also on biodiversity loss and resource depletion, and their impact on future generations.

Through their professional activities, research stakeholders bear responsibility in contributing to sustainable development.

“Transforming Science into Action: A Driver for a Sustainable and Resilient Future” is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the Agenda 2030, adopted in 2015 by the 193 United Nations Member States (https://pactemondial.org/decouvrir/pacte-mondial-des-nations-unies).

Integrating environmental ethics into research remains complex: it must coexist with pressures related to competitiveness, excellence, and innovation. A report produced by Inserm’s high-potential staff—Ecological Transition and Health Research—addresses this issue, notably asking: How can we reconcile human health ethics with environmental ethics? (https://pro.inserm.fr/rubriques/linstitut/ecoresponsabilite/plan-de-sobriete-energetique-et-dexemplarite)

Inserm is committed to a sustainable development approach and provides its teams with a strategic plan that includes nine key measures (https://pro.inserm.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PlanSobrieteInserm-171122.pdf).

The objective is not to impose a prescriptive or dogmatic approach, but rather to raise awareness and engage all staff in implementing new organizational practices aimed at reducing environmental impact.

This approach is part of a broader framework of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), based on the Plan–Do–Check–Act cycle defined in ISO 26000 (https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/documents/CDDEP_Le%20guide%20pratique%20sur%20la%20mise%20en%20oeuvre%20d%E2%80%99une%20d%C3%A9marche%20de%20responsabilit%C3%A9%20soci%C3%A9tale%20et%20de%20reporting%20dans%20les%20organismes%20publics.pdf)

A range of tools and resources can support this process:

I – PLAN

• Raise awareness through resources such as ADEME guides (e.g., How to Be Eco-Responsible at Work), the “My Earth in 180 Minutes” workshop, and the Climate Fresk.
• Assess and plan: Evaluate opportunities to adapt practices (e.g., experiment planning, material use, remote versus on-site work, energy consumption, digital storage). Tools are available via Labos 1point5 and Inserm’s strategic plan.
  The results of this assessment will help define the goals to be achieved and the actions to be taken.

II – DO

• Implement changes collectively, ensuring their feasibility throughout deployment.

III – CHECK

• Measure impact by comparing carbon footprints before and after implementation. Tools such as those provided by Labos 1point5 can support greenhouse gas assessments.

IV – ACT

• Maintain momentum and continuously improve sustainability practices.

Sharing science means, first and foremost, sharing reliable results among researchers. Open science approaches enhance transparency and help maximize the value of research data and results, whether positive or negative.

The Committee for Open Science provides a dedicated website, Ouvrir la science, offering regularly updated, high-quality resources, including reference texts, guides, and practical tools adapted to the diversity of research professions and the rapid evolution of tools (https://www.ouvrirlascience.fr/category/ressources/).
In 2022, it also published a summary titled “Adapting Open Science” in which it proposes five strategies to facilitate the adoption of open data practices.

Sharing science also involves promoting dissemination and public engagement.

The Working Scientist podcast: How to craft and communicate a simple science story (2020) recommends avoiding jargon, using clear and concise language, and remaining connected to current issues. Similarly, Alison Woollard (Point of View: Telling it like it is, 2014) emphasizes the importance of scientists explaining their work clearly and consistently to diverse audiences.

The University of Montreal will launch a MOOC in spring 2026, developed by the RENARD research team, to provide scientists with practical tools for science communication: https://catalogue.edulib.org/fr/cours/umontreal-renard101/.

Several research institutions, including Inserm, have committed to promoting more responsible research practices by signing the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA).

These initiatives promote key commitments, including:

1. Recognizing the diversity of contributions and research careers.
2. Prioritizing qualitative assessment.
3. Avoiding inappropriate use of journal-based metrics (e.g., impact factor, h-index).
4. Avoiding the use of institutional rankings in research assessment.
5. Allocating resources to reform research assessment.
6. Developing evaluation criteria, tools, and processes with the direct involvement of researchers at all career stages.
7. Raising awareness, informing, and providing training on research assessment reform.
8. Sharing practices and experiences.
9. Communicating progress in implementing commitments.
10. Basing decisions on robust, evidence-based indicators, including insights from meta-research.

A LORIER webinar dedicated to CoARA, presented by Marion Cipriano (Inserm), explores the principles of ethical and high-quality evaluation.

Researchers are encouraged to engage individually by signing DORA and CoARA and to highlight these commitments in their CVs. The DORA platform also provides tools to develop narrative CVs that better reflect a wide range of skills and experiences.

Revisiting one’s CV offers an opportunity to align professional practices with personal values, reflect on contributions to knowledge production, and articulate the broader impact on teams, the research community, and society.

Research is inherently a collective endeavor, built on complementary skills and shared efforts. A strong sense of belonging, mutual support, and a shared commitment to scientific integrity and ethics contribute to more responsible research practices.

Publications such as Health Tips for Research Groups (Norris et al., 2018) and Ten Simple Rules Towards Healthier Research Labs (Maestre, 2019) propose practical approaches to making research more productive, rigorous, and fulfilling.

These include fostering collaborative environments, recognizing individual diversity, respecting working hours, leave, and public holidays, avoiding the stigmatization of failure, celebrating achievements, and supporting the professional development of all team members.