Value of science. Observe, Know and Measure

What are the social benefits of investing in research? At the request of the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, an Academy advisory committee will be answering this question in two ways over the first next six months in 2022.

In its advisory report on the value of research, the Academy will chart the effects of investments on broad indicators of prosperity and well-being. In doing so, the Academy is responding to a request from the Minister of Education, Culture and Science, but also links up with the process recently started by the planning agencies on the subject.

The value of science question follows an increasingly lively social and political debate on the position and financing of research. Science makes visible, positive contributions to welfare and well-being, a recent example being the COVID-19 vaccines developed in record time. According to a recent report by the Rathenau Institute, public confidence in science in the Netherlands is high. At the same time, there is also criticism: are the public investments in science justified and what are the specific results? As part of the Knowledge Coalition, the Academy argues for increased investment in science. The committee's independent opinion will contribute to this debate.

The Minister of Education, Culture and Science  has asked the Academy to map the value of science in a broad sense and to highlight the importance of science for education, the development of society, the democratic value and the importance of science for solving societal challenges.

The committee will formulate a broad vision of these different aspects of science, namely its cultural, educational, social, economic and democratic value. Closely related to this are models that can map the value of science. The committee will advise on how these models can be further developed or used.

An advisory committee chaired by Mirjam van Praag has been set up for this process.

Members

• Bas van Bavel
• Gerard van den Berg
• Arjen Brussaard
• Ingrid Robeyns
• Elmer Sterken
• Marleen Stikker
• Vinod Subramaniam

The following documents are available in Dutch at knaw.nl/waarde-van-wetenschap:

• Declarations of interest committee members
• Resolution inaugurating the committee and committee members