SPECIAL SESSIONS

SS17: Policy, funding, research, and regional development in the science-technology nexus

Name and affiliations of the session organisers

  • Massimiliano Coda Zabetta (Universitat de Barcelona)
  • Ryan Hynes (University College Dublin)
  • Dieter F. Kogler (University College Dublin)

Description

The proposed special session aims to examine the complex interplay between policy, funding, regional development as well as research trajectories in shaping the science-technology nexus. With the increasing pressure to demonstrate scientific impact and societal relevance, researchers face a variety of challenges and opportunities in navigating a rapidly changing policy and funding landscape that is increasingly globalized but equally driven by regional knowledge specialisations. This special session seeks to bring together scholars and practitioners to critically examine the implications of policy and funding decisions on research directions that impact upon the careers of individuals and potential regional outcomes (entrepreneurial, skill and knowledge bases), and to identify strategies for promoting scientific excellence and social impact.

This session aims to:

  • explore the impact of policy and funding decisions on the science-technology nexus.
  • investigate the multiscalar relationships that guide one the one hand policy and funding decisions, but on the other hand impact upon the opportunities and constraints experienced by individuals, firms and regional economies.
  • examine the challenges and opportunities of navigating research careers in the context of policy expectations and funding demands.
  •  identify promising approaches for promoting scientific excellence and societal impact via policy and funding instruments.

This special session welcomes contributions from scholars and practitioners interested in exploring the intersection of policy, funding, research and regional development paths in the science- technology nexus. We encourage submissions that offer empirical, theoretical, or policy-oriented insights into these topics and that promote dialogue between researchers and practitioners in the field. The aim is to facilitate a productive and collaborative conversation about the implications and opportunities of policy and funding decisions, and to identify strategies for promoting scientific excellence and societal impact in the science-technology nexus.

Submissions might cover topics such as: 

  • The role of policy and funding in shaping the science-technology nexus at a global and regional scale.
  • The role of policy and funding in supporting the interaction between science and research in conjunction with technology and innovation.
  • Rewarding, incentivizing, and assessing research careers in the context of scientific impact and societal relevance.
  • Emerging work roles and technical careers in the science and technology sectors.
  • Working conditions, mental health, and wellbeing in research careers, with a focus on equality, diversity, and inclusion.
  • The role of doctoral training for diversified career pathways and associated mobility and internationalization in research careers.
  • Independence and inter-dependencies in research endavours, with a focus on collaborative and interdisciplinary research practices.

ORGANISER

The Manchester Institute of Innovation Research

PARTNERS

The Manchester Urban Institute           Creative Manchester logo

SPONSORS

The University of Manchester Hallsworth Conference Fund           The Regional Studies Association           The Productivity Institute