Competing modes of responsibility in research organisations—Insights from an international comparison

Based on findings from research in the incorporation of responsible research and innovation in research organisations in twelve European and non-European countries, the article discusses how old (i.e. internal) and new (i.e. external) modes of responsibility coexist and compete with each other in actual research practice. Although the analysis shows ubiquitous perceived need for re-arranging the relations between science and society in order to legitimise scientific research in organisations, it also finds that the incumbent structures and cultures of internal thinking are still dominant in most organisations, which leads to considerable resistance to change. In particular, for public engagement and reflexive anticipatory ethics, strategies of conceptual and procedural demarcation are evident. Organisations adapt public engagement or reflexive ethics as extraordinary or experimental activities thus allowing for the continuation of the status quo in the perspective of the ‘republic of science’, keeping ‘internal’ affairs unaffected by societal intervention.

Science granting councils in Sub-Saharan Africa: Trends and tensions

This article documents recent trends in science funding support in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We analyse these trends at the SSA regional level alongside a summary of four case studies of science funding in four Science Granting Councils (SGCs) in East Africa. Our findings support the literature on science funding in SSA regarding low levels of funding, cross-country engagement, and the need for capacity building. However, we also find there are tensions among funding and policy actors around the perceived ways in which investment in science will benefit society. We argue that the narratives and logics of science funders and their roots in ‘Republic of Science’ vs. ‘Embedded Autonomy’ rationales for SGC activity must be more transparent to enable critical engagement with the ideas being used to justify spending.