International Research Collaboration and Governance of Public Research

International Research Collaboration and Governance of Public Research Organizations in Nano S&T Inga Ulnicane-Ozolina, MA, MPhil STe. PS University of Twente The Netherlands +31 53 489 4235 i. [email protected]. nl Research questions: What are main motivations for international research collaboration in nano S&T? Which organizational factors facilitate or hamper international research collaboration in nano S&T? Diagram 1: Analytical framework of study International research collaboration Methodology: In-depth interviews with researchers Analysis of CVs & data on international projects, co-publications (Web of Science) and public research organizations Cases: German non-university institutes (Max Planck, Fraunhofer, Helmholtz, Leibniz) and their collaboration partners abroad (in particular NL, FR, UK) National varieties of governance of public research organizations Collaboration “plays a very important role in our science. We don’t do everything, we have to go and seek our partners. It is important and I would be very much poorer or my science would be very much poorer if I did not have these collaboration possibilities” (from an interview) Diagram 2: ‘Collaboration journey’: development, forms and results Start Conferences, colloquia, predecessors Informal Joint experiments Learning new methods Sharing equipment Preparing grant applications Exchange of Ph. D students Emerging field of nano S&T (multidisciplinary research, complementarities) Formal Semi-formal Sabbaticals, short stays Research projects (FPs, ESF, bilateral) Supporting activities: -Training (Marie Curie) - Communication Results Co-publications, joint patents Training of students New skills, knowledge, ideas Visibility of topic & organization “. . nanoscience is very much about finding complementary partners, people that bring you further by doing something new” Collaboration “is never really easy. You always have to do a special effort to get going and to go into the right direction. […] It is communication between labs and making agreements and sticking to agreements and getting to agreements” (quotes from interviews) Ph. D project is supervised by prof. dr. S. Kuhlmann Project is part of German-Dutch-Swiss research group “Governance Of Research” funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft University of Twente. Preliminary results Main motivations : • to do ‘more science’ and ‘better science’: solving scientific problem, looking for complementary skills and knowledge, for scientific inspiration • search for resources: human resources, infrastructure, funding Influencing factors: • Collaborative environment ‘in house’ • Resources available ‘in house’ • Personnel with track record of international mobility • Organizational culture (openness, willingness to share results) • Flexibility in allocating resources • Resource uncertainty • Geographical proximity • Personal factors: individual styles of collaboration, values, sympathies • Images/information of/about other organizations and countries