From 2 to 4 October, the Alliance organised its first thematic event for groups of experts in data management, research ethics and support for researchers in preparing responses to European calls for projects. The event took place in Bergen, on the Norwegian coast, and was organised by our partner  Norwegian School of Economics (NHH).

The three-day workshop was entitled ‘AI Crossroads in Research Support: Data, Ethics and Grants’. Organised as part of ENGAGE.EU, it brought together leading researchers, experts and research support staff to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping the future of university research.

Four experts from UT Capitole went off to train and exchange ideas with experts from the 8 other partner universities. They were able to benefit from valuable advice from speakers such as Enrico Glerean, who explained how AI tools can rationalise data analysis while respecting ethical standards. Renat Shigapov from the University of Mannheim presented FAIR GPT, a tool to ensure that research complies with the FAIR and Open Science principles. The experts then used AI tools to create data management plans, ethical declarations and proposals for responses to European calls for proposals.

Ethical considerations were at the centre of the debates, with a discussion on the legal challenges associated with the use of AI and on the Finnish guidelines for the responsible use of AI in research. Finally, Dr Kerstin Bach presented the role of AI in data mining and how researchers can exploit AI to extract information.

The workshop concluded by stressing the importance of future collaboration and the responsible integration of AI into academic research in general.