About Research Policy Institute

Research Policy Institute (RPI) was founded in 1966 by Stevan Dedijer. RPI’s Research Policy Programme was based on a grant from the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation. It was one of the very first organisations that focused on the emerging field of “research about research”.

RPI was formally established in 1979. In the same year Dedijer was replaced by Jon Sigurdson as Director, who became the first Professor in Research Policy at Lund University in 1984. In 1990, RPI became part of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Lund University, having previously existed directly under the Vice-Chancellor’s office. In 1998, Jon Sigurdson moved to the Stockholm School of Economics and was replaced by Rikard Stankiewicz as professor of Science and Technology Policy, as the professorship is now called. RPI was transferred to the School of Economics and Management at Lund University in 1999.

Despite the fact that RPI did not have a PhD programme until 2007, a large number of graduate students did their PhD work within the Institute (belonging formally to another department). RPI has produced over 15 doctorates to date. RPI has always had a very strong international network, with partners in both developed and developing countries. RPI’s staff have strong connections to research and technology policy bodies in Sweden and have broad experience of consultancy work, both in Sweden and abroad.

As regards education, RPI initially focused on individual courses and offered an international Master’s programme in science and technology policy between 1986-1993. Today RPI offers courses in social intelligence (at basic, advanced and candidate levels), a range of undergraduate courses and an international masters programme in Society, Science and Technology. RPI etsablished a PhD programme in research policy in 2007 and currently has 14 PhD students.

RPI’s current activities reflect its longstanding orientation towards studies of science and technology in society. The Institute currently employs 20 staff with a PhD degree.

Current research activities can be grouped into three broad categories:

• Research policy, and the dynamics of scientific fields

• Knowledge and innovation for development

• Studies of risks and risk management (including social intelligence)

For more information on these categories, click on “research”