The programming of interdisciplinary research through informal science-policy interactions

摘要

At the universities, a particular model of interdisciplinary science can be found: large coordinated international programmes. Nowadays, the programming of sciences does not stop at the planning phase but continues during the entire running phase of the programmes. The net effect is that scientists are guided toward real cooperation. Two mechanism help to accomplish this goal: sharing data, and sharing technology. Since 1990 or so, funding agencies have taken it upon themselves to steer the sciences toward interdisciplinarity. Prior to 1980, funding agencies spoke in the name of science to the national states, articulating the needs of science. They now speak to science, urging reforms and increased cooperation among scientists. In this paper, the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) is studied, along with an informal science policy body: the International Group of Funding Agencies for Global Change Research (IGFA).