- 27 July 2019
Making sense of science for policy under conditions of complexity and uncertainty
Now more than ever, policymakers need good quality science advice to inform their decisions, and the very policy issues for which scientific input is most needed are the ones where the science itself is often complex and uncertain.
Our evidence review report highlights the fact that many of the world’s most pressing problems are also incredibly complex — including climate change, environmental pollution, economic crises and the digital transformation of societies. What’s more, the scientific knowledge around these areas can often be uncertain or contested.
Science is one of many sources of knowledge that inform policy. Its unique strength is that it is based on rigorous enquiry, continuous analysis and debate, providing a set of evidence that can be respected as valid, relevant and reliable.
Science advice supports effective policymaking by providing the best available knowledge, which can then be used to understand a specific problem, generate and evaluate policy options and monitor results of policy implementation. It also provides meaning to the discussion around critical topics within society. The advice works best when it is guided by the ideal of co-creation of knowledge and policy options between scientists and policymakers.
The relationship between science advisers and policymakers relies on building mutual trust, where both scientists and policymakers are honest about their values and goals.
Scientific knowledge should always inform societal debate and decision-making. Citizens often have their own experiences of the policy issue under consideration and should be included in the ongoing process of deliberation between scientists, policymakers and the public.
Working group members
Professor
Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), Potsdam
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Professor
University College Dublin
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Professor (Emeritus)
University of Naples Federico II
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Professor
Leiden University
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Professor
University of Southern Denmark
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Professor
National Academy of Technologies of France
Professor
Copenhagen Business School
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Professor
Wrocław University of Science and Technology
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Professor
Biocenter Finland
Professor
Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
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Professor
Polytechnic University of Bucharest
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Professor (Emerita)
University of Cambridge
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Professor
Lund University
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Professor
University of Sussex
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Professor
University of Bergen & Utrecht University
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Professor
University of Zagreb
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Policy impact
- European Food Safety Authority: discussed at a Scientific Committee meeting in 2019.
- German parliament: included in a written statement to an expert hearing of the research committee in May 2020.