Strengthening Europe’s Science for Policy Ecosystem: My Contribution to HORIZON-WIDERA-2025-06-ERA-06
Bridging research, policy, and innovation through systems thinking, network science, and capacity-building.
Why This Call Matters
The European Union has long committed to evidence-informed policymaking. However, translating scientific knowledge into meaningful policy outcomes remains uneven across countries, institutions, and sectors. The ERA-06 call aims to change that by reinforcing the Science for Policy (S4P) ecosystem: building communities of practice, connecting institutions, and supporting the translation of research into public value.
With a career at the intersection of innovation systems, network science, and research-policy linkages, I bring tools and insight to design, evaluate, and strengthen S4P mechanisms across governance levels. My academic profile (see Google Scholar) and professional work focus on connecting fragmented actors and making systems more cohesive and strategic—exactly what this call aims to achieve.
What I Can Offer
1. Mapping and Strengthening the S4P Ecosystem
Using longitudinal, dyadic, and multilayer network analysis, I can:
Identify gaps in communication and collaboration between policymakers, scientists, advisors, and intermediaries.
Visualize how knowledge flows—or fails to flow—across governance levels.
Diagnose bottlenecks in institutional uptake of scientific evidence.
Contribution Example: Lead a WP on mapping the S4P institutional landscape and knowledge brokerage dynamics using SNA, RSiena, and policy data.
2. Building and Facilitating Communities of Practice
Through my experience organizing multi-actor trainings and innovation dialogues, I can:
Help design and run structured peer-learning, mutual exchange, and capacity-building workshops.
Support the development of governance frameworks for the Community of Practice.
Integrate digital collaboration tools to enhance accessibility and continuous engagement.
Contribution Example: Co-lead training and coordination actions with a focus on equity, diversity, and systemic impact.
3. Science–Policy Interface Modeling and Evaluation
My work in agent-based modeling, Smart Specialisation, and institutional design gives me the ability to:
Simulate science-policy interactions under varying governance and funding conditions, as far as realistically possible.
Evaluate success factors of S4P initiatives using both qualitative and network-based indicators.
Support the Observatory function by helping design a taxonomy of S4P actors, challenges, and instruments.
Contribution Example: Design the analytical framework for the S4P Observatory and co-author policy briefs on ecosystem health.
Why Me?
📊 Analytical depth: Advanced skills in network science (SNA, RSiena, multiplex models) and evaluation.
🤝 Bridge builder: I work across science, innovation, and policy sectors to translate data into decisions.
🌍 European perspective: Experience with European research networks, innovation policy frameworks, and governance models.
🧠 Systems thinking: Proven track record in mapping complex interdependencies and designing integrated strategies.
Whether you need a Work Package Leader, an expert on network design, or a strategist to shape the future of Science for Policy in Europe—I’m ready to contribute.
Let’s Connect
If you are preparing a proposal for ERA-06, I’d be happy to collaborate. Let’s co-create a stronger, smarter, and more inclusive S4P ecosystem.