topic Research

Research on the relationship between science, politics and society

A science that is based on rationality and democratic legitimation must make its activities transparent and develop knowledge that politics and society can use as a basis for action and decision-making. Research and science today are called upon to be more sensitive to risks and to focus their attention more firmly on problems and benefits.  In particular, this means making their actions comprehensible to the general public.

The BMBF's funding initiative "Research on the relationship between science, politics and society" aims to use suitable research projects to shed light on the complex relationships and interplay between knowledge, society and politics in order to:

• Strengthen the advisory competence of social scientists for research policy decisions;
• Promote competitive, transparency and discourse strategies to increase the efficiency and credibility of science as well as instruments and criteria for assuring the quality of scientific expertise;
• Identify and assess internationally successful science governance models so that they can be put to productive use in national research policy;
• Assess the impact of change processes on science policy and identify approaches for necessary science policy measures;
• Improve communication between science and the general public;
• Encourage a self-reflexive discourse within the scientific community on the prerequisites for and the modalities of knowledge generation. 

At the same time, the funding initiative aims to strengthen capacity building in the field science studies in Germany to ensure that it is compatible with the Anglo-American research landscape.

In the exploratory phase in 2002, the potential of German science policy studies was explored and key research areas were identified which were subsequently studied in more detail in 20 expert reports.

1st funding phase (2003-2008): Knowledge for decision-making processes

Based on the results of the exploratory phase, twelve research projects on the subject of "Knowledge for decision-making processes" were funded from 2003 to 2007. The results of this funding phase have been published in a book: 

Wissensproduktion und Wissenstransfer. Wissen im Spannungsfeld von Wissenschaft, Politik und Öffentlichkeit ("Knowledge generation and transfer - knowledge in the field of tension between science, politics and society"), 2008, ed.: Renate Mayntz, Friedhelm Neidhardt, Peter Weingart and Ulrich Wengenroth

The book was published by Transcript(http://www.transcript-verlag.de/ts834/ts834.php).

Further information about the first funding phase and the twelve funded projects is available at http://www.sciencepolicystudies.de/en/index.htm.

2nd funding phase (2008 - 2012): New science governance

The second phase of the funding initiative focuses on the following issues:

• Identifying emerging governance structures in scientific research,
• Examining the ways in which the protagonists and critics of such changes interact,
• Studying the effects of emerging changes on the autonomy and efficiency of scientific research,
• Examining the prerequisites and opportunities for science policy action that result from these changes.

The first call for proposals under the "New science governance" funding initiative was issued in February 2008; the selected research projects started in the first half of 2008. A second call followed in March 2009.

Funding is provided for projects that analyse transformation processes in the science system on the basis of specific examples. They should take into account the drivers (e.g. commodification, medialization and transnationalization of science) as well as the consequences (e.g. indicators of performance measurement, degree of autonomy, and orientation towards application in different fields). The studies should use and develop theories and methods of governance research.

The cross-cutting subject of evaluation-based management systems for university research activities was addressed in a study that was conducted in connection with the funding initiative. The study (carried out in 2008) offers an overview of important existing and emerging instruments. 

Scientific committee

• Professor Edgar Grande, LMU Munich, Geschwister Scholl Institute of Political Science
• Professor Dorothea Jansen, German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer (DHV), Chair of Social Studies of Organization
• Professor Otfried Jarren, University of Zurich, Vice President Arts and Social Sciences
• Professor Arie Rip, University of Twente, Department of Science, Technology and Society
• Professor Uwe Schimank, University of Bremen, Institute of Sociology
• Professor Peter Weingart, University of Bielefeld, Institute of Science and Technology Studies