1. Chairman, Danish Council for Research Policy
Plenary Meeting of the National Councils for S&T Policy of the EU Member States
Prague, May 2006
Bruno Hansen
Chairman, Danish Council for Research Policy
Danish Council for Research Policy

2. Danish Council for Research Policy
Role of governments in making a link between expectations of the business sector and the needs of business on the one hand and the need for a sense of research freedom and independence of the research sector on the other hand, and in fostering the link between R&D and innovation.
Business
Expectations
Needs
Research
Freedom
Independence
Government
Danish Council for Research Policy

3. The quality of the science is key
The business community expects and needs research and educational environments of high quality
Research institutions expect and need the freedom to be able to prioritise resources to benefit the best and most effective – in terms of quality – research environments
Danish Council for Research Policy

4. The prerequisites for optimal utilisation of public research resources
It is only possible to achieve optimal benefit of increased government research investments if the funding is allocated to the best and most effective – in terms of quality – research environments
Investments should be concentrated on the most qualified environments, which are capable of conducting research at the highest international level
Broad basic research is a necessary foundation for investing in new areas
In research, quality is a necessity. Quality is synonymous with the ability of the researcher or team of researchers to acquire, utilise and develop knowledge. In research, it is important to be more creative, better and faster than others who are working in the same area.
To achieve these ambitious goals for Denmark and for Danish research, we need to invest in the researchers and environments whose work is characterised by high quality.
Upcoming investments should, therefore, be channelled into the research world in such a way as to ensure the necessary potential.
Many public-sector councils and foundations contribute to promoting the research-related foundation of the knowledge society. So do many private foundations and international organisations, including the EU, which also funds research in Denmark.
But a clear-cut distribution of work among the players is necessary to achieve the full effect of the research funding system. Consequently, the Danish Government and the Danish Parliament need to keep a close eye on how the entire funding system for research and innovation works and develops so that both the “old” and the “new” grants for research are used effectively. We need to excel at awarding and managing grants.
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5. Research policy prioritisation
Requires a good understanding and overview of current research activities of international quality and national value
Should be based on carefully chosen and open methods
at national level
at each research institution
Danish Council for Research Policy

6. Qualifying on the basis of prioritisations
The Danish Council for Research Policy is developing a method to identify research areas (core areas) that seem particularly promising in terms of both research and societal benefits
Two types of core areas
Current: high scientific quality, established importance
Emerging: high scientific quality, future importance
This method is being developed in close dialogue with institutions, the research council system, etc.
In the next few years, investments should be made with care. We should make decisions based on a solid understanding of Danish research of international quality. It is the assessment of the Danish Council for Research Policy that we do not yet have this insight today.
The Council is, therefore, working to gain a better overview to ensure a solid basis for making good research policy decisions. We will focus especially on research areas considered by the Council to be core areas in Danish research that should be given high priority.
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7. Core areas in Danish research Objectives
Process initiator and tool for institutions
Focus on areas for special efforts
Focus on international collaboration and class
Survey and prioritisation tool for political decision-makers
Where are our national positions of strength?
Where are there potential areas for development?
What is the societal effect and importance of these areas?
Where can we expect to see a positive effect from increased research funding?
Danish Council for Research Policy

8. The hearing on core areas
All public-sector research institutions in Denmark were heard
Universities, Government Research Institutions, hospitals, museums with more than 15 scientific/academic man-years
Each institution was asked to identify core areas
minimum one core area, plus one core area for each group of 50, or fraction thereof, scientific/academic staff members
Template for description and motivation of each core area
Contains a set of indicators for rendering visible both scientific and societal aspects of each core area
Each hearing response can be found on the Council’s web site
Danish Council for Research Policy

9. The Council’s recommendations
All research institutions receiving public funding should be involved in the establishment of a methodological and statistical foundation for the purpose of allowing the comparative measurement of scientific and societal importance.
The institutions should continue working on generalisation of the core area method, allowing it to be used to compare quality and importance of research between and across different scientific disciplines.
The experiences and knowledge gained from the identification of core research areas should form the basis for continued method development in order to have – at any given time – an up-to-date overview of the Danish research landscape and a barometer for progress of the quality of Danish research.
Future allocation of research funding to universities or specific research programmes should emphasise that those institutions, which receive funding, have described their scientific quality and societal importance using the core research area method’s common methodological foundation.
Danish Council for Research Policy

10. Danish Council for Research Policy
Relevance of the core area project for following up on the Danish Government’s globalisation strategy (1)
New model for competition among universities
Once a year, the managing bodies of each university must submit, in competition, proposals for long-term research projects. The proposals are to be assessed on their quality and societal relevance
New model for quality-based distribution of basic funding
The universities are to be allocated basic funding according to a combined assessment of the actual results and the targets for quality of research, education and knowledge dissemination laid down in the performance contracts
The assessment of quality and relevance should be based on indicators for core areas, and the indicators should be weighted
The universities are to describe the scientific quality and societal importance of their research using the core area project’s common methodological foundation
Danish Council for Research Policy

11. Danish Council for Research Policy
Relevance of the core area project for following up on the Danish Government’s globalisation strategy (2)
Improved basis for prioritisation
Regular, broad survey of research needs resulting from societal and business developments, and of Danish research institutions’ prerequisites for meeting those needs
Quality barometer
Quality barometer, e.g. based on internationally recognised indicators such as citation frequency and publishing activity, to continually follow up on and measure changes in the quality of Danish research compared to other countries
Every research institution is involved in the establishment of a methodological and data-related foundation for use in comparing quality and significance of research across faculties and disciplines
Danish Council for Research Policy