Session 2A: Research Policy Tools and Instruments

1
Session 2A Research Policy Tools and Instruments

• Presentations by Stefan Kuhlmann, Patries
  Boekholt, and Alfons Bora
• Four principles of SI participation,
  objectivisation, mediation and alignment, and
  decision-support
• General requirements of DI networking, active
  nodes, transparency, public funding, quality
  assurance
• Policy makers need for SI understanding, policy
  questions, anticipation, monitoring, exchange,
  and benchmarking
• OMC Trend Chart, ERA Watch monitoring,
  signposting, analysis, networking, and
  dissemination balance of effort? And who are
  the users?
• Widespread and undifferentiated participation
  euphoria - but what of its empirical relevance
  and its normative reason?
• Spaces, forums, arenas, etc. New modes of
  science governance? Supposed function who gains
  and how? Implicit model(s) of policy making,
  citizenship, etc? Degree of institutionalisation?
  Boundaries spatial and temporal? Multi-levels?
  Capacity for self-observation and evaluation? And
  dependence on theory development (where do we
  look?)
• A subtle analysis of the possible functions of
  any forms of participatory decision-making reqd
  challenge of difference. Theory and methodology
  have to be developed further (not just reliance
  on the instrumental toolbox theory and
  discredited deficit models)

2
Session 2A Research Policy Tools and Instruments

• I dont want a thermometer that only tells us
  we have a fever, we need to understand what
  causes the fever and how we can treat it
• But need for resources and an appreciation of
  the need for theory!
• Concepts of instrumentalism should be broadened
  part of a wider effort to develop and elucidate
  new and alternative theories of action and
  intervention
• Monitoring / data collection vs. theory
  development?
• Theorising should be bottom-up, appreciative, and
  problem-oriented
• Need for academia to take the lead (through
  PRIME?) in providing the Commission with a
  coherent view of the SI system it needs to put in
  place
• With DI, we need to appreciate and understand the
  games actors play in contributing and withholding
  strategic intelligence
• Consider how innovation studies and classical
  policy studies might be brought together
  fruitfully
• Some thinking on pTA and SI interaction are
  they the same thing?
• Addressing innovation / RTD divide in the
  Commission