RRI Training, built around the AREA framework.
A working introduction to Responsible Research and Innovation, the EPSRC AREA framework and the 4Ps in practice. Designed for researchers, PhD students and R and D professionals, with no prior RRI knowledge needed.
How to take this course
Commission it for your cohort.
ORBIT paid courses are delivered bespoke for groups: cohort size, dates, exercises and case studies are tailored before delivery. We do not sell individual seats. Tell us what you are planning and we will reply within one working day with a suggested fit and a fixed quote.
Have an access code?
If your organisation has already commissioned this course and given you an ORBIT access code, you can open your lessons straight away. No account, no sign-up - the code unlocks the courses chosen for you.
Lost your code? Email contact@orbit-rri.org.What the workshop delivers.
The morning of the workshop walks the cohort through what Responsible Research and Innovation actually is, where it came from, and why UK research funders now expect to see it evidenced in proposals and progression reviews. We unpack the EPSRC AREA framework one verb at a time, with worked examples drawn from real research projects.
The afternoon is hands-on. Participants apply AREA and the 4Ps to their own work, using ORBIT's self-assessment tool, RRI maturity instruments and action-planning templates. The aim is that the cohort leaves with an AREA-shaped analysis of their own projects, not an abstract framework they will forget.
Learning outcomes
- 01Explain Responsible Research and Innovation, in their own discipline, without resorting to jargon.
- 02Apply the EPSRC AREA framework (Anticipate, Reflect, Engage, Act) across a research project from scoping through dissemination.
- 03Use the 4P lens to think systematically about Process, Product, Purpose and People in their own work.
- 04Identify the ethical, social and environmental considerations that should appear in a grant proposal or progression review.
- 05Draw on ORBIT's open RRI tools (AREA 4P, RRI Maturity, self-assessment, action plan) without further support.
Who the course is for.
The course is designed for academic researchers at every career stage. PhD students with no prior exposure to RRI, post-doctoral researchers, lecturers and Principal Investigators all get value from the same one-day format. It is equally suitable for research and development professionals in industry, particularly those whose work intersects with public funding, regulation or public-facing impact.
The morning material assumes no prior knowledge of RRI. The afternoon scales to the cohort's existing expertise; advanced groups go deeper into the 4P lens, while groups newer to the field spend longer on AREA itself.
Most of our work is with UKRI-funded Centres for Doctoral Training, but we also deliver to standalone PhD cohorts, post-doctoral research groups, faculty-wide training days and industry R and D teams.
Format and delivery.
We deliver the workshop in person at your institution, at a residential venue you choose, or at a multi-CDT consortium event. The standard format is a one-day workshop, 09:00 to 17:00, for up to fifteen participants.
Every format can be tailored to your discipline, sector and the existing training programme around it. We routinely fold in case studies that match the cohort's research themes, and we coordinate with CDT directors, supervisors and research office staff before delivery so the workshop lands in context.
Single workshop
One day for an incoming PhD cohort, a research group or a faculty training event.
Multi-session programme
Two or three sessions spread across a CDT's academic year, with action-learning between sessions.
Cross-CDT consortium
One delivery covering multiple CDTs or DTPs at a shared host venue.
Annual residential
Half-day RRI module inside a CDT's annual residential or summer school.
Pricing and booking.
ORBIT is a UK not-for-profit, so our pricing reflects delivery cost rather than commercial margin. Fees depend on cohort size, number of days, location and the degree of customisation. Most CDT engagements sit comfortably within standard EPSRC training budgets.
We provide a written quote within a few working days of an initial conversation, with no obligation to proceed. There is no phone call needed to get a price, and there is no subscription, retainer or annual minimum.
Common questions.
What is Responsible Research and Innovation training?
RRI training is structured professional development that gives researchers the concepts and tools to anticipate the wider consequences of their work, reflect on its purposes, engage the people it affects and act on what they learn. ORBIT's RRI training is built around the EPSRC AREA framework and the 4Ps.
Is RRI training mandatory for UK PhD students?
Mandatory training requirements vary by institution and by Centre for Doctoral Training. Many CDTs now treat RRI training as an expected part of cohort development, and several research councils ask for evidence of responsible innovation in proposals and annual reporting. ORBIT's workshops are designed to satisfy those expectations.
Can we book this for an entire CDT cohort?
Yes. Cohort-wide RRI Training is the most common way CDTs work with ORBIT. We routinely deliver to cohorts of up to fifteen in a single session, and we run multi-session programmes for larger CDTs and consortia.
How is this different from research ethics or research integrity training?
Research ethics and integrity training cover the conduct of research itself, particularly around participants, data and academic conduct. RRI extends further upstream, into how research is scoped and what its long-term social, economic and environmental consequences might be, and downstream into how research engages with the publics and stakeholders affected by it.
Do participants receive a certificate?
Yes. Participants who complete the workshop receive a certificate of completion. The certificate names the cohort, the date, the lead facilitator and the AREA framework material covered, so CDT directors can cite it directly in annual reporting to UKRI.
Pair with.
Courses that work well alongside RRI Training, either in the same cohort programme or as a follow-on:
Talk to us about your cohort.
Tell us the cohort, the topics you need covered and rough timing. We reply within one working day with a suggested fit and a fixed quote.