Aligning research funding to inform policy – the case of CLACSO´s Social Science and Humanities Network

Trans-Atlantic Platform Social Sciences and Humanities Workshop : A New Transatlantic Dialogue in Social Sciences and HumanitiesWorkshop 2: From Research to Policy Making Brussels, The Royal Flemish Academy of Sciences and Arts, 27-28 September 2016

Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO)

• Non-governmental international organization with UNESCO associate status

• 50 years (established in 1967)• Brings together 589 social sciences and humanities

associated institutions in 45 countries• 110 Working Groups with 3,430 researchers

from 57 countries• + 700 master and Ph.D. programs in

193 institutions, which gather +8,000 students from 38 countries enrolled in webinars and participating in postgraduate workshops

CLACSO´s general strategy for aligning research funding to inform policy

• Build bridges and promote discussion and exchange between social researchers, policy related public policies and social organizations.

• Communicate knowledge produced by Latin American and Caribbean social scientists in public policy and social organizations environments, seeking to contribute to processes for consolidation of democracy, human rights, sustainable development and a culture of peace.

Strong links of CLACSO´s authorities and participants with public policy-makers and social organizations

• 5 former or present presidents / vicepresidents of Latin America

• 27 former or present executive officers, ministers and members of parliament

• 10 positions of highest responsibility in social organizations

Strategy for aligning funding to inform policy in CLACSO’s Areas and Programmes

1. Working Groups2. Postgraduate workshops and webinars3. South-South activities4. Latin American School of Public Policies

1. CLACSO´s 110 Research Working Groups 3,430 researchers (56 % women) from 57 countries in 5 continents Strategy for aligning funding to inform policy

• 1/3 of WG participants are members of policy or social organizations.

• Evaluation of new WG values positively incorporating participants from social organizations, and building relations with public policies.

• Each WG meeting has to organize public activities inviting panelists and participants from social organizations and public policy officials.

• Dissemination of research results from the WG: in open access collaborative book but also policy-briefs, working papers, public declarations, interviews in CLACSO TV and social networks.

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2. CLACSO´s postgraduate workshops and webinars Strategy for aligning training to inform policy

• Promotion of cooperation strategies among 700 postgraduate programs and the development of public policies.

• Quota for public policy officials and for representatives of social organizations in activities.

• Presence of politicians and public officials in schools and seminars, e.g. José Mugica, former president of Uruguay, gave the opening class of the Diploma on Public Policies for equality in Latin America (400 participants).

3. CLACSO´s South-South activities Strategy for aligning funding to inform policy

• South-South International Schools: priority for academics participating in policy/social organizations, e.g. School on Inequality and Social Justice (Durban)

• South-South comparative research Workshops: requires academics to develop policy briefs after working together & discussions, e.g. inequality and climate change (Dakar)

8th South-South International School “Inequality and Social Justice: perspectives from the Global South” Durban 2015

Inter-regional activities for the exchange and discussion of contemporary social issues of commons interest, with a critical and comparative perspective.

4. CLACSO´s Latin American School of Public Policies

Training activities and development of institutional capacities for the promotion of democratic public policies

Other strategies to have visibility: opening access to social sciences and humanities

| Open access to research results and debates

+ 4 million monthly downloads from CLACSO´s digital repositories and catalog + 2,500 hours of interviews and documentary films www.clacso.tv

Promotion in social networks: + 30,000 followers + 170,000 + 60,000 in CLACSO´s mailing

| Open access to its events

e.g. 35.000 participants at its last triennial conference in Medellín, Colombia, Nov. 2015

CLACSO´s budget: origin of funds

• Annual budget is approx. u$d 9.000.000

• 48 % members fees and “in kind” contributions for collaborative activities.

• 52 % external funding (+ 70 funders since 1967,main funders: SIDA, NORAD).

CLACSO´s Executive AuthoritiesDirective Committee: members from 16 countries

Contact InformationEstados Unidos 1168 C1101AAX Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, ArgentinaTelephone numbers: (54-11) 4304-9505/9332 | clacso@clacso.edu.ar | www.clacso.org

Pablo GentiliExecutive Secretary

Fernanda SaforcadaAcademic Director