Nanotechnology and research funding organizations

Nanotechnology and
research funding organizations
Frank van der Most
14 September 2011
Managing Science and Technology in Society
Management, Policy Analysis &
Entrepreneurship in health care
Wednesday, 14 September, 2011

What’s up for today
✦ Who is Frank?
✦ What are Research Funding Organizations
✦ The research question
✦ Introduction to Boundary Work Theory
✦ What is nanotechnology?
✦ Disciplinary fractioning (2 cases)
✦ Science | technology divide (2 cases)
✦ Concluding
2

A short introduction to
Frank van der Most
✦ 1988 - 1997 Computer science and Sciences and Arts
✦ 1997 - 2004 Research in history of technology,
evaluation of Norwegian Research Council, and more
✦ 2002 - 2003 One-man company; software for research
✦ 2004 - 2009 PhD; research funding; STePS, Twente
✦ 2009 - 2011 Postdoc places; research evaluation;
CIRCLE, Lund University & e-Humanities group, KNAW
3

What are Research Funding
Organizations (RFOs)?
✦ Independent or semi independent, public
organizations which ﬁnance public
research activities on temporary basis.
✦ Finance: projects, programs, networks,
equipment/laboratories, research centers
4
In these and following slides, pages between <> at the bottom right corner of the slide refer to pages in : Van der
Most (200) Research Councils facing new science and technology. Available on-line at www.frankvandermost.nl
<p. 3-5>

5
Basic scheme of an RFO in context
Ministry
Research
Performer 3
Research
Performer 2
Research
Performer 1
RFO
RFO
<p. 23-24>

What are RFOs?
✦ May have a convening aspect
✦ May have their own research institutes
✦ Many shapes and sizes
•Disciplinary structure / thematic
•Science / technology
•Stand alone / umbrella organization
6 <p. 3-5>

Where are RFOs?
✦ Most countries have at least one
✦ Both ‘developed’ and ‘developing’
countries
✦ Supra-national RFOs (ESF, ERC)
✦ They show many different constellations
7 <p. 45-60>

RFO constellations
Research
performer
2
Ministry A
Research
performer
6
Research
performer
5
Research
performer
4
Research
performer
3
Research
performer
1
Ministry B Ministry C
RFO II RFO IV
Ministry D
RFO IIIRFO I
Research
performer
2
Research
performer
6
Research
performer
5
Research
performer
4
Research
performer
3
Research
performer
1
Ministry A Ministry B Ministry C Ministry D
RFO
Research
performer
2
Research
performer
6
Research
performer
5
Research
performer
4
Research
performer
3
Research
performer
1
Ministry for
Trade and
Industry
Ministry for
Research and
Education
Technology
RFO
Science
RFO
Ministry
Research
Performer
3
Research
Performer
2
Research
Performer
1
RFO
<p. 24-26>

Thesis research question
How do RFOs respond to
emerging fields of research
and what is the effect of the
response on both the new
field and the RFO itself?
RFO ⟺ new field
9 <p. 1>

Sub questions
✦ Disciplinary structure
highly

interdisciplinary field
✦ Pressure for societally relevant research
✦ High costs and costs structure of facilities
✦ How to deal with a new field while it is still
new and unclearly defined?
10 <p. 8-13>

Today’s focus on Boundary
Work (BW) questions
✦ How do RFOs deﬁne
nanotechnology?
✦ How is this related to
funding practices,
organizational
structure, their
location in their
environment and their
environment?
11
Ministry
Research
Performer 3
Research
Performer 2
Research
Performer 1
RFO

Where are we?
✓ Who is Frank?
✓ What are Research Funding Organizations
✓ The research question
✦ Introduction to Boundary Work Theory
✦ Concluding
12

Boundary Work:
What is it? Why do it?
Boundary work is a rhetorical style : “the
attribution of selected characteristics to
the institution of science ... for purposes
of constructing a social boundary that
distinguishes some intellectual activity as
non-science” (Gieryn, 1983, p. 782,
emphasis added)
13 <p. 18-19>

Boundary Work:
when is it done?
✦ It occurs when science’s cognitive authority
and the accompanying credibility, prestige,
power and material resources are at stake.
✦ Science is conceptualized as a social
space, which boundaries need to be
marked and which remains “empty until its
insides get ﬁlled and its borders drawn
amidst context-bound negotiations over
who and what is 'scientiﬁc' ” Gieryn (1995,
p. 405 stress in the original).
14

Boundary work
15
Bla bla1,
Xyz xyz 2,
Bla bla 3.5
Bla bla 1,
Bla bla 2 &
Bla bla 3
<p. 18-19>

