Grants

We know surprisingly little about how and why ministries use evidence to inform policy-making. Therefore we explore why and how quality standards for evidence affect knowledge utilization in active employment and primary school policies in two Danish ministries. Based on the theoretical state of the art we advance two rival propositions expecting high and low effects of evidence standards on knowledge utilization. We test the propositions by comparing knowledge utilization in the Ministry of Employment and its active employment policies with the Ministry of Children and Education and its primary school policies in the period 2017-2022. We produce data from quantitative document analysis, interviews and a survey. In doing so, the research project produces new and important knowledge about why, how and to what effects ministries use and learn from evidence, thereby informing Danish and international research and debates on EBPM.

A continuous supply of rare earth elements are essential to maintain our current way of life. And as these elements are essential for the transition from fossil fuels to renewables, the demand will only increase. The current methods for rare earth separation relies on hydrometallurgy. The industrial processes have high energy consumption and use harsh chemicals. And while the academic research has been able to improve the process, this has mainly been done by studying the process efficiency rather than the chemistry of the process itself. The chemistry is in the two bulk phases of the solvent separation process is known, but at the interface, where the key chemistry occurs, we know little. This project will use optical spectroscopy, total scattering, and electron microscopy to study the interface in hydrometallurgy. Thus providing new knowledge, informing the design of improved processes, which will ensure the future supply of these critical elements.

This project investigates the so far underexplored issue of digital information campaigns by governments aiming at dissuading people from migrating to the EU. Drawing from critical theory, migration studies and political communication, the project conceptualises such campaigns as governmental bordering practices enabled by the affordances of social media. The project asks: 1) What kinds of information do these campaigns disseminate to which target audiences? 2) What are the similarities and differences between campaigns across EU countries and how can they be explained in relation to migration governance within the EU? The project investigates campaigns across five countries with different (geo-)political positions in the EU (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy), employing multiple methods including expert interviews with government officials, content analysis of the digital campaigns and social network analