Science policy
The purpose of this theme is to make science policy more scientifically based.
Definition
We define science policy as the policies of national governments, supranational organizations, public science funding organizations and large public research organizations aimed at influencing the production of scientific knowledge.
Six fields
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Priority setting
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Funding instruments
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Organization of science
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Human resources policy in science
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Science and society
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Communication within the science system
The first four fields have in common that policies aim to increase the output of science, in general or in specific fields, or achieve that output more efficiently, using all kinds of policy instruments. Therefore, the scientific issues in these fields concern the relation between policy instruments and research output.
The last two fields are slightly different in nature. Science and society refers to ethical issues and potential risks attached to scientific developments, communication within science to publications, data access, reporting burden, and so on. Since policies on these issues can have a considerable impact on the production of scientific knowledge, they are within the boundaries of the definition given; but the scientific issues in these two fields do not concern the relation between policy instruments and research output.
Work in progress
The long-term programme
The long-term programme consists of three components:
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systematic inventory of the science policy issues and the state of knowledge;
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development of theoretical models to analyze science policy issues;
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empirical work aimed at quantifying the relation between policy instruments and the production of scientific knowledge.
The first work done
The first work done is the delineation of:
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the field of science policy, e.g., the editorial subjects of Science and Nature, and
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the human resources policy, notably career policy.
More information
More information of the staff affiliated to this theme, and their publications can be found on the CWTS research website.