Science and the Struggle for relevance

Abstract

Te starting assumption of this thesis is that academic researchers struggle for relevance. To a lesser or greater extent, they need to make sure that their work is valuable to society, either directly or indirectly. Tis can give personal satisfaction, but it also helps to legitimate one’s work to the outside world and to get access to resources. However, striving for relevance is not a straightforward exercise. First, resear- chers may face difficulties when trying to reconcile the need for relevance with other plans, ambitions and values. Second, the meaning of relevance is not fixed; it is the product of social interactions among scientists, policy makers and other stakeholders. Because of these aspects it makes sense to speak of a ‘struggle’. In this thesis, the struggle for relevance is defined as the combination of the efforts of scientists to make their work correspond with ruling standards of relevance and their efforts to influence these stan- dards of relevance. With this study of the relevance of science I aim to contribute to the understanding of transformations in the knowledge infrastructure, as discussed in a large and expanding literature using concepts like Mode 2 knowledge production, post-academic science and the Triple Helix of university- government-industry relationships. Te main research question of this thesis is: How to understand the changes in the struggle for relevance of Dutch academic researchers in chemistry, biology and agricultural science, in the period 1975-2005?