Science Policy, R&D and Knowledge in Portugal: an Application of Social Network Analysis

The present research aims to study the projects financed by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in order to understand the evolution of the R&D and knowledge networks of the principal universities in Portugal, to identify the multiple territorial scales on which they operate and their trans-disciplinary dimensions and to assess their impact in the various regions. Using an approach that analyses social networks, and complemented by a spatial dynamics analysis, the study will identify and characterise the networks of scientific and technological collaboration of the territories where the main public universities in Portugal are located. The interpretation of measurements resulting from the analysis of social networks will allow the study to characterise the configuration of networks of institutional cooperation and indicate the types of collaborative relationships in terms of production, dissemination and application of scientific knowledge.