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Existing dissimilar economic conditions ; which are observable in many countries worldwide ; are economically inefficient and also imply important political and social challenges ; for example ; the increasing achievements of populist movements ; particularly in economically underdeveloped regions. Thus ; supporting economically less prosperous regions is a highly important political objective. It is of great importance to identify drivers for economic growth and to apply efficient policy measures to spur regional development. Based on economic growth theory ; the doctoral thesis at hand contributes to the identification of the complex outcomes of four German and one Chinese policy measures aimed at fostering regional development. The German policy measures are analysed on the level of labour market regions and comprise structural funding ; regional fiscal equalisation and public research activities. The Chinese study investigates the economic effects of research and development (R&D) subsidies to firms on the level of provinces. Due to recent economic and structural changes ; China is chosen as additional case study: the Chinese government is currently driving the transformation from a capital-based to an innovation-based economic system by applying a variety of innovation-enhancing policy measures. By providing novel empirical findings ; the doctoral thesis at hand extends recent German and Chinese studies. These studies examine the economic effects of public polices by mainly conducting partial effect analyses (singe equation models) and by mainly focussing on the effect on one particular dependent variable (usually the regional output). Indirect effects running through other economic variables in a regional production system are disregarded ; as are the effects on further economic variables. Both of these shortcomings are accounted for in the thesis at hand. Furthermore ; analysing several German policy measures allows the identification of unique characteristics and a deduction of concrete implications to foster the development of different economic variables. Finally ; the thesis also examines the role played by regional conditioning factors for the working of public policies. Although each research paper provides specific research questions ; the overarching research question of the thesis are as follows: 1. What are the overall economic effects of the analysed policy measures in Germany and China on different regional input and output factors of a regional production function? 2. Do the analysed German policy measures add to regional development via different transmission channels and can unique characteristics be identified? 3. Do economic responses to an increase in German structural funding and regional fiscal equalisation funding depend on conditioning factors such as a region's absorptive capacity ; economic freedom and political-economic conditions? The first two research questions are related to unconditional effects ; which are the estimated effects on the basis of all German regions and Chinese provinces ; respectively. In this thesis ; the methodological basis of the conducted analyses are vector autoregressive (VAR) models and a graphical impulse response function analysis. This approach explicitly allows emprirical researchers to determine total effects on a set of defined economic variables that are triggered by a particular public policy measure. With regard to the unconditional effects (research questions 1 and 2) ; it can be stated that German structural funding increases can be linked to statistically significant positive effects on the gross domestic product (GDP) per workforce ; human capital and employment rate. Conversely ; German regional fiscal equalisation is solely associated with a statistically significant positive effect on the regional employment rate. The empirical results on the effects of German public research activities show that an increase in the publication rate of public research institutes is associated with significant positive effects on the regional physical capital investment and employment rate. Although no statistically significant effects can be identified for research activities of universities ; an increase in the summarised public third-party funds allocated to universities and technical colleges combined can be linked to statistically significant positive effects on the regional GDP per workforce ; patent activity and employment rate. Finally ; technical colleges seems to be locally more embedded: allocated (public) third-party funds to technical colleges are associated with significant positive effects on the human capital ; employment and physical capital investment rate. Using data from Chinese provinces ; the empirical findings reveal that an increase of public R&D subsidies granted to Chinese firms results in a statistically significant decrease in private R&D investments. Thus ; a first-order policy objective is not achieved. However ; the conducted analysis also reveals a significant positive effect on the stock of private R&D personnel. Finally ; an increase in the policy intensity also corresponds with statistically significant positive effects on the technological development and capital deepening (investment rates in physical capital and residential buildings). The analysis of the role played by regional conditioning factors (research question 3) emphasises the importance of regional absorptive capacity and economic freedom for the working of German structural funding. Regions with low levels of absorptive capacity and economic freedom benefit from German structural funding mainly through an increased investment rate in physical capital ; while a positive effect on the development of regional technology and GDP cannot be identified. Conversely ; in regions with high levels of absorptive capacity and economic freedom ; the findings reveal significant positive effects of structural funding on the regional GDP and innovation activity. Finally ; the research paper on effect heterogeneity of regional fiscal equalisation suggests statistically significant differences in the estimated effects only for single years. Regional fiscal equalisation is more effective in increasing physical capital investments in East German regions and the employment rate in West German regions. In addition ; only an increase in the funding intensity in Christian Democratic Party/Christian Social Party (CDU/CSU) preferring regions is associated with significant positive effects on the human capital and physical capital investment rate. Conversely ; a significant positive effect on the GDP is identified only in Social Democratic Party (SPD) preferring regions. The findings of this thesis emphasise the complex and reciprocal mechanisms of the analysed policy measures. They add to regional development in a multifaceted way and positively affect different economic variables. That said ; empirical analyses restricted to the effects on the regional output limit the interpretation of policy evaluation studies and neglect additional transmission channels. Moreover ; the results reveal that policy makers have different options to spur regional development in different contexts. Finally ; the empirical findings stress the prominent role of technological and institutional conditions ; especially for the working of structural funding in Germany. Therefore ; policy makers should provide more incentives to improve these conditions and they should direct public investments especially to regions with already proper initial conditions.

