The National Science Foundation has just published a workshop report titled
"Research Policy as an Agent of Change" (NSF 05-209). Here are a few
paragraphs from the opening of the executive summary:
"In October 2003, an NSF-sponsored workshop on research policy as an agent
of change was held in Tucson, Arizona, under the auspices of the University
of Arizona. The workshop explored the role of research policies in a time
of significant scientific, technological, and social change. Scholars from
a wide range of relevant disciplines, as well as a number of NSF staff, met
for two days to discuss what is, and what is not, known about how research
policy contributes-in both intended and unintended ways-to major societal
transformations.
"This report is intended to capture the central themes of the workshop
discussions. It begins with an executive summary that presents the
participants' main conclusions. The body of the report describes major
issues addressed in the discussions. These issues have been grouped under
the headings infrastructure, benefits of research policy, unintended
consequences, and critical research needs. The appendices present the
workshop agenda, the short statements that participants wrote prior to
arrival in Tucson, and brief descriptions of the small group discussions
that took place on the second day of the workshop.
"Participants reached three main conclusions:
1. A focused effort to study research policy as an agent of change
(RPAC) is urgently needed.
2. Studies of RPAC will require the use of diverse research methods
informed by a range of disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and
multidisciplinary perspectives.
3. NSF should explore ways to encourage research in this area."
Copies of the report are available from NSF. Send a request via e-mail to
Diane McKay at [log in to unmask] You can also view it on line at
http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf05209
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