Understanding Science-Policy Interfaces

Abstract

This article gives a brief overview of the theoretical approaches towards SPIs. Against this theoretical background, the research projects of nine early-career researchers exploring SPIs in their various forms are then presented. These projects all take an empirical stance. The article shows how these projects tackle research gaps in three overarching areas crucial to the understanding of SPIs: a) knowledge co-production, b) communication of research results to decision-makers, and c) policy impact assessment processes as institutionalised instruments for enhancing SPIs. The empirical material from the ESR projects illustrates that SPIs can benefit from greater interaction between scientists, policy-makers and societal stakeholders, but that the functioning of these three groups is highly dependent on contextual circumstances.