Protected species are the focus of many radiological environmental assessments. However, the lack of radioecological data for many protected species presents a significant international challenge. Furthermore, there are legislative restrictions on destructive sampling of protected species to obtain such data. Where data are not available, extrapolations are often made from 'similar' species but there has been little attempt to validate this approach. In this paper we present what, to our knowledge, is the first study purposefully designed to test the hypothesis that radioecological data for unprotected species can be used to estimate conservative radioecolgical parameters for protected species; conservatism being necessary to ensure that there is no significant impact. The study was conducted in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Consequently, we are able to present data for Pu isotopes in terrestrial wildlife. There has been limited research on Pu transfer to terrestrial wildlife which contrasts with the need to assess radiation exposure of wildlife to Pu isotopes around many nuclear facilities internationally. Our results provide overall support for the hypothesis that data for unprotected species can be used to adequately assess the impacts for ionising radiation on protected species. This is demonstrated for a range of mammalian and avian species. However, we identify one case, the shrew, for which data from other ground-dwelling small mammals would not lead to an appropriately conservative assessment of radiation impact. This indicates the need to further test our hypothesis across a range of species and ecosystems, and/or ensure adequate conservatism within assessments. The data presented are of value to those trying to more accurately estimate the radiation dose to wildlife in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, helping to reduce the considerable uncertainty in studies reporting dose-effect relationships for wildlife. A video abstract for this paper is available from: http://bit.ly/1JesKPc.

Protected species are the focus of many radiological environmental assessments. However, the lack of radioecological data for many protected species presents a significant international challenge. Furthermore, there are legislative restrictions on destructive sampling of protected species to obtain such data. Where data are not available, extrapolations are often made from 'similar' species but there has been little attempt to validate this approach. In this paper we present what, to our knowledge, is the first study purposefully designed to test the hypothesis that radioecological data for unprotected species can be used to estimate conservative radioecolgical parameters for protected species; conservatism being necessary to ensure that there is no significant impact. The study was conducted in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Consequently, we are able to present data for Pu isotopes in terrestrial wildlife. There has been limited research on Pu transfer to terrestrial wildlife which contrasts with the need to assess radiation exposure of wildlife to Pu isotopes around many nuclear facilities internationally. Our results provide overall support for the hypothesis that data for unprotected species can be used to adequately assess the impacts for ionising radiation on protected species. This is demonstrated for a range of mammalian and avian species. However, we identify one case, the shrew, for which data from other ground-dwelling small mammals would not lead to an appropriately conservative assessment of radiation impact. This indicates the need to further test our hypothesis across a range of species and ecosystems, and/or ensure adequate conservatism within assessments. The data presented are of value to those trying to more accurately estimate the radiation dose to wildlife in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, helping to reduce the considerable uncertainty in studies reporting dose-effect relationships for wildlife. A video abstract for this paper is available here .

Introduction: the reflexive turn and the social sciences -- Feminism and reflexivity: challenging the myth of "hygienic research" -- New materialism, post-qualitative inquiry, post-humanism, and diffractive -- Methodologies : exploring the "posts" -- Reflexivity and ethnography : gendered interactions and emotions in fieldwork with boy racers -- Emotions and reflexivity in social research -- Reflexivity in action: journeys through the professional and the personal - Part 1: Reflections on "becoming" an academic and imposter syndrome / Karen Lumsden -- Reflexivity in action : journeys through the professional and the personal - Part 2: Writing to inquire in the midst of thin air / Jan Bradford -- Reflexivity in action: journeys through the professional and the personal - Part 3: Precarity, performativity and politics in the life of an academic researcher / Jackie Goode -- Reflexivity, power and politics : taking sides in research -- Reflecting on user engagement, dissemination and knowledge transfer in academic and police settings -- Index.

AbstractHow did North Korea's nuclear research community develop in the context of its science and technology policy, and how did this development reflect progress in North Korea's nuclear program? We conduct network analysis using a dataset of North Korean domestic scientific journal articles to assess the structure of the North Korea's nuclear research communities from the beginning of the country's nuclear program until its capability "completion" in 2018. We find that the networks showed increasing internal density of research collaborations, suggesting North Korea was able to improve knowledge transfer, and consolidate its nuclear research community over time. Furthermore, different areas of nuclear‐related research increased interconnectivity over time, particularly in the run‐up to milestones in North Korea's nuclear development. We close with implications for engaging with North Korea on science and technology issues.

