Understanding Constraints in the Dynamics of a Research Programme Intended as a Niche Innovation

Roy R. Kloet, Laurens K. Hessels, Marjolein B.M. Zweekhorst, Jacqueline E.W. Broerse and Tjard de Cock Buning

Science and Public Policy, 2012, vol. 40, issue 2, 206-218

Abstract: National large-scale interdisciplinary research programmes funded to boost scientific, economic and societal advancement often have difficulty realizing their goals. Reasons include: the monodisciplinary nature of academic research; insufficient interaction with societal actors; and funding conditions. To better understand the mechanisms for dealing with these tensions, we analysed the dynamics of a large and promising interdisciplinary programme in the emerging field of ecological genomics. As part of the programme, with responsibility for its societal valuation, we were able to investigate its initiation and implementation processes in depth, using participative observations, interviews, and process interventions. We adapted the multi-level perspective to analyse the constraining and enabling conditions, and derived practical recommendations for improving the societal outcomes of large research programmes. Our main conclusion is that programmes with an interdisciplinary and societal mission should work explicitly towards this mission from the start, as reorientation at later stages of the programme can be problematic. Copyright The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.

Date: 2012
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/scipol/scs081 (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:scippl:v:40:y:2012:i:2:p:206-218

Access Statistics for this article

Science and Public Policy is currently edited by Nicoletta Corrocher, Jeong-Dong Lee, Mireille Matt and Nicholas Vonortas

More articles in Science and Public Policy from Oxford University Press
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Oxford University Press ().