Category: 2025

Second Joint Eu-SPRI training for early-career researchers with early-career policy professionals: Mission-Oriented Science-Policy Dialogues

In January 2025 we successfully organised the first edition of this science-policy dialogues training in Paris.

The Second Joint Eu-SPRI training for early-career researchers with early-career policy professionals ‘Mission-Oriented Science-Policy Dialogues’

27-30 January 2026 (Online pre-events: 2, 9 and 16 Dec. 2025) Vienna, Austria

The Second Eu-SPRI Early Career Training on ‘Mission-Oriented Science-Policy Dialogues’, co-organised by LISIS and the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) will take place in person in Vienna, Austria, from 27–30 January 2026, with online pre-events scheduled for the 2nd, 9th, and 16th December 2025.

This unique opportunity brings together early-career researchers and policy professionals to build bridges at the science-policy interface through mutual learning, co-production, and collaborative innovation.

For any queries, please contact the organising team at: scipol_training@umr-lisis.fr

Background

How do we learn to engage in dialogue at the science-policy interface?

Several formats and initiatives for (un-directional) policy advice exist, but bridging between the different environments is not straightforward and requires mutual (bidirectional) learning. In addition, established formats usually focus on experienced researchers and policymakers, and exclude early career individuals, which underlines the importance of (re)educating both researchers and policymakers of the future to systematically collaborate and leverage scientific as well as policy knowledge.

The recent emergence of transformative and mission-oriented Science, Technology and Innovation policies (TIP and MOIP) requires a new and cross-sectoral approach to policy making, thus leaving renewed impetus to build relationships between science and policy in addressing societal challenges.

In 2023, an exploratory initiative called Policy Dialogues Demonstrator (P2D), was launched by researchers from Eu-SPRI partner organisations: Fraunhofer ISI (coordinator), AIT, Ingenio and LISIS (https://euspri-forum.eu/exploratory-initiatives/p2d-policy-dialogues-demonstrator/). This initiative aims to develop and pilot new formats of dialogue between STI policy research and policymaking practice in Europe. This training is one of the demonstrators, to nurture new generations of early career professionals able to navigate within the science-policy interface.

This training is a joint event for early-career researchers with early-career professionals in the policy arena (e.g. ministries, funding agencies, etc.). The aim is to create a dialogue between both groups and in this way, to nurture a new generation of professionals at the science- policy interface. It provides a learning exercise in mission-oriented science-policy dialogues towards:

Understanding mutual perspectives, professional values, needs and constraints;
Understanding the process of co-production in terms of problems and solutions to improve policy making and
Generating reflexivity for increased societal impacts.

Structure of the Training

This training is delivered in three phases:

Phase 1: Online Pre-Events (2, 9, and 16 December 2025)
In the first phase, we organise three online (plenary) pre-events, consisting of three main elements to:

Provide insights into the contexts of MOIP, and the need for dialogues in this regard

Provide practical testimonies from (couples of) policy makers and researchers
Initiating and preparing the group work of the training.

Phase 2: In-Person Training in Vienna (27–30 January 2026)
The second phase represents the main in-person training event in Vienna (AIT). The aim is to understand the difficulties of the different roles in science-policy dialogues, to understand institutional barriers and to co-develop a policy pitch through group work. Consequently, the training will be a mixture of two main activities:

Interactive sessions to understand different roles and competences in science-policy dialogues (facilitated by Lene Topp) Group work to co-develop a policy pitch from problem definition to the design of potential solutions.
The groups will consist of four participants of four (two early career researchers and two early career policy makers) and their work will be guided by mentors

Phase 3: Online Post-Events (Feb–June 2026, dates TBD)
The aim of the online post-events is to constructively discuss this learning exercise, continue creating networks among (previous) participants and share the outcomes with the larger Eu-SPRI community.

Who will attend

There will be place for 24 participants on the ‘Science-to-Policy training’: Twelve early-career researchers that are advanced in their PhD research (3rd year or higher) or post-doctoral researchers and research assistants having obtained the PhD degree in the past five to eight years. Research topics should be related to Science, Technology and Innovation Policies. Twelve early-career professionals in the STI policy arena (minimum 3 years of experience).

