Silje Marie Svartefoss

• Langfeldt, Liv; Svartefoss, Silje Marie; Jorstad, Anne & Ingeborgrud, Lina (2026). Double-blind peer review and unconventional research: A comparative study of the SNSF Spark Pilot. Quantitative Science Studies (QSS). p. 1–26. doi: 10.1162/qss.a.468. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract In response to concerns that their research funding systems impose unwarranted epistemic restrictions on scientific research and discourage unconventional and risky projects, funders are exploring alternative funding instruments. This paper presents analyses of Spark, a pilot funding instrument of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) for unconventional and high-risk research that introduced a double-blind evaluation process without review panel discussions. We explore how these programme terms may promote unconventional research by affecting who are applying, their motivations and the assessments of proposed projects. Comparing Spark with a standard SNSF funding scheme we find that the two programmes attracted very different groups of applicants. Anonymized proposals more often inspired non-established and younger researchers to apply, and those inspired to do unconventional and high-risk research were more often funded. Moreover, Spark was effective in avoiding bias against those not holding a professorship or affiliated to a university of applied sciences. Notably, double-blinding was not the sole difference between the two funding schemes, and part of the effects may result from other characteristics of Spark. We discuss implications for how to encourage unconventional research, and the dilemmas of incorporating risk into funding decisions.

• Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Klitkou, Antje (2024). The role of board interlocks in increasing the use of wood in Norwegian construction. Corporate Board: Role, Duties and Composition. ISSN 1810-8601. 20(1), p. 8–22. doi: 10.22495/cbv20i1art1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper studies the existence of board interlocks between woodbased firms in the Norwegian construction supply chain and firms in other industries, and their role in enabling increased use of wood in construction. Wood-based construction remains a niche market globally. The literature highlights two main barriers to wood-based construction: 1) lack of expertise with the material, and 2) lack of coordination and collaboration across the supply chain. As a form of interfirm governance structure, board interlocks may promote innovation in construction, such as applying new materials, products and processes, by fostering strategic collaborations. Drawing on resource dependence theory (RDT) and the theory of dynamic capabilities, we explore this through analysis of registry data, interviews and case studies. It was found that the majority of wood-based firms have board interlocks and that a majority of the firms they are interlocked with belong to industries within the construction supply chain. It was also found that the role of these board interlocks is primarily to secure access to immaterial resources, such as knowledge, expertise and skills, which enables the wood-based firms to engage in processes (sensing, seizing, and reconfiguration) that are important for their dynamic capabilities and therefore closely related to their ability to innovate.

• Borlaug, Siri Brorstad & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2024). Evaluating transdisciplinary research quality. In Sivertsen, Gunnar & Langfeldt, Liv (Ed.), Challenges in research policy: evidence-based policy briefs with recommendations. Springer Nature. ISSN 9783031695797. p. 13–20. Full text in Research Archive
• Svartefoss, Silje Marie; Jungblut, Jens Patrick Wilhelm; Aksnes, Dag W.; Kolltveit, Kristoffer & Leeuwen, Thed van (2024). Explaining research performance: investigating the importance of motivation. SN Social Sciences. 4(6), p. 1–24. doi: 10.1007/s43545-024-00895-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this article, we study the motivation and performance of researchers. More specifically, we investigate what motivates researchers across different research fields and countries and how this motivation influences their research performance. The basis for our study is a large-N survey of economists, cardiologists, and physicists in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the UK. The analysis shows that researchers are primarily motivated by scientific curiosity and practical application and less so by career considerations. There are limited differences across fields and countries, suggesting that the mix of motivational aspects has a common academic core less influenced by disciplinary standards or different national environments. Linking motivational factors to research performance, through bibliometric data on publication productivity and citation impact, our data show that those driven by practical application aspects of motivation have a higher probability for high productivity. Being driven by career considerations also increases productivity but only to a certain extent before it starts having a detrimental effect.