Boundary Work:
who does it?
✦ Scientists - they have an interest
✦ Scientists, engineers and politicians
(Jasanoff 1987 ; as mentioned by
Sismondo 2004, p. 30)
✦ Everybody who wants to demarcate a
social space.
16 <p. 18-19>

Boundary work
17
Bla bla 1,
Bla bla 2 &
Bla bla 3
Bla bla1,
OOO ooo 1,
Xyz xyz 3
456 C,
Xyz xyz 2,
Bla bla 1
456 C,
Xyz xyz 2,
Bla bla 1
Bla bla1,
Xyz xyz 2,
Bla bla 3.5
Bla bla1,
OOO ooo 2,
Bla bla 3.5

Boundary work, RFOs and
new ﬁelds
✦ Boundaries within science
(Gieryn, 1983, p. 792)
✦ Who and when in case
of RFOs?
•Researchers
•RFOs, program managers
•Ofﬁcials at ministries
•... 18
Ministry
Research
Performer 3
Research
Performer 2
Research
Performer 1
RFO

What is at stake for RFOs?
✦ “credibility, prestige, power and material
resources” (Gieryn, 1983, p. 782)
✦ Justify towards Ministry
✦ Justify towards researchers
•non-nanotechnologists
•nanotechnologists
19
Ministry
Research
Performer 3
Research
Performer 2
Research
Performer 1
RFO
<p. 22-24>

Where are we?
✓ Who is Frank?
✓ Introduction to Boundary Work Theory
✦ Concluding
20

What is nanotechnology?
Intentionally left blank,
for the time being
21

Disciplinary fractioning
22
Research Funding Organization
<p. 60-61, 178-179>

Swedish foundation for Strategic
Research
Table: SSF programs carrying 'nano' in their titles, launched from
1997 to 2004
Area Funding instrument
Chemistry for the Life
Sciences
• Designed Nanotubes as Artiﬁcial Membrane Channels
(2004-2006; SEK 3 M)
Life Science
Technologies
• Nanochemistry (1999 - ...; SEK 40.7 M)
Biomedical Engineering • Novel Medical in vivo Monitoring and Targeting of
Chemical Microenvironment by Functionalised Nanoparticles
(1999-2004; SEK 6.4 M)
<p. 53-57>

1997 to 2004 (continued)
Materials Science and
Technology
• Nanoscience Lund (1997-2002; SEK 26 M)
• Nano Semiconductors for Optoelectronics (NANOPTO)
(2000-2005; SEK 10.2 M)
• Nano Science, Lund, Extended Graduate School
(2002-2004; SEK 5 M)
• Multifunctional Photoactive Nanoparticles, Nanoparticle
Arrays and Nanoarchitectures (2003-2007; SEK 14.5 M)
• Nanostructures from Self-assembly - in Solution, at
Surfaces and as a Synthesis Tool (2003-2007; SEK 14.5 M)
Microsystems
Technology
• Micro and Nano Pore Arrays for Radiation Detectors and
Other Applications (2002-2005; SEK 4 M)
<p. 53-57>

1997 to 2004 (continued)
Microelectronics • CMOS Integrated Carbon-based Nano-electromechanical
Components (2003-2007; SEK 10 M)
• Magneto-electronic Nano-device Physics (2003-2007;
SEK 15 M )
• Wide Bandgap Nanolasers and Transistors for
Integration into Silicon Technology (2003-2007; SEK 10 M)
• Strategic Research Centre for Nanodevices and Quantum
Computing (NANODEV) (2003-2008; SEK 30 M)
• Strategic Research Centre for Nanoscience (2003-2008;
SEK 40 M)
Interdisciplinary
programs
• Next-NIL (Nano-Imprint Technology) (SEK 4 M)
• Quantum Devices and Nanoscience, Gothenburg
(1997-2003 ; SEK 21 M)
<p. 53-57>

Interdisciplinary funding:
Swiss National Science Foundation
26
Swiss National Science
Foundation (SNF)
Section
I
Humaniti
es and
social
sciences
Section
II
Mathema
tics,
natural
and
Engineeri
Section
III
Biology
and
medicine
Section
IV
Targeted
research
/ program
funding
<p. 71-72>

NFP 36 - nanosciences
✦ Call for proposals 1995; projects 1996-’99
✦ No formal deﬁnition, but a description:
“Die physikalische, chemische und biologische
Untersuchung von Strukturen un Prozessen auf der
Nanometerskala (10-9 Meter) ..." (SNF, 1994, p. 1)
The physical, chemical and biological investigation of
structures and processes at the Nanometer scale.
(My translation)
27 <p. 74-78>

NFP 36 (continued)
✦ Focused on Scanning Tunneling Microscope
✦ The program made a subdivision in
nano- ...
•... electronics,
•... mechanics,
•... biophysics,
•... chemistry,
•... optics, nano-tools and methods
28 <p. 75-76>

