ISSC-Conference
„SOCIAL SCIENCE AND SOCIAL POLICY IN THE 21st CENTURY “
Vienna/VIC, December 9-11, 2002
Contribution to Special Session 9:
Development of Social Sciences in selected countries
„SOCIAL SCIENCES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION“
Josef Hochgerner
Centre for Social Innovation
SCIENCE - RESEARCH - SOCIETY
MAJOR CHALLENGES
Population growth Environmental issues
Unemployment
Polarised income distribution
Decreasing welfare indicated by ISEW
Working conditions and business organisation
Knowledge economy
Facts Figures
Establishment of first EC research programmes 1957 Framework Programmes (FP) for
Research and Technology Development (RTD) 1983 Specific EU research activities on social sciences 1994 EC Communication “Towards a European Reseach Area/ERA” 2000
FP4 (1994-1998): TSER (“Targeted Socio-Economic Research”) 105 Mio Euro
FP5 (1998-2002): Key Action
(“Improving the socio-economic knowledge base”) 165 Mio Euro FP6: Priority 7 (“Citizens and Governance in a knowledge based society”) 225 Mio Euro Budget share of Priority 7 in FP6 (of a total of 17,5 Bill. Euro) 1,3 %
(P7 budget share of all Thematic Priorities = 2% of 11,285 Bill. Euro)
SOCIAL SCIENCES IN EU FUNDING FOR RTD
Achievements of the Key Action
Mobilising European researchers in over 200 projects with some 1500 teams involved
Overcoming segmented approach by disciplines (as with TSER)
Integrating research communities from candidate countries (10%)
Stimulating additional funding from other sources (Catalyst function)
Contributing to societal debate in Europe (most still to come)
[Source: A. Sors, DG Research/Unit SER]
FROM FP 5 („KEY ACTION“)
TO FP 6 („PRIORITY“)
The broader picture
EU FP biggest funding scheme for transnational research in social sciences
Other actors play important roles
European Science Foundation
COST
INTAS (NIS)
UNESCO (Balkans)
Regional cooperation schemes (Nordic Council)
Bilateral agreements
…
Need for coordination in the ERA
INTERNATIONAL RELEVANCE OF
EU FUNDED RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
ECONOMY AND SOCIETY IN TRANSITION
Cultural bridges: New methods of work, organisation and learning
Industrial Society Industrial Society
Industrial production of goods and services transformed agrarian society
Value creation:
Goods and services
Productive factors:
Soil + Labour + Capital
Success dependent on efficient use of labour [20th century]
Information Society Information Society
Information networks and the knowledge economy transforming industrial society
Value creation:
Knowledge and access
Productive factors:
Soil + Labour + Capital + Information
Success dependent on efficient use of resources [21st century]
TOPICAL EU POLICY OBJECTIVES INVOLVING RTD
„eEurope“: Activities and policies concerning the development of the knowledge society in Europe
Objectives of the Lisbon Summit, March 2000:
„To become the most competititve and dynamic knowledge- based
economy capable of sustainable ecomomic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion“
Developing the European Research Area (ERA)
Most relevant instrument: 6th Framework Programme
Establish reliable and comprehensive benchmarks for RTD
Mapping and promotion of excellence in science and RTD
EC Action Plan eEurope 2005, June 2002
BENCHMARKING EUROPEAN RTD:
FIRST RESULTS
World standards
The gap to USA and Japan is increasing
Permanent flow of researchers to the US (EU brain drain)
EU provides relatively higher numbers of PhD graduates
EU lags behind concerning RTD output (S&Tproductivity)
Internal EU comparison
RTD Investments too low to achieve targets set in Lisbon
Exceptions with outstanding performance: Finland, Sweden
Shortfall of RTD investment is due to the private sector
Human resource development deserves attention in all MS
Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)
“Universal” message - “national” funding
Fragmentation by disciplines and different research traditions
Urgent need for informed advice for “better” European policy making
Particularly sensitive for all sorts of cooperation / coordination / integration / harmonisation / concentration
Strategic role much greater than actual market share in FP6 funding
STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS
6th FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME
Instruments
Shared cost projects
20% of the budget (decreasing)
Integrated projects 3-5 years, 15 mEuro+
Networks of Excellence 5 years or more, very few
Thematic priorities
Genomics & Biotechnology
Information Society Technologies
Nanosciences & materials
Aeronautics & Space
Food Quality & Safety
Sustainability & Ecosystems
The Knowledge-based Society
Expressions of Interest (EoI): June 7, 2002 First Calls for Proposals: December 17, 2002
First deadlines for submission of proposals: April 2003
FP6 - SOCIO-ECONOMIC RESEARCH TOPICS
Priority 7:
Citizens and Governance in a Knowledge based society
Knowledge-based society and social cohesion
Knowledge and its impact on economic and social development
Choices for the development of a knowledge-based society
The variety paths towards a knowledge society
Citizenship, democracy and new forms of governance
Implications of European integration and enlargement
Areas of responsibility and new forms of multi-level governance
Resolution of conflicts and restoration of peace and justice
New forms of citzenship and cultural identities
Priority 2: Information Society Technologies and (as a
general principle) horizontal issues in all other priorities
The instruments to be used
Networks of Excellence (NoE)
Integrated Projects (IP)
Specific targeted research Projects (STRP)
Specific Support Actions (SSA)
Information on ERA and FP6 Work Programmes
http://www.cordis.lu/rtd2002/
Publication of EoI submissions
http://www.cordis.lu/fp6/eoi-instruments
KEY INFORMATION CONCERNING PRIORITY 7
CAN SSH MEET THE NEW CHALLENGES?
Most common weaknesses of SSH research in Europe
Lack of infrastructures in SSH
Sub-critical size of most institutes
Too little concertation between European and national programmes
National boundaries of research methodologies, concepts and approaches (less developed internationalisation)
MEASURES PROPOSED FOR DISCUSSION
Most important structural support programmes
(1) Infrastructures development based on national and FP6-programmes
Earmarked funds distinguishing between public and private research organisations
Improving ICT networks, data bank and communication facilities (2) Action plan to promote internationalisation of SSH research
Career advancement particularly for young scientists
Development and support of innovative forms of collaboration among private SMRs (“Small and Medium Research
organisations”), universities, industries and public authorities (3) Adjustment of national and European funding systems
Compatible programmes concerning topics and operational aspects
Suitable criteria of eligibility and real cost calculation
National co-funding of European research projects
New topics and ICT usage in science and research open up a „window of opportunity“ for SSH; however:
In Canada the „Foundation for Innovation“ provided 1 Bill. CDN-D for the development of research infrastructure; concerning the SSH the following observation was made: „...our disciplines were slower to respond, largely because we haven‘t spent much time thinking about ... our collective infrastructure needs“.
Thus a major objective is to extend capacities and flexibility in SSH:
„We must be able not only to move between traditional disciplinary and geographic boundaries. We must also build new capabilities and reflexes of co-ordination, collaboration and communication ... between researchers and people from other walks of life.“
[Source: OECD 2000, „Social Sciences for a Digital World“]
INTERNATIONAL REFERENCE
ZENTRUM FÜR SOZIALE INNOVATION CENTRE FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION
Josef Hochgerner Koppstraße 116/11 A-1160 Wien Tel.: ++43.1.495 04 42 Fax.: ++43.1.495 04 42-40 e-Mail: hochgerner@zsi.at URL: http://www.zsi.at
