Funder strategies for promoting research addressing societal challenges: thematic, impact, and collaboration targeting

TY - JOUR

T1 - Funder strategies for promoting research addressing societal challenges

T2 - thematic, impact, and collaboration targeting

AU - Norn, Maria Theresa

AU - Aagaard, Kaare

AU - Bjørnholm, Josefine

AU - Stage, Andreas Kjær

PY - 2024/10/1

Y1 - 2024/10/1

N2 - Research funding instruments are increasingly targeted towards research that can contribute to solutions of complex societal challenges. How funders in practice seek to steer research towards addressing such challenges is, however, not well understood. This study explores how public, challenge-oriented funding instruments from three Northern European countries have been designed and deployed to steer funded research in desired directions. Our findings shed light on the practical levers that public funders use to influence research. The study also illustrates how these efforts are influenced by differences in their governance as well as in the choices they make about how to balance aims of promoting research excellence with aims of steering research towards other desired means and ends (e.g. economic and societal impact). Our findings highlight dilemmas and trade-offs in funders’ targeting efforts to influence the direction and outcomes of research, which ultimately influence the success of such efforts.

AB - Research funding instruments are increasingly targeted towards research that can contribute to solutions of complex societal challenges. How funders in practice seek to steer research towards addressing such challenges is, however, not well understood. This study explores how public, challenge-oriented funding instruments from three Northern European countries have been designed and deployed to steer funded research in desired directions. Our findings shed light on the practical levers that public funders use to influence research. The study also illustrates how these efforts are influenced by differences in their governance as well as in the choices they make about how to balance aims of promoting research excellence with aims of steering research towards other desired means and ends (e.g. economic and societal impact). Our findings highlight dilemmas and trade-offs in funders’ targeting efforts to influence the direction and outcomes of research, which ultimately influence the success of such efforts.

KW - Research funding

KW - research funding policies and strategies

KW - funding bodies

KW - Challenge driven policies

KW - Mission oriented policies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85206899697&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/scipol/scae033

DO - 10.1093/scipol/scae033

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85206899697

SN - 0302-3427

VL - 51

SP - 910

EP - 922

JO - Science and Public Policy

JF - Science and Public Policy

IS - 5

ER -