Pichler, Rupert (2026) A Brief History of Science and Research Policy Advisory Councils in Austria. fteval Journal for Research and Technology Policy Evaluation (58). pp. 30-55. ISSN 1726-6629
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract (english)
Austria was a latecomer in developing a fully-fledged set of institutions for the implementation of science and research policy. The potential role of an advisory body always figured prominently in the post-war debate, but institution building in the 1950s and 1960s focused on building funding institutions. It was not until 1967 that two proper research-funding organisations came into being. The “Research Council” (Forschungsrat) established together with them was merely a co-ordinating body of those two organisations. In the 1970s, the shift towards a more active science and research policy resulted in the first introduction of a dedicated ministry for science and research in 1971. Yet the virtual absence of a “real” science and research policy advisory council proved increasingly problematic, as challenges grew more and more complex. The eventual creation of a broader science and research council in 1981 had almost no visible impact as its capacity and resources were limited. The technocratic turn at the beginning of the 2000s led to an entirely new research council with its own office and staff. After its merger with the universities’ “Science Council” (Wissenschaftsrat) in 2023 there is now a more comprehensive advisory body designed to span the whole spectrum from university research to company innovation. Over time, we see a shift in the councils’ legitimation from a representative to a meritocratic logic. This article analyses the underlying historical trajectories of science and research policy advice in the Second Austrian Republic.
| Subjects: | R&D in Austria |
|---|---|
| Divisions: | Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Advisory bodies, Research Council, Science Council, council history, science and research policy. |
| Identification Number: | 10.22163/fteval.2026.741 |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Jul 2026 15:17 |
| URI: | https://repository.fteval.at/id/eprint/817 |
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