Bringing research results to the policy arena Ensuring that research outcomes are passed on to and utilised by policymaking bodies is important in many ways. An EU-funded initiative analysed related discrepancies from the researchers’ point of view and provided recommendations for better communication and collaboration among researchers and policymaking bodies within the EU. Climate Change and Environment © Shutterstock Precise coordination of research outcomes and policy development is important for regulating and applying research. An example of this is the governing of stem cell use. However, it is also important to include the latest developments in nationally and internationally relevant regulations (think clean energy and energy goals) and to focus grants on specific areas of particular interest to each Member State. The ‘Think and act’ (THINK AND ACT) project was designed to evaluate the projects funded by the Fourth Framework Programme (FP4), the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) and the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), among others, with the goal of improving communication between EU-funded research bodies in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) and EU policymakers at local, regional and national levels. The THINK AND ACT project brought together approximately 1,000 participants in 5 cities over the course of 10 days. The presidents of the scientific committees at each of the five conferences each produced a conference appraisal document (CAD), which THINK AND ACT investigators summarised. In this way, they were able to provide conclusions and recommendations for improving coordination between researchers and policymaking bodies. Among the findings based on the scientists’ assessments were that, while the EU’s Framework Programmes are invaluable to transnational scientific cooperation and information exchange, the priorities of policymakers differ significantly from those of the researchers themselves. Further comparison of research outcomes and policies in fields other than SSH would be useful to understanding areas of discrepancy and fostering policies favouring the coordination of research results with policy development for enhanced efficiency and competitiveness among EU Member States.