Key dates

Applications are now closed for this event.

Registration period: October 2025

Online pre-events:

Session 1: 2 December 2025 09.30-12.30
Session 2: 9 December 2025 12.00-13.30
Session 3: 16 December 2025 12.00-13.00

Main training event: 27-30 January 2026

Post-event activities: February-June 2026

Exploring Gender, Technology, and Climate Innovation: My EU-SPRI Research Exchange at Politecnico di Milano

Written by An Yu Chen

An Yu Chen is an Early Career scholar researching the linkages between science and technology in emerging green technologies at the IMP Innovation, Strategy & Sustainability group within Alliance Manchester Business School at The University of Manchester. She approaches this topic through three major disciplines: science-of-science studies, innovation studies and sustainability transitions. Her doctoral work investigates how scientific knowledge flows across disciplines to underpin the development of green technologies.

During her EU‑SPRI‑funded circulation at the Entrepreneurship, Finance & Innovation (EFI) group at Politecnico di Milano, she was able to further develop the conceptual framework underpinning her PhD. There, she examined how the scientific knowledge base supports sustainable innovation, enriching her analysis and enabling more nuanced insights into green technology emergence.

In this piece, An Yu shares her experience working in a different academic environment and reflects on how the circulation award helped enlarge her existing networks, deepening collaborations within both Manchester’s IMP group and Polimi’s EFI colleagues.

Fig.1:The Politecnico di Milano was established in 1863

A PhD journey offers many opportunities, but few are as transformative as stepping into a new academic environment. I recently had the privilege of undertaking a month-long research exchange at Politecnico di Milano in Italy, funded by the EU-SPRI PhD Circulation Award. This experience became a catalyst for my intellectual growth, collaboration and personal development.

As a final-year PhD researcher, I had long thought about pursuing a research exchange. I wanted to understand how PhD life unfolds in different parts of the world, and I hoped that new perspectives would enrich my thesis. Thanks to the support of Professor Stefano Baruffaldi, my supervisors Cornelia Lawson and Silvia Massini, and the guidance of Mabel Sanchez Barrioluengo, I secured EU-SPRI funding for this exchange.

The award itself reflected a commitment not only to the advancement of my research but also to fostering personal growth through international mobility.

Shaping My Research Focus

Throughout my stay at Politecnico di Milano, I worked on refining a paper that explores the perspective of gender and its indirect influence on interactions between technology inventors and academic authors. Weekly discussions under Professor Baruffaldi’s mentorship helped me sharpen my arguments and clarify my writing.

Initially, my research aimed to cover gender disparity in science and technology, homophily (the preference for associating with one’s own gender), and their impact on innovation outcomes. I chose green technology as my research setting, recognising that gendered personality traits could lead to diverse innovation pathways. However, I soon realised that I was attempting to address too many complex issues in a single paper. Through dialogue and reflection, we successfully disentangled these ideas to build a more focused, coherent argument.

Learning from Experts and Broadening Horizons

A major highlight of my exchange was gaining practical skills in constructing disruptiveness and novelty indicators which are the key tools for my PhD work. Thanks to the insightful guidance from Daniel Souza and Thomas Feliciani, I deepened my understanding of how scientific indicators can reveal whether novel approaches in research drive technological advancement.

I also attended the META Workshop – Machine Learning in Climate Change Mitigation Scenarios. This event introduced me to cutting-edge discussions in technoscience, focusing on the philosophical, ethical, and societal implications of emerging technologies. I enhanced my proficiency in random forest algorithms and learned techniques for designing robust data architectures in machine learning.

Green technologies are vital for addressing climate change. The workshop broadened my methodological toolkit and deepened my understanding of how innovation contributes to climate mitigation.

The Power of Academic Community

My time at the Entrepreneurship, Finance and Innovation (EFI) group was deeply rewarding. From day one, I was welcomed into a vibrant, open environment where spontaneous discussions and collaborative thinking thrived. The EFI Research Seminar gave me a platform to present my work, sparking engaging debates and helping me see my research through new lenses.