AbstractThe Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) has, since its inception, prioritised policy relevance in its research. Drawing on an impact narrative approach, this paper presents a case study of the contribution of AHURI research to the development of a specific policy initiative: the Affordable Housing Bond Aggregator function of the National Housing and Finance Investment Corporation (NHFIC). The paper will explore the development of this policy initiative through a series of research projects and publications, and highlight processes of dissemination and engagement with the policy and practice community. This will reveal the value of a strong evidence‐base, and effective knowledge transfer mechanisms in the development and implementation of policy. It will also demonstrate the utility of a policy impact narrative approach in the evaluation of research impact, particularly in relation to policy development processes subject to the vagaries of politics.

Thanks to Dr Alan S. Bowman at the Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen for providing facilities and laboratory equipment for insect work and to Kevin S. Mackenzie and staff at the Microscopy and Histology Core Facility at the University of Aberdeen for TEM preparations. Scottish Crucible Project Award 2014 provided financial support for this research. CHE was supported by a Knowledge Transfer Network BBSRC Industrial Case (BB/L502467/1) studentship. CRC was supported by a KTN BBSRC CASE studentship (BB/M503526/1). AM and AC were supported by the Italian Ministry of Health (RF-PE-2011-02347026). EMC was supported by European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no. 613960 (SMARTBEES) and Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Project # VM0517). ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF

This project has received funding from the Research Council of Norway (RCN) through the Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR) call 4 (2016). Costs included travel costs, running face to-face meetings and dissemination of results. The HSRU is core funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates. JMG holds a Canada research Chair in Health Knowledge Transfer an Uptake. EC is funded by National Institute of Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre and the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit (NIHR HPRU) in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at Imperial College London and the Economic and Social Research Council. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. ; Peer reviewed ; Publisher PDF

This paper makes a contribution towards deciphering the relationship between museums, politics and impact. I suggest that this is akin to that between three languages in the early 19th century: Greek, Demotic and Hieroglyphs. I argue that museums should be taken much more seriously by the discipline of politics and international relations. This paper begins with an analysis of the REF 2014 Impact Case Studies submitted under the Politics and International Studies Unit of Assessment. Thereafter, it looks at how museums have been examined in the field of politics and international relations. Finally, it outlines some of the benefits and opportunities of scholars in the field engaging with museums in terms of their research, as potential collaborators, and as partners for knowledge transfer and impactful activities—within and outwith the strictures of the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF).

Private businesses' nominal value added in Greece has fallen by 38 percent over the last ten years. Micro firms were hit particularly hard. Despite efforts to stabilize the macroeconomic environment, there are only weak signs of recovery. Future prospects are not much better, as-with the exception of labor market regulations-the conditions for investments and business activities have not been sufficiently changed through eight years of reform process. Fundamental issues- excessive red tape, bulky administrative procedures, slow courts, complicated taxes, and an inefficient knowledge transfer- remain unaddressed. Greece cannot achieve its urgently needed strong and sustainable economic growth without these reforms. When the third economic adjustment program for Greece ends in August, so will external reform pressure. It remains an open question whether the government-current or future-will feel compelled to complete and implement the pending reforms.

Private businesses' nominal value added in Greece has fallen by 38 percent over the last ten years. Micro firms were hit particularly hard. Despite efforts to stabilize the macroeconomic environment, there are only weak signs of recovery. Future prospects are not much better, as—with the exception of labor market regulations—the conditions for investments and business activities have not been sufficiently changed through eight years of reform process. Fundamental issues— excessive red tape, bulky administrative procedures, slow courts, complicated taxes, and an inefficient knowledge transfer— remain unaddressed. Greece cannot achieve its urgently needed strong and sustainable economic growth without these reforms. When the third economic adjustment program for Greece ends in August, so will external reform pressure. It remains an open question whether the government—current or future—will feel compelled to complete and implement the pending reforms.

AbstractImprovements in the welfare of farmed animals in the EU have been achieved by legislation, increased welfare capacity in the food chain, greater public awareness, welfare measurement tools and dissemination of best practice. However, pressure for improvement grows. The EC recognizes that delivering improved welfare would best be achieved by increasing welfare capacity, including establishing a Network of Welfare Reference Centres to provide support for welfare research, knowledge transfer and policy design. Designing a structure for this Network presents a challenge, as it would have multiple functions, interact with diverse stakeholders and operate in a complex environment. Here, we describe the use of a novel strategic planning approach to design an optimal structure for this Network. Our evaluation found that no existing structure was ideal, but that by taking functional units from several existing models, an optimal model could be identified.

Local production systems (LPS) focused on biomass usage represent a viable alternative to rural development, which can contribute to solve its socio-economic problems in Slovakia. The main objective of this paper was to propose a general framework for the functioning of biomass LPS in rural areas and to summarize the main points for smooth running of biomass LPS projects aimed at the resource base, method of obtaining energy from biomass, energy production cycle and a dialogue with inhabitants of municipalities where biomass LPS are to be located. Lack of experience in implementing such projects was the root cause of problems in Banská Bystrica region. Therefore, access to information, experiences form other countries and the development of appropriate formal and informal linkages are necessary for knowledge transfer and play an important role in managing biomass LPS.