The science policy framework of knowledge production

As in other European countries, the professional lives of academics in the Czech Republic are becoming increasingly tightly governed through research assessment (Strathern, 2000; Shore, 2008; Felt, 2009). Academics are expected to account for public funding in the form of auditable, rather strictly defined outputs. Having a rather direct bearing on the funding of universities and research institutions, as well as individual research teams, these expectations influence knowledge practices in a significant way. They shape research themes, research focus, and publication and communication strategies. The science policy reforms started after 2001 were declared to promote excellence, internationalisation and perhaps most significantly the societal utility of science (Stöckelová and Linková, 2009). As this chapter will show, the effects of the reform measures have however been rather ambiguous with regard to increasing the public and policy relevance of academic knowledge.

Key elements of Czech science policy

The reforms started in 2001 set up several new trends in Czech research. Firstly, while the public funding for research remains relatively limited (in 2012 it was about €1 billion, that is 0.7% of GDP), it is increasingly distributed on a competitive basis: through (individual and team) research grants from the Czech Science Foundation. Also, the institutional funding of research organisations is dependent on their annual research performance. Secondly, as corporate actors, represented by associations such as the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic and the Association of Innovative Entrepreneurship Czech Republic, have gained a stronger voice in the governmental Research and Development Council and thus in defining public research value and legitimacy, there has been a shift in emphasis from basic research to applied research and innovation. Also the priority is on science, technology and medicine, as compared to social sciences and humanities. Thirdly, the two trends crossbred in the introduction of a research assessment methodology in 2004.

Though the methodology has been changing slightly over the years, the fundamental classification of relevant research outputs remains stable. They are divided into two main groups: basic and applied research. While both categories have to be considered in relation to the production of policy-relevant knowledge – and this will be done later in the chapter – the outputs of applied research are of primary relevance.