Fig.3: The ceiling of the PhD office has plants, and there are staff who come in to water them

The open office design at Politecnico, with glass walls and shared spaces, fostered a unique energy. It encouraged focus and made interactions with colleagues easy and natural. These daily exchanges during coffee breaks and lunches helped me build confidence in sharing and refining my ideas.

Cultural Exchange and Personal Growth

Living in Milan also gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in Italian culture. From navigating the metro system to savouring the local cuisine, I found parallels with my own life and learned to appreciate the subtle cultural differences. I believe these experiences contributed significantly to my PhD journey, offering lessons in empathy, adaptability and global citizenship.

This exchange strengthened my research, expanded my academic network and enriched both my personal and professional development. I am deeply grateful to Eu-SPRI for supporting this transformative opportunity. For any PhD student considering research mobility, I wholeheartedly recommend applying for the Eu-SPRI Circulation Award. The intellectual, professional and personal benefits are profound and enduring.

Fig. 3: The entrance door of the hall of residence where I stayed during my visit

Fig 4: I went to the university’s open day

Fig 6: A very cool space at the main campus in Piola

Eu-SPRI Early-Career Training School, Utrecht, 7-10 Oct

Eu-SPRI Early Career Research Training School

7-10 October, 2025

Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University

SCIENCE SYSTEMS IN AND FOR TRANSITIONS: DOING POLICY-RELEVANT REEARCH ON TRANSFORMING SCIENCE SYSTEMS

Grand societal challenges relating to climate change, planetary health, and global inequalities are placing new demands on the ways in which scientific knowledge is produced, used, and evaluated, as well as on the policies and institutions that shape these processes. There is a growing consensus that responses to these urgent challenges require new modes of knowledge production and a rethink of the relationships between science, society, and policy. Over the past two decades, this recognition has contributed to the emergence and mainstreaming of new approaches to knowledge co-production such as transdisciplinary and transformative research, alongside broader institutional reforms aimed at promoting Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), Open Science (OS) and a third-generation of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) policies. These developments are unfolding in a changing geopolitical landscape marked by rising concerns over knowledge security and authoritarianism. Together, they raise critical questions on the future of science and its place in society and policy-making processes.

The Eu-SPRI Early Career Research Training School on Science in and for transitions aims to bring early career scholars together for training on these issues, with a specific focus on doing policy-relevant research on changing science systems. During the Early Career Training School, we will discuss how we can understand, study, and strengthen the dynamics and capacities of science system and policies to contribute to addressing grand societal challenges. The school explicitly addresses the exchange between various intellectual traditions and perspectives within the domains of innovation studies, STI policy, science, technology and society (STS) and transition studies, which all increasingly engage with notions of transformation and transformative change in relation to science. Building on participants’ own research projects, we will also introduce a range of approaches to critically reflect on and strengthen their capacity to conduct policy-relevant research within the Eu-SPRI community, and to contribute to shaping science systems that support societal transitions.

In particular, the Early Career training school addresses the following key areas:

Historical and contemporary perspectives on the evolving science-society contract and transformation of science systems;
Studies of the societal impact of research, including how impact is generated, understood, and evaluated by various actors within the science system;
Emerging approaches to knowledge co-production, such as transdisciplinary and transformative research, and their implications for the role of researchers;
The historical and contemporary role of science within STI policy, with particular attention to third-generation transformative STI policy;
Notions of responsibility and openness in the governance and policy of science, and their relevance for the production, use and evaluation of research;
Perspectives on the design and functioning of the science–policy interface;
Emerging issues related to knowledge security, global science, and shifting geopolitical dynamics, and their implications for the future of science.

Target group: The training school is open to PhD candidates from both Eu-SPRI member and non-member organisations working in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) studies, particularly those focusing on science dynamics, systems, and policies. It also welcomes PhD candidates from the sustainability transitions field with an interest in the role of science in transition processes. Applications from postdoctoral researchers and practitioners are also considered. Participation is limited to 25 spots.

Local team (UU): Kristina Bogner, Gaston Heimeriks, Jarno Hoekman, Jonas Torrens

Teachers: The course brings together faculty from Utrecht University (UU) and outside with expertise on studying science dynamics, systems, and policies. Confirmed speakers are Prof. Dr. Magnus Gulbrandsen, Prof. Dr. Laurens Hessels (Rathenau Institute) (University of Oslo) and Dr. Lotte Krabbenborg (Radboud University). Part of the program is co-organised with the Rathenau Institute. More speakers will be announced.