• Borlaug, Siri Brorstad; Karaulova, Maria; Svartefoss, Silje Marie; Sivertsen, Gunnar; Meijer, Ingeborg & Leeuwen, Thed N. van [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Researchers engaging with society: who does what? Science and Public Policy. ISSN 0302-3427. 51(4), p. 618–642. doi: 10.1093/scipol/scae006. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Distinguishing between research collaboration, consultancy, dissemination, and commercialization of research results, this paper analyses the determinants of researchers’ societal engagement. The analytical framework integrates societal engagement as part of the credibility cycle. Several variables extend previous findings on determinants and mechanisms—herein scientific recognition and funding sources. A novel method to investigate the relationship between scientific recognition and societal engagement is explored. Drawing on a large-scale survey of European-based researchers in physics, cardiology, and economics, we find that several factors are associated with different modes of societal engagement in complex and intersecting ways. Scientific recognition is positively associated with research collaboration and dissemination, while organizational seniority is associated with all modes except for research collaboration with non-scientific actors. Female gender is positively associated with dissemination and external funding sources are positively associated will all. The findings intersect with differences in the three research fields.

• Normann, Håkon Endresen; Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Thune, Taran Mari (2024). Behind the scenes: Politics and pragmatism in formulating mission-oriented innovation policies in a national context. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. ISSN 2210-4224. 52. doi: 10.1016/j.eist.2024.100891. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper investigates the development of a mission-oriented innovation policy approach at a national level. The empirical case that forms the core of the paper is a policy process towards shaping future research and innovation policies and priorities in Norway. The concept “mission-oriented research and innovation policy” was introduced in the policy process and steps were initiated to develop and implement missions as a new policy approach to address grand challenges. Based on a narrative case study and interviews with 33 policymakers, the paper illuminates the “inner life” of a policy process and the meanings and actions agents bring to it, and how this shapes policy formulation. The paper draws on policy process theories, and particularly highlights the role of actors, ideas and anchoring, and illustrates how these interrelated elements of a policy process occur both within and across bureaucratic and political arenas.

• Korseberg, Lene Kirstine & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2024). «Nesten virksomhetskritisk for det pedagogiske» – barrierer for pedagogisk bruk av digital teknologi i norsk høyere utdanning. Uniped - Tidsskrift for universitets- og høgskolepedagogikk. ISSN 1500-4538. 47(2), p. 155–166. doi: 10.18261/uniped.47.2.7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Det er i økende grad en forventning om at digital teknologi skal tas i bruk i undervisningen ved norske universiteter og høgskoler. Grunntanken er at slik teknologi på ulike måter kan legge til rette for mer studentaktive undervisnings- og læringsformer, som igjen kan fremme studentenes læringsutbytte. Samtidig viser forskning på feltet at det ikke er bruk av digital teknologi i seg selv som fører til styrket pedagogisk praksis. I denne artikkelen ser vi derfor nærmere på hvordan digital teknologi kan integreres på en måte som fremmer læring i høyere utdanning, og hvilke barrierer for en slik integrering som kan identifiseres. Disse problemstillingene blir besvart ved hjelp av fokusgruppeintervjuer med informanter fra de universitetspedagogiske miljøene ved elleve statlige utdanningsinstitusjoner. Datamaterialet blir analysert med utgangspunkt i historisk institusjonalisme, koblet med Porras-Hernández og Salinas-Amescuas (2013) kontekstuelle TPACK-modell. Vi finner at mangelen på særlig teknologisk, men også til en viss grad pedagogisk, kompetanse hindrer underviserne i å utnytte det fagdidaktiske pedagogiske potensialet som ligger i digital teknologi. Denne barrieren forsterkes ytterligere av andre kontekstuelle faktorer. Spesielt viktig i denne sammenhengen er endret praktisering av personvernlovgivning, som innebærer at den digitale teknologien ofte er forhåndsbestemt og den pedagogiske tilnærmingen må tilpasses deretter. Dette strider mot definisjonen av pedagogisk bruk av digital teknologi, som innebærer at læringsmålene legges til grunn og teknologien bare integreres dersom den understøtter oppnåelsen av disse.

• Langfeldt, Liv; Reymert, Ingvild & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2023). Distrust in grant peer review — reasons and remedies. Science and Public Policy. ISSN 0302-3427. doi: 10.1093/scipol/scad051. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  With the increasing reliance on competitive grants to fund research, we see a review system under pressure. While peer review has long been perceived as the cornerstone of self-governance in science, researchers have expressed distrust in the peer review procedures of funding agencies. This paper draws on literature pointing out ability, benevolence, and integrity as important for trustworthiness and explores the conditions under which researchers have confidence in grant review. Based on rich survey material, we find that researchers trust grant reviewers far less than they trust journal peer reviewers or their colleagues’ ability to assess their research. Yet, scholars who have success with grant proposals or serve on grant review panels appear to have more trust in grant reviewers. We conclude that transparency and reviewers with field competencies are crucial for trust in grant review and discuss how this can be ensured.

• Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2023). THE ROLE OF BOARD INTERLOCKS IN INCREASING THE USE OF WOOD IN CONSTRUCTION. In Nyrud, Anders Q.; Malo, Kjell Arne & Nore, Kristine (Ed.), Proceedings from the 13th World Conference on Timber Engineering. WCTE 2023. Curran Associates, Inc.. ISSN 9781713873273. p. 4555–4564. doi: 10.52202/069179-0593. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper studies the existence of board interlocks between wood-based firms in the construction supply chain and firms in other industries and their role in enabling increased use of wood in construction. Despite recent technological developments in wood-based construction, it is still a niche within the construction market. The literature highlights two main barriers to wood-based construction: (1) lack of material expertise and (2) lack of coordination and collaboration across the supply chain. Interfirm governance structures, such as board interlocks, may constitute a path towards innovation in construction by establishing strategic partnerships. By combining resource dependence theory and dynamic capabilities, we formulate expected findings and analyse these through social network analysis and interviews with board of director's members of wood-based firms in Norway. The dataset consists of 549,449 firms. We find that most wood-based firms have board interlocks with other firms. Furthermore, these other firms are spread across industries, but most belong to industries within the construction supply chain. Additionally, the role of these board interlocks is not to secure access to material resources but to access immaterial resources, such as knowledge, expertise and skill, which contribute to the firms' dynamic capabilities and consequently their competitive advantage.

• Schwach, Vera; Karlstrøm, Henrik & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2022). Økende vitenskapsproduksjon på engelsk i forvaltningen. Stat & Styring. ISSN 0803-0103. p. 52–55. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Fagspråk er forskningspolitikk og språkpolitikk. Språkpraksis i offentlig sektor har vital betydning for et norsk fagspråk. Denne artikkelen belyser språkbruk i statlige forvaltningsorganer som utfører forskning og utviklingsarbeid (FoU), men ikke er forskningsinstitusjoner. Det handler om forvaltningsorganer med faglige oppdrag å utvikle, forvalte og formidle kunnskap på sitt saksområde, altså organer som skal bidra til å forvalte nasjonal infrastruktur, fellesskapets fysiske og materielle ressurser og sørge for at velferdsstaten tar vare på menneskene som lever i landet. FoU i forvaltningen har ligget i forskningspolitikkens skyggedal, og språkpraksisen i disse organene har gått under språkradaren. Språk er en grunnleggende infrastruktur og verktøy for kunnskapsbygging. Denne artikkelen viser at engelsk dominerer vitenskapelig publisering, mens norsk er på vikende front. Engelsk er en språknorm som forvaltningens ansatte har med seg fra akademia og viderefører i sin forskningspublisering. I faglig publisering holder norsk sannsynligvis en solid posisjon, men her er datagrunnlaget ufullstendig.

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• Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2025). Coordination in action: Exploring how governments can implement transformative missions through a whole-of-government approach. Full text in Research Archive
• Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2025). Governing sustainability transitions - exploring how public sector organizations can develop transformative capacity. Full text in Research Archive
• Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Klitkou, Antje (2025). The role of board interlocks in increasing the use of wood in Norwegian construction. Full text in Research Archive
• Normann, Håkon Endresen; Thune, Taran Mari; Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Smith, Benjamin Donald (2024). Introducing novel policy concepts: Roles and relations between politicians and bureaucrats. Full text in Research Archive
• Normann, Håkon Endresen; Thune, Taran Mari; Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Smith, Benjamin Donald (2024). Introducing novel policy concepts: Roles and relations between politicians and bureaucrats. Full text in Research Archive
• Svartefoss, Silje Marie; Thune, Taran Mari; Normann, Håkon Endresen & Smith, Benjamin Donald (2024). Missions as a policy innovation: a study of how actors use policy entrepreneurship strategies in the design phase. Full text in Research Archive
• Svartefoss, Silje Marie; Thune, Taran Mari; Normann, Håkon Endresen & Smith, Benjamin Donald (2024). Developing a policy design for implementation on the ground - a process of many iterations. Full text in Research Archive
• Borlaug, Siri Brorstad & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2024). Evaluating transdisciplinary research quality. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Transdisciplinary research (TDR) addresses societal issues and involves non-academic partners. To meet today’s societal challenges TDR is often seen as part of the solution. But TDR projects differ considerable from regular and disciplinary projects and therefore require other conceptions of quality and evaluative approaches.