NFP 36 (continued)
✦ Program chair, G. Wagnière:
•One cannot start immediately with
something completely new
•To deﬁne it in detail, one has to start with
existing disciplines
•Risk of ill-deﬁned projects
•Prepare for a next more interdisciplinary
step
29 <p. 77>

30
Discipline ZDiscpline YDiscipline X
Swiss National Science
Foundation (SNF)
Section
I
Discipline
A
Section
II
Discipline
B
Section
III
Discipline
C
Section
IV
Program
funding
<p. 179-180>

Questions?
31

Break
32

Where were we?
✓ Who is Frank?
✓ What is nanotechnology?
✦ Disciplinary fractioning (2nd case)
✦ Concluding
33

Interdisciplinary funding:
the Academy of Finland
34
The Academy of Finland (AKA) Program
funding
<p. 115-116>

Program funding @ AKA
35
✦ Bottom up procedure
✦ Central board decides after annual
discussions
•members are chairs of divisions /
research councils
<p.115-116 >

FinNano @ AKA
✦ Development started in the Research
Council for Natural Sciences and
Engineering in 2002
✦ December 2003, green light from Board
for negotiations about a
"research programme on chemical,
physical and biological nanosciences"
36 <p. 115-116>

FinNano @ AKA
✦ K. Väänänen, Chair RC for Health,
contacted the group
•issue of health risks
✦ April 2004: exploratory workshop
✦ Autumn 2004: program preparation group,
also including RC for Biosciences and
Environment
37 <p. 115-116>

FinNano @ AKA
✦ November 2005: Board approved
FinNano
✦ Program runs 2006 - 2010
✦ Subtitle :“Research program on
nanoscience”
38 <p. 116-120>

FinNano @ AKA
"Nanoscience is targeted at studying the
nanoscale, atomic or molecular level,
systems and related phenomena. The
phenomena and objects under investigation
must be novel, which claims that merely a
small size is not a sufﬁcient parameter. The
approach in this research programme must
be interdisciplinary." (Academy of Finland,
2005, p. 35, emphasis added)
39 <p. 117>

FinNano @ AKA
Projects "should be focused on novel
properties and functions. Traditional
research on chemistry, physics and life
sciences, as such, does not fulﬁl the
characteristics of nanoscience. ...
, a research project should not be built on a
single discipline or engineering point of
view" (Academy of Finland, 2005b, p. 38,
emphasis added)
40 <p. 118>

FinNano @ AKA
✦ Chosen subdivision:
•Directed self-assembly
•Functionality in nanoscience
•Properties of single nanoscale objects
41 <p. 118>

FinNano @ AKA
✦ 'Directed self-assembly'
•'Self-assembly with lithography and electronics'
✦ 'Functionality in nanoscience'
•‘Bionanotechnology for electronics and materials
science’
✦ 'Properties of single nanoscale objects'
•Nanoscale circuitry, mechanics, actuators and
photoactive systems'
•'Molecular data storage and machines'
(AKA, 2005, p. 38 - 39, emphasis added) <p. 118>

Better than SNF solution?
✦ Much later in time. Nano meanwhile has
become ‘big’ and well known
✦ Contingent development
✦ Time consuming
✦ Different deals can be made at board level
43

Boundary work ⟺
structure
/
location
Research Funding Organization
SNF
AKA
= location of decision making
SSF

Disciplinary fractioning +
bridging
45
Science | technology divide +
bridging

S | T divide in Finish funding
constellation ±2008
46
Research
performer 2
Research
performer 6
Research
performer 5
Research
performer 4
Research
performer 3
Research
performer 1
Ministry of
Trade and
Industry
Ministry of
Education
Tekes
Academy
of Finland
<p. 104-106>

Cooperation
47
AKA
✦ FinNano
Tekes
✦ FinNano
Joint annual meetings
Mutual exchange of information
Exchange of application information
Mutual representation in program
management
<p. 120-121>

Science | Technology
48
FinNano @ AKA FinNano @ Tekes
Nanoscience Nanotechnology

“Nanoscience is targeted at studying
the nanoscale, atomic or molecular
level, systems and related
phenomena.
...
Nanotechnology, on the other hand,
can be considered to include
applied nanoscience together with
exploitation.”
(Academy of Finland, 2005, p. 35,
emphasis added)
“Nanotechnology refers to science
and technology operating at the
level of atoms and molecules, i.e.,
in the nano size class, as well as
scientiﬁc phenomena and new
characteristics which one can learn
to understand when operating at
this level.”
(Anonymous, s.a., emphasis added)
<p. 113, 117>