Costs and arrangements: The training school is provided free of charge (including accommodation) for early-career researchers affiliated to Eu-SPRI member institutes. The cost for participants of non Eu-SPRI members is 200 euros (including accommodation). Arrangements for the training school include accommodation as well as a diner on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Participants need to pay their own travel and they have to make their own travel arrangements.

This event is fully subscribed.

Contact Gaston Heimeriks at g.j.heimeriks@uu.nl

Early Career Event, Dortmund, 10th June

Early Career Event

Shaping Societal Futures as a Career Path? Between academia and social impact

As knowledge producers, scientists play a central role in shaping societal futures. As current times are characterised by a plethora of societal challenges and crises, ranging from climate change to demographic changes, accompanied by profound technological change, such as the rapid spread of AI, the roles of researchers are also in flux. Especially relevant in this regard is also the question of (social) responsibility and objectivity of science. Although scientists – and consequently their scientific work – are shaped by personal views as well as the (political and social) environment in which they work, science is expected to be objective in its production of knowledge. Within the context of this year’s Eu-SPRI Early Career Event, we will discuss these questions of responsibilities and tasks of (early career) researchers.

A relevant question for this discussion is: how do you achieve impact with your research? And does striving for societal impact hinder the development of an academic career? These questions touch upon recent debates on quality, and especially on the quality measurement, in academia. To advance an academic career, the focus remains very much on producing high-impact articles, where high-impact is measured by impact factors that merely measure how many other researchers cite your work, but that is near meaningless in the wider societal debates (not in the least because a great number of journal articles is hidden behind a huge paywall). Societal impact, on the other hand, can best be achieved through activities that have not traditionally been highly valued within the academic system but which are increasingly encouraged through transdisciplinary research and a growing importance of universities’ Third Mission.

Transdisciplinary research is seen as particularly suitable to produce knowledge with high societal value and practical, real-world, innovations. However, transdisciplinary research poses challenges for researchers. Firstly, researchers need to perform many different roles and therefore need new skills and competences. Secondly, transdisciplinary research is time consuming, meaning that scientists have to spend large parts of their time getting to know and earn the trust from research participants and project management tasks, rather than with producing scientific publications. As an early career researcher, oftentimes in precarious positions with short-term contracts, it can be either risky or unattractive to engage in this kind of research and teaching. Within the Early Career Event, we will discuss these topics with experienced researchers.

Concept and working methods

The Early Career Event will be kick-off with a welcome address by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Howaldt. Early career researchers will subsequently shortly present their work at the event, focusing on challenges and opportunities for achieving impact. They will be supported by four selected senior researchers (Alejandra Boni, Toni Caro, Christoph Kaletka and Klaus Schuch), with practical experience with transdisciplinary research and who will share their insights and lessons learned. In plenary sessions and group discussions, challenges and opportunities for impactful transdisciplinary research will be addressed and discussed in a constructive environment based on mutual learning.

Participants

Early career researchers will briefly present their work at the event, with a focus on challenges and opportunities for achieving impact. In order to allow for fruitful discussion, the number of participants will be limited to 25 early career researchers.

Practicalities

The early career event will take place in-person on the day before the start of the actual Eu-SPRI conference (June 10^th). It will be hosted by the Social Research Centre of TU Dortmund University (https://sfs.sowi.tu-dortmund.de/). The participant fee for the event is 50€ (including lunch, coffee/tea, dinner and drinks).

Early Career Event	10 June 2025, 09:00 – 17:00
Deadline for applications now closed	30th March 2025
Notification of acceptance	04 April 2025

The motivation statement should be submitted via email to euspri2025.sfs@tu-dortmund.de

EU-SPRI 2025 CONFERENCE, TU Dortmund University in Dortmund, Germany, 11-13 June 2025

The 2025 Eu-SPRI Annual Conference will be hosted by the Social Research Center at TU Dortmund University in Dortmund, Germany, in collaboration with other groups within the university. The main conference will take place on 11 to 13 June 2025, with a preceding Early Career Event on 10 June.

