Title: New directions in research priority-setting: examining mutual responsiveness in the case of RESEARCH2015

Authors: Morten Velsing Nielsen

Addresses: Center for Social Work and Public Administration, University College Absalon, Parkvej 190, 4700 Næstved, Denmark

Abstract: The way governments set priorities for research and innovation in Europe is changing. The new focus on responsible research and innovation (RRI) emphasises broader inclusion, increased dialogue, and a focus on societal challenges. The case of RESEARCH2015 in Denmark is one of the first European priority-setting processes to incorporate such criteria. This paper develops a theoretical model to explore how RESEARCH2015 contributes to mutual responsiveness among actors, a main objective of RRI. Studying mutual responsiveness means going beyond the often-stated focus on policy impact to look at the creation of trust, interdependence and mutual understanding among participants. The study finds that mutual responsiveness is an important precondition for priority-setting, but that the process's contribution to mutual responsiveness is limited, due to the limited attention to social impacts. Still, the case of RESEARCH2015 shows that mutual responsiveness is a relevant perspective for understanding social impacts in research priority-setting.

Keywords: foresight; priority-setting; responsiveness; research governance; RRI; responsible research and innovation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFIP.2017.087086

International Journal of Foresight and Innovation Policy, 2017 Vol.12 No.4, pp.222 - 238

Accepted: 25 May 2017
Published online: 05 Oct 2017 *

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