Barend van der Meulen

Science policies as principal–agent games: institutionalization and path dependency in the relation between government and science

National science policies seem to converge in policing the double-edged problem of how to get policy and industry interested in the conduct of science and how to get science interested in the problems of policy and industry. However, similarity in the labels of institutes and instruments for science policy conceals traditional differences in the institutionalization of the relation between the state and science. This article conceptualizes the relation between government and science as an ongoing principal–agent game, with different possibilities for stabilization. Each of these differ to the extent the principal or the agents can pursue their strategy. Institutionalization of The Endless Frontier ideology, of consensus-making and of competition between agents is elaborated. Path dependency emerges as costs for institutional changes are often higher than the accommodation of new instruments and policies to existing structures. The argument is mainly and deliberately analytical, but empirically illustrated by the development of foresight in the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.

Comparing the evolution of national research policies: what patterns of change?

This article presents a comparative analysis of the evolution of national research policies during the past three decades in six European countries (Austria, Italy, France, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland), with a special focus on the changes of public project funding schemes. It systematically uses indicators on the volume of funding attributed by each instrument and agency, which have been developed in a project of the European network of excellence PRIME. A common model is identified in these countries, where project funding is the second main channel of public funding of research, but also there are considerable variations among them in the share of instruments and agencies, and in beneficiaries. There are three interesting commonalities: a strong increase of project funding volumes; a differentiation of instruments; and a general shift towards instruments oriented to thematic priorities. They also show that individual countries appear to follow quite distinct paths in the organisation setting of funding agencies, and that national differences in funding portfolios persist through time. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

MEDIATION IN THE DUTCH SCIENCE SYSTEM

The national research system of the Netherlands exemplifies general characteristics of modern research systems, with an intermediary level between the state and research performance organisations, and with increasing pressure for relevance of science. Specific for the Netherlands is the density of institutions in the intermediary level and the institutional competence in (heterogeneous) aggregation processes for agenda building, and consociational implementation. Sectoral advisory councils, foresight exercises, and strategic research programmes are described, and background trends and socio-political and socio-cognitive aspects are discussed.

New roles and strategies of a research council: Intermediation of the principal-agent relationship

Research councils have mediated the principal-agent relation between government and science: they are expected to mediate the political and policy interests in scientific research into the world of science and technology and promote the interests of science and technology in the policy world. Traditionally, research councils managed this ambiguous position by funding peer-reviewed research projects. Changed ideas about the role of science in our society have challenged them to develop new policy instruments and reconsider their position in relation to science, policy and society. This new position is analysed through a study of the six divisions of the Norwegian Research Council, which display differences in the extent to which they have developed strategies in their own terms rather than those of other parties. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

The impact of foresight on environmental science and technology policy in the Netherlands

Globalisation, high tech development and environmental issues have made policy makers aware again of the possibilities of future studies for policy making. However, the lack of systematic knowledge about their impact is a major obstruction to a proper use of future studies. Especially since future studies no longer claim to predict the future, but are seen as a strategic tool for improving strategic interaction between key actors and for anticipatory policy making, insight in the dynamics of future studies is indispensable. In this article we review four future studies in the Netherlands with an eye on their methods and related impact on research in sustainable technology. Although in content the four studies were quite similar, they were complementary in linking research strategies and policy objectives.

Evaluation of research in context: an approach and two cases

Science is increasingly heterogeneous, posing new questions for research evaluation. How can we evaluate the between scientific and societal quality of research, taking into account differences between research fields and between research groups? In this paper we present the findings of two case studies in fields where societal and scholarly output of research are highly intertwined (architecture and law). We analyze the nature of the two fields in terms of research areas and specific aspects of knowledge dynamics. This results in an approach and indicators for contextual research evaluation. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

Indicators for Comparative Analysis of Public Project Funding. Concepts, Implementation and Evaluation.

Despite its relevance for research funding, few comparable data are available in official R&D statistics on the amount and composition of project funding. This paper discusses in detail the methodology developed in the European Network of Excellence on Research and Innovation Policies PRIME for systematically producing indicators on public project funding which allow for comparative analysis between different countries and across periods of time. We introduce the design of the methodology, and discuss delimitation problems and how to develop suitable classifications of project funding instruments, as well as data availability and limitations. We present examples of our quantitative results for six European countries and of the questions they raise for comparative policy analysis. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.

Evaluation of societal quality of public sector research in the Netherlands

Dutch thinking about the issues, tools and practices of evaluation is explored, with special reference to societal quality. Indicators are identified and positioned through the review of 17 evaluation processes in the Netherlands. The context for the review process is examined.

Interfering Governance and Emerging Centres of Control

In analysing the emergence of new evaluation practices for academic research in the 1980s, one cannot but link these to changes in the post-war relationships between universities and governments. After WW II academics became accustomed to an autonomy regime, in which governments were willing to provide funds for academic research exercising control neither on the academic performance nor on the returns of the investments. Quality control was left to the academic sector or, more precisely, quality control was seen as implicit to the dynamics of science and not something that had to be organised separately.