Governance of public research: toward better practices

Abstract

Science systems in nearly all OECD countries have experienced increasing pressures for change. These pressures reflect new challenges that go beyond the important issue of ensuring sustained funding for the research enterprise as a whole. These challenges must be addressed in the broader perspective of the governance of public research in order to include wider concerns related to: the decision-making processes for priority setting; the allocation of funds to the public research sector; the management of research institutions and the assessment of their performance in terms of contribution to knowledge creation, economic growth and responses to societal needs.