• Langfeldt, Liv; Reymert, Ingvild & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2023). Lav tillit til forsknings­tildelinger — hva kan gjøres? Full text in Research Archive
• Borlaug, Siri Brorstad; Langfeldt, Liv; Karlstrøm, Henrik & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2023). The role of Centres of Excellence in facilitating epistemic and organisational boundary crossing in science. Full text in Research Archive
• Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2023). The challenge of coordination and mission-oriented innovation policy - the case of Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2023). THE ROLE OF BOARD INTERLOCKS IN INCREASING THE USE OF WOOD IN CONSTRUCTION. Full text in Research Archive
• Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Koch, Per M. (2023). Framtidslaboratorium om den norske lakseoppdrettsnæringen. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I dette notatet gir vi en kort oppsummering fra et heldags framtidslaboratorium om oppdrettsnæringen arrangert innenfor rammene av AFINO-senteret for ansvarlig forskning og innovasjon. Øvelsen ble gjennomført den 7. september 2022 i samarbeid mellom NIFU og forskningsprosjektene SALMANSVAR og KABIS. Målet var å utforske fremtidige scenarier og alternative utviklingsveier for norsk lakseindustri i fremtiden knyttet til sosiale, økonomiske, etiske og styringsmessige aspekter.

• Langfeldt, Liv & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2022). Researchers’ Distrust in Grant Peer Review – Reasons and Remedies. Full text in Research Archive
• Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2022). Researchers’ Distrust in Grant Peer Review – Reasons and Remedies. Full text in Research Archive
• Langfeldt, Liv; Reymert, Ingvild & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2022). Researchers’ Distrust in Grant Peer Review - Reasons and Remedies. Full text in Research Archive
• Borlaug, Siri Brorstad; Langfeldt, Liv; Karlstrøm, Henrik & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2022). Centres of Excellence – How to organise for interdisciplinarity and scientific novelty. Full text in Research Archive
• Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Borlaug, Siri Brorstad (2022). Tverrfaglig forskning – en litteraturgjennomgang. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hva menes med tverrfaglig forskning? Hvilken betydning har institusjonelle forhold for å legge til rett for og styrke den tverrfaglige forskningen?

• Schwach, Vera; Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Karlstrøm, Henrik (2022). FoU i statlige forvaltningsorganer. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Offentlig forvaltning anses primært som bruker av forskning. Men det er klare indikasjoner på at forvaltningens interne analyse- og utredningsarbeid har økt. I dette notatet undersøker vi i hvilken grad forvaltningsorganer driver eget forsknings- og utviklingsarbeid (FoU). Vi gransker omfanget av FoU og drøfter mulige forklaringer på volumet. Vi stiller spørsmål om hvordan en FoU-oppbygging kan innvirke på forskningsinstituttenes virksomhet og på forskningssystemet generelt. Artikkelen drøfter også om OECDs definisjon av FoU gjenspeiler forskning og ikke minst utviklingsarbeid i praksis.

• Ingeborgrud, Lina; Koch, Per M. & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2022). Framtidslaboratorium om kunstig intelligens. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I dette notatet gir vi en kort oppsummering fra et halvdags fremtidslaboratorium om kunstig intelligens arrangert innenfor rammene av AFINO-senteret for ansvarlig forskning og innovasjon. Øvelsen ble gjennomført den 4. april 2022 i samarbeid mellom NIFU og Handelshøgskolen BI. Målet var å drøfte fremtidige muligheter og utfordringer som kan følge av bruk av kunstig intelligens i Norge og verden for øvrig. AI gir store muligheter for innovasjon på nesten alle samfunnsområder, men gir også utfordringer på områder som personlig frihet, demokrati, rettferdighet og sosial inkludering.

• Langfeldt, Liv; Borlaug, Siri Brorstad; Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Solberg, Espen (2023). FWF Clusters of Excellence: Evaluation of the selection process for the first call for proposals. NIFU Nordisk institutt for studier av innovasjon, forskning og utdanning. ISSN 9788232705887. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This report was commissioned by the Austrian Science Fund’s (FWF) and presents the results of an accompanying evaluation of the selection process for the first call of FWF’s Cluster of Excellence (CoE) programme. The purpose is to provide information for developing the procedures for the next call for proposals.

