The preparation of the RESEARCH2025-catalogue was carried out in dialogue and as a co-creation process with several stakeholders, which, in different ways, have links to scientific research.
The RESEARCH2025-catalogue was prepared with a limited degree of involvement from the political level according to the arm's length principle. This is because the catalogue must function as a basis of knowledge, inspiration and prioritization for both the government and the opposition in relation to political decision making regarding the allocation of strategic research funding.
During the planning of RESEARCH2025, the Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education – in accordance with requests from stakeholders – put emphasis on the following aspects:
- That the process was organised with as much openness and transparency as possible
- That stakeholders were included as much and as early as possible
- That the stakeholders could participate in cross-cutting discussions, e.g. across ministries, Danish knowledge institutions as well as trade associations and interest organizations.
The Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education decided to split the RESEARCH2025-process into the following five main stages (click for a detailed description)
1) The stakeholders prepare inputs on research themes (February-May 2016)
The first step of the RESEARCH2025-process involved the stakeholders submitting proposals of promising research themes. The stakeholders had about three months to prepare their inputs, which were to be sent to the Agency the 1st of June at the latest.
2) The Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education prepares a draft of a tentative structure (June-July 2016)
On the basis of the inputs from stakeholders, Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education prepared a draft of the main structure for the RESEARCH2025-catalogue. Hereafter, the Agency invited several stakeholders with specialized knowledge on scientific needs in their area of expertise to assist on the preparation of the first draft of the RESEARCH2025-catalogue.´More concretely, the Agency established several small groups with a limited amount of participants representing a special knowledge of society’s demand for research-based knowledge, technology and education and/or knowledge on the potentials of research.
3) Preparation of the first draft of the RESEARCH2025-katalogue (August 2016 - January 2017)
With the draft of the overarching structure as a starting point, the groups were given approximately two months to assist with the preparation of proposals for RESEARCH2025 themes. The participants waspartly representing the demand-side for research based knowledge, technology and education in society, e.g. participants from the business community, interest organizations, ministries, Danish regions and municipalities. Furthermore, participants from universities and Danish Knowledge Institutions were invited. These participants were included due to their extensive knowledge of the possibilities and potentials in science. The Danish Agency for Science and Higher Education conducted the work and the writing process itself. Employees from Innovation Fund Denmark assisted in this regard.
4) Dialogue and consultation on the collective draft of the RESEARCH2025-catalogue (January - March 2017)
On the basis of the first draft of the RESEARCH2025-catalogue, the stakeholders were invited to send in written comments. Approximately two months was set aside for this purpose.
5) Consolidation and description of Danish prerequisites (March - May 2017)
After receiving the written comments, effort was put into consolidating and guaranteeing the quality of the RESEARCH2025-catalogue in preparation for publishing the catalogue in June 2017.