WP46 2007/07 "Intermediating policy and science - comparing research councils' responsiveness in three countries"

This paper investigates the developments of research councils in Austria, Norway and Switzerland, and tries to analyse the role of the councils and their responsiveness of councils to research policy. By use of various data sources and indicators, we find empirical evidence of councils being embedded in national structures of governance and policy. Our results suggest that councils in some cases might be likely to be more responsive to the beneficiaries’ interests than to policy makers, while we also find evidence of councils being under stronger government control and thus more responsive to government policies.