50
Atoms, molecules, systems Nanoscience class
Interdisciplinary division
Industrial actor based
division

✦Directed self-assembly
✦Functionality in
nanoscience
✦Properties of single
nanoscale objects
✦Innovative nanostructure
materials
✦Nanosensors and
nanoactators
✦New nanoelectronics
solutions
<p. 114, 118>

52
Atoms, molecules, systems Nanoscience class
Interdisciplinary division
Industrial actor based
division

53
FinNano @ AKA
✦ 2006 - 2010
✦ Bottom-up proposals
✦ External peer
review
✦ Loose monitoring
✦ € 9 M budget
(± € 280 M annual)
FinNano @ Tekes
✦ 2005 - 2009
✦ In house discussion
✦ In house expert
review
✦ Close monitoring
✦ € 45 M
(± € 500 M annual)
<p. 126>

Where are we?
✓ Who is Frank?
✓ What is nanotechnology?
✓ Disciplinary fractioning (2 cases)
✦ Science | technology divide (2nd case)
✦ Concluding
54

Science | technology divide
55
✦ TOP NANO 21 (Switzerland)
✦ A different way of bridging
•Disciplinary fractioning
•Science|technology divide

ETH in the
science | technology divide
✦ Swiss Federal
Institutes of
Technology (ETH).
✦ Two technical
universities +
handful of
research institutes.
✦ ETH Board (1993)
56
Research
performer 2
Research
performer 6
Research
performer 5
Research
performer 4
Research
performer 3
Research
performer 1
Ministry for
Trade and
Industry
Ministry for
Research and
Education
Technology
RFO
Science
RFO
ETH Board
<p. 83-84>

TOP NANO 21
✦ 1999 - 2003
✦ CHF 60 M (ETH annual budget 1.700 M)
✦ Organized by a consultancy ﬁrm and a
well known researcher as scientiﬁc director
✦ Main objective was to "strengthen the Swiss
economy through the application of new
technologies based on the
NANOMETER." (TOP NANO 21 website)
57 <p. 85-91>

TOP NANO 21
✦ No deﬁnition of ‘the NANOMETER’
✦ Elaborate list of helpful headings and criteria:
•material, chemistry, methods, components and
systems
✦ Plus a list of don’ts. Among others:
•No ‘nano clothing’ or copying of old projects
•No microtechnology in disguise
58 <p. 86>

TOP NANO 21
✦ Final decision about left to ‘Group of
Experts’
✦ Idea of scientiﬁc director, H.J. Güntherodt
•Well informed
•Dead set on new research proposals
59 <p. 86-87>

NANOMETER
✦ "As we have already seen from
conventional technologies, nanotechnology
will develop from the nanosciences." (TOP
NANO 21 website)
✦ Consistent use of ‘NANOMETER’ in stead
of nanoscience or nanotechnology
60 <p. 87>

3D project structure
<p. 87>

Program structure
✦ 8 types of projects
•Technological
fundamental projects
(3D)
•Feasibility studies (3D)
•Alliance projects (3D)
•Individual projects
(3D)
•Projects for knowledge
and technology
transfer
•Projects for the
preparations for
launching new
companies
•Strategic projects
•Special projects
62 <p. 88-90>

Boundary work ⟺ structure /
location
63
Research
performer 2
Research
performer 6
Research
performer 5
Research
performer 4
Research
performer 3
Research
performer 1
Ministry for
Trade and
Industry
Ministry for
Research and
Education
Technology
RFO
Science
RFO
RFO

Conclusions
How does it all add up?
64

Nanotechnology deﬁnitions
65
Types of
descriptions
‘Core’ of the deﬁnition
Other characteristics

66
Boundary work
National funding
constellations
Internal
RFO structure National research
landscape
Fractioning
Bridging/merging
ConstrainingEnabling
International
landscapes +
constellations

Is RFOs’ boundary work actually
shaping a new field?
✦ Money is attached to definitions
✦ Clearly not ‘everything goes’
✦ Dependency on researchers
✦ Scientists know how to cloak their plans.
•Reviewers may ‘see’ this
✦ Will researchers do what they promised to do?
✦ Can RFOs prevent funding of other nano?
✦ Is the field systematically filled as a field?
67

Normative?
✦ Does nanotechnology have to funded
according to acclaimed characteristics :
interdisciplinary, both science and
technology?
✦ Do RFOs really have to build such bridges?
68

Questions?
69

Thank you!
www.researchaﬀairs.net
70

Nanotechnology and research funding organizations

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Semelhante a Nanotechnology and research funding organizations

Semelhante a Nanotechnology and research funding organizations (20)

Mais de Frank van der Most

Mais de Frank van der Most (6)

Último

Último (20)

Nanotechnology and research funding organizations