The general objective of the project is strengthening the role of social sciences in order to improve the quality of scientific and technological research, an area of the knowledge-based society in which they could and should give an important contribution.
The achievement of this overall objective entails the pursuit of four different specific objectives:
a. To gain elements of evaluation concerning the weight of social sciences in the context of scientific and technological research in Europe.
b. To identify hindering and facilitating factors which affect a greater presence and integration of researchers and experts of social disciplines into systems of scientific and technological production.
c. To define new elements for the design of policies aimed at a greater integration between social sciences and European scientific and technological research.
d. To increase the level of awareness of the various actors involved in European research as concerns the relevance of social dynamics linked to scientific and technological production.
The project will last 36 months. It is composed of 5 Work Packages: the execution of a study on the involvement of social disciplines in the context of scientific and technological research; the realisation of four experimentations of different modalities of promoting the integration of social sciences in the processes of scientific and technological research; the drafting of a first version of four handbooks on the contribution of social disciplines in this sector; the set-up of four panels of experts, in order to accomplish a peer review of the achieved results and to draft the final version of the four handbooks; an activity of awareness raising and dissemination.
The project will be carried out by a consortium of 6 research institutions of five EU member Countries. Activities will be carried out mainly in the partners countries. However, other European countries will be also involved (through research, dissemination, peer review, etc.).
COORDINATOR OF THE PROJECT
Roma Tor Vergata University Science Park Office (main applicant) (Italy)
PARTNERS OF THE PROJECT
Laboratorio di scienze della cittadinanza. LSC (Italy)
Department of Science and Technology, Maastricht University (the Netherlands)
Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy of the Aarhus University (Denmark)
University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre of Koper (Slovenia)
Fundación General Universidad la Rioja - FUR (Spain)