The FINANCIAL — The Manchester Institute of Innovation Research is to take a leading role in two new major programmes of research on the quality and impact of scientific research, funded by the Research Council of Norway.
The Institute has secured £500,000 for projects related to the Norwegian Initiative on Research for Research and Innovation Policy (FORINNPOL). The Centre for Research Quality and Policy Impact Studies (R-Quest), and the Oslo Institute for Research on the Impact of Science (OSIRIS) will investigate various aspects of assessing research quality, and the ways in which research can impact on different sectors.
Norwegian Minister of Education and Research Torbjørn Røe Isaksen commented: “This is an important initiative to acquire more knowledge about how we can exploit the potential of research and innovation to enhance welfare and growth in society. The research conducted at these centres can help us to get the most from public research funding.”
R-Quest will be led at the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research by Professor Maria Nedeva, working with Dr Duncan Thomas, according to Alliance Manchester Business School.
Explained Maria: “The overall aim of R-Quest, coordinated by The Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU), is to strengthen international research on research and innovation systems in order to provide relevant knowledge for research and innovation policy.
“The centre will do so by focusing on three closely related questions concerning research quality. How do we establish notions of research quality? What are the drivers of high quality research? And what are the effects of high quality research on society? Understanding the answers to these questions will inform how policymakers can better direct their interventions to support the highest quality research.”
Professor Jakob Edler will be leading MIOIR involvement in OSIRIS, alongside Professor Kate Barker. He added: ‘Where Maria and Duncan are investigating research quality in R-Quest, in OSIRIS Kate and I will be studying the processes that are deployed to absorb and use the outputs of scientific research. We will, initially, have some focus studying the impact of research on policy, on industry and on health provision. Having a richer understanding of the different conditions for research impact should help us identify how end users can more effectively take advantage of relevant cutting-edge research, and what public policy and funding arrangements could do to support this.
“We are very excited to have this opportunity, especially as we have an exciting partnership with TIK, University of Oslo (overall lead Magnus Gulbrandsen), the Statistical Office Norway and with our Spanish colleagues from Ingenio, Valencia (led by Jordi Molas-Gallart).”
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