Identifying research priorities in public sector funding agencies: mapping science outputs on to user needs

Abstract

The users or benefiraries of research seem set to play an increasing role in the scientific system. Limited government funding combined with the growing view that publicly funded researchers should pay more attention to the needs of society mean that users as well as scientists should be involved in setting broad research priorities. Peer review, the traditional mechanism for making decisions on the allocation of research funds, is poorly equipped to consider user views and broader issues of scientific strategy, including the distribution of resources across fields. In the study described here, a number of new concepts and methodological tools have been developed for the combined inuolvment of users and researchers in determining priorities for strategic research in Public sector finding agencies. The study focuses on the scientiic work funded by the UK Natural ,Environment Research Council.