R-QUEST and OSIRIS were funded for eight years by the Research Council of Norway to carry out original empirical and conceptual work concerning key questions in science policy: what characterises good research, and how does it make an impact on society? Together with Norwegian and international partners, the centres have produced many insights that have been reported in publications and presentations for academic and wider audiences.
At this final event, we will give an overview of important findings and their implications, and we will invite for reflections on how the themes of quality and impact can be addressed in future research and policy.
The entire event will be live streamed, with all presentations and discussions conducted in English.
Programme
R-QUEST and OSIRIS final conference programme
November 8th, Domus Bibliotheca in Oslo city centre.
08.30 Coffee and registration
09:00 Opening session
Expectations and perspectives from the centre’s first main stakeholder: Mari Sundli Tveit, CEO of the Research Council of Norway.
Summary of perspectives and findings from OSIRIS – How does research make an impact in society? Magnus Gulbrandsen, professor at Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture (TIK), University of Oslo.
Key perspectives and findings from R-QUEST – Why is quality so important and yet so difficult? Liv Langfeldt, Director R-QUEST and Research professor at NIFU.
09:45 Coffee break
10.00 R-QUEST Session: Exploring the dimensions and contexts of research quality
Book launch: Springer 2024 ‘Challenges in Research Policy. Evidence-based policy briefs with recommendations’. Research Evaluation 2024: Special Section in on Research Quality.
Changing criteria for evaluating research? Short introductions on research quality notions, citations and quality, recruitment criteria and reforms in research assessment. By Siri B. Borlaug (NIFU/OsloMet), Liv Langfeldt (NIFU), Dag W. Aksnes (NIFU), Ingvild Reymert (NIFU/OsloMet), and Gunnar Sivertsen (NIFU).
Key challenges in governing research quality. Short introductions on research funding, concentration of resources, gender disparities, extraordinary and ordinary impacts and field differences. By Espen Solberg (NIFU), Carter Bloch (Aarhus University), Ingeborg Meijer (Leiden University), Maria Nedeva (University of Manchester), Anders Hylmö (Halmstad University), and Klara Müller (KTH).
Coffee Break (11.00-11.20)
Implications and clarifications. Q&A and Panel discussion. Moderator: Mats Benner (Lund University). Panel: Åse Gornitzka (Pro-Rector UiO), Arvid Hallén (former CEO RCN), Jan Bjålie (Dean of Research and Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, UiO).
12:00 Lunch break
12:45 OSIRIS session: Societal impact of research from the societal perspective
Key OSIRIS perspective – impact seen from the user side: Presentations by Taran Thune (UiO) and Jakob Edler (Frauenhofer ISI/University of Manchester), with a conversation between them, moderated by Silje M. Tellmann (UiO/USN).
Policies for generating economic impact: Short presentations and discussion with Arvid Raknerud (SSB), Eric Iversen (NIFU), Pierre Mohnen (UNU-MERIT/Maastricht University), Marina Rybalka (SSB) and Fulvio Castellacci (UiO).
PhD investigations into themes tied to impact: Panel with Lars Wenaas (Sikt), Kristin Oxley (RCN), and Kari Elisabeth V. Skogen (Ministry of Education and Research), interviewed by Gemma Derrick (University of Bristol).
New perspectives on impact. Ethics: presentation by Knut Jørgen Vie (UiO); Evaluations: presentation by Richard Woolley (Ingenio).
Exploring the impact process in detail: Panel with Silje M. Tellmann (UiO/USN), Gry C. L. Høiland (NTNU), Trust Saidi (OsloMet) and Maria Karaulova (Fraunhofer ISI), interviewed by Richard Woolley (Ingenio).
Closing remark: Magnus Gulbrandsen (UiO)
14:45 Coffee break
15:00 Closing session: Panel discussion.
Is research quality more important than societal impact? Is it possible to assess the societal impact of research? Is it worth spending resources on evaluations of societal impact?
A rotating panel featuring Camilla Serck-Hanssen (UiO/Centre for Advanced Study), Carter Bloch (Aarhus University), Jakob Edler (Frauenhofer ISI/ University of Manchester), Carl Christian Thodesen (OsloMet), Gemma Derrick (University of Bristol), Nora Elise Hesby Mathé (UiO/The Young Academy of Norway) and Håkon Kavli (Ministry of Education and Research). The audience is encouraged to participate in the discussion. Moderators: Silje M. Tellmann (UiO/USN) and Siri B. Borlaug (NIFU/OsloMet).
We invite all participants for a mingling session to continue the discussions followed by light refreshments.
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