• Langfeldt, Liv; Ingeborgrud, Lina; Reymert, Ingvild; Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Borlaug, Siri Brorstad (2022). Evaluation of the Spark pilot: Identifying novel and unconventional research by doubleblinded peer review. NIFU Nordisk institutt for studier av innovasjon, forskning og utdanning. ISSN 9788232705429. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This report presents the results of an evaluation of the Spark pilot, a research funding instrument which was piloted by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) in 2019 and 2020 to enable rapid funding of unconventional research ideas. The evaluation report was commissioned by the SNSF, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the funding instrument, and to provide the SNSF with recommendations on a possible future Spark funding instrument.

• Korseberg, Lene Kirstine; Svartefoss, Silje Marie; Bergene, Ann Cecilie & Hovdhaugen, Elisabeth (2022). Pedagogisk bruk av digital teknologi i høyere utdanning. NIFU Nordisk institutt for studier av innovasjon, forskning og utdanning. ISSN 9788232705382. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne rapporten tar for seg tematikken pedagogisk bruk av digital teknologi i høyere utdanning. Temaet studeres gjennom en analyse av tre ulike datakilder: en litteraturstudie, gjennomgang av eksisterende rapporteringsdata og eksisterende surveydata som dekker digitale verktøy/teknologi, samt intervjuer med UH-pedagogiske miljøer ved landets universiteter og høgskoler.

• Schwach, Vera; Svartefoss, Silje Marie; Karlstrøm, Henrik & Piro, Fredrik Niclas (2022). La oss snakke om F, U og innovasjon i forvaltningen: Forskning og utviklingsarbeid i statlige organer med annen hovedaktivitet. NIFU Nordisk institutt for studier av innovasjon, forskning og utdanning. ISSN 9788232705566. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Dette notatet presenterer resultatet av en utviklingsoppgave under NIFUs statistikkavtale med Norges forskningsråd. NIFU har undersøkt omfanget av forskning og utviklingsarbeid (FoU) i statlige forvaltningsorganer, presisert til organer med et annet hovedmål enn FoU-virksomhet.

• Borlaug, Siri Brorstad; Korseberg, Lene Kirstine; Gulbrandsen, Magnus; Thune, Taran Mari & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2022). Organisering av teknologioverføring ved norske forskningsinstitusjoner: Mulige modeller. NIFU Nordisk institutt for studier av innovasjon, forskning og utdanning. ISSN 9788232705474. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Mandatet for denne rapporten er å utrede modeller for organisering og innretning av TTO-kontorene, med utgangspunkt i det norske systemet for teknologioverføring. På bakgrunn av en gjennomgang av internasjonal forskningslitteratur, kartlegging av nåværende organisering av de norske TTO-ene, fokus-gruppeintervjuer med sentrale aktører og en rundebordskonferanse, utledes og diskuteres fire modeller basert på følgende dimensjoner: eierskap, arbeidsdeling/oppgaver, finansiering, kompetanse og samarbeid.

• Ingeborgrud, Lina & Svartefoss, Silje Marie (2021). Pandemiske prøvelser: En studie av hvordan koronapandemien har påvirket yngre forskere i Norge. NIFU Nordisk institutt for studier av innovasjon, forskning og utdanning. ISSN 9788232705139. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Arbeidsnotatet tar for seg hvordan pandemien har påvirket yngre forskeres arbeidssituasjon, forskningsaktiviteter og tanker om framtiden.

• Solberg, Espen; Hovdhaugen, Elisabeth; Gulbrandsen, Magnus; Scordato, Lisa; Svartefoss, Silje Marie & Eide, Thea (2021). Et akademisk annerledesår: Konsekvenser og håndtering av koronapandemien ved norske universiteter og høgskoler. NIFU Nordisk institutt for studier av innovasjon, forskning og utdanning. ISSN 9788232705092. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne rapporten beskriver funn fra en undersøkelse av konsekvenser og håndtering av koronapandemien ved norske universiteter og høgskoler. Arbeidet er gjort på oppdrag fra Kunnskapsdepartementet, og ble påbegynt sommeren 2020. Analysene bygger på to omfattende spørreundersøkelser til ca. 22 000 studenter og 4000 faglig ansatte. I tillegg er det gjort intervjuer med 36 personer ved tre institusjoner og innhentet supplerende informasjon fra en rekke beslektede studier.

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