The Impacts of Institutional Research Structures, using the example of the FGW (Research Institute for Societal Development)

Objective and Tasks

The Research Institute for Societal Development, in German Forschungsinstitut für gesellschaftliche Weiterentwicklung (FGW), was founded in September 2014 as a registered association. The founders, renowned scientists and the North Rhine Westphalian Ministry responsible for science, aimed to create a network for the three stakeholder groups science, politics and civil society. Funding provided for an office in Düsseldorf and the creation of the FGW research agenda, its implementation and accompanying transfer measures between January 2015 and December 2019. During that time, the five research areas “Digitalization of Work – Industry 4.0”, “Integrating Urban Development”, “New Economic Thinking”, “Preventive Social Policy” and “Right-wing populism, social issues and democracy” completed and published about 100 research projects and expert reports, and organized over 160 events.

Before the dissolution of the association at the end of 2020, this project aims to evaluate the work of the research institute systematically. The main focus lies on the organizational structure, i.e. its impact on the employees’ work as well as the success of the research agenda from the joint development by the three stakeholder groups to the transfer of the results.

Procedure

The following work packages will use a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods:

1. Analysis of the specific organizational structure
2. Analysis of the transfer results
3. Realization of online surveys with employees, heads of the research areas/board members and external experts/project funding recipients (full census)
4. Analysis of the online surveys
5. If necessary, complementary individual qualitative interviews
6. Organization of an event to present the results
7. Publication of the results