Under the conference theme ‘Shaping Societal Futures with STI Policies’ (more information about the theme can be found here: https://euspri2025.de/)

Eu-SPRI Conference 11-13 June 2025, Dortmund: Call for Tracks and Sessions

Eu-SPRI Conference 2025: Call for Tracks and Sessions

Submission Deadline: 15 November 2024

2025 Eu-SPRI Annual Conference will be hosted by the Social Research Center at TU Dortmund University in Dortmund, Germany, in collaboration with other groups within the university. The main conference will take place on 11 to 13 June, 2025, with a preceding Early Career Event on 10 June.

The conference theme is Shaping Societal Futures with STI Policies, and the organising committee is now welcoming academic researchers from a broad range of disciplines, as well as STI policymakers, to submit proposals for tracks and special (stand-alone) sessions.

Shaping Societal Futures with STI Policies

In recent years, the question of the contribution of STI policies to overcoming the major societal challenges and supporting the necessary transformation processes has increasingly become the focus of attention. Against the backdrop of deepening social, ecological and economic crises, the question of the extent to which STI policy is able to respond to rapidly changing and often unpredictable developments and to strengthen the resilience and the innovative capacity of our societies is becoming more and more important.

What contribution can STI policy make in order to ensure prosperity in an effective and sustainable way and to create a just and resilient society in which nature and the environment, the economy and people’s needs are in harmony? In view of far-reaching social, ecological, technological, and geopolitical changes, social, digital, and green transitions must be systematically interlinked.

This also raises the question of how the innovation potential of society can be strengthened to increase the impact of STI policies and, more generally, what kind of innovation concept is needed to facilitate the achievement of the diverse and sometimes contradictory goals under the conditions of increasingly crisis-ridden processes.

Subject Matters for Tracks and Special Sessions

Against this background, the conference will address a number of interrelated questions:

What contributions can policies for science, technology, and innovation make to increase the resilience of societies? How can social, ecological, and economic goals be combined?
Which alternative (post-Schumpeterian) models of innovation and innovation policy have emerged? How can different types of innovation (social and technological innovations) be systematically linked (comprehensive innovation policy, just transition, etc.)?
How can we strengthen the link between STI policies and other policies to better tackle major societal challenges (Industry 4.0, triple transition, National Strategy for Social Innovation and Social Enterprises …)?
Which empirical contributions critically examine the potential and limitations of STI policies? Which are its dark sides, its undesired and unexpected impacts?
Given that the entire growth-based paradigm has come under scrutiny in debates around sufficiency, maintaining, de-growth, post-growth or resilience, how can the concept of innovation be critically reflected by focusing on its ambivalence and destructive side?
What lessons can be learned from the experiences of the Global South? Which types of innovation research, policy and practice can provide impulses for learning processes in the Global North?
How can the impact of STI policy be assessed in a comprehensive sense?

In addition to proposals on this range of topics, we also welcome other suggestions for tracks addressing interdisciplinary dimensions related to policy and governance in the field of knowledge creation and innovation.

Submission Details for Tracks and Special Sessions

Proposals for tracks may include different types of sessions such as full or early-stage research paper sessions, debates, policy dialogue sessions and/or a mixture of these. Proposals for stand-alone special sessions are also welcome.
Proposals should contain 800 words maximum including a title, organisers’ details, and session/track description, including details about the interaction mode and a list of speakers/guests (if you propose a closed session/part to a track).
Tracks/sessions may be proposed by at least two organisers.
Those selected for the conference will be asked to provide guidance for participants applying through the conference ‘Call for Papers’, and then support the organising committee and the international scientific committee in reviewing the papers and organizing their track or special session.

Please submit your proposal on the conference website [euspri2025.de] by 15 November 2024 at the latest. Organisers will be notified of the acceptance of their proposals prior to the opening of the Call for Papers.

For further information, please visit the conference website [euspri2025.de].

If you need help with proposal submission, please contact euspri2025.sfs@tu-dortmund.de.

On behalf of the Organising Committee,
Jürgen Howaldt