The main objectives of this project are to develop and disseminate knowledge essential for conducting valid impact evaluation studies within the field of research and innovation policies. Specifically, we will address preconditions for measuring effects of research and innovation policy interventions. Our project proposal addresses in particular the thematic area “Research and its application – instruments, results and effects of the 2010 FORFI Programme Plan.

Norwegian calls for contract research and consultancy services within the field of research and innovation policy studies frequently ask for impact valuations. Although this is a legitimate need for knowledge by policy makers and program officers, the effects of such interventions may not be studied in a truly valid manner, because central preconditions for isolating the treatment effect is usually not present. Some calls for tenders even ask for effect assessment/valuation in formative trailing evaluations where the task of identifying casual effects empirically is unrealistic. Clearly there is a misfit between the ambitions among several principals issuing calls for impact evaluations in the field of research and innovation policies and the actual possibilities to carry out sound empirical projects. This is an on-going challenge in evaluation research on public policies and interventions, and particularly so for research and innovation policies where impacts measurements have been accentuated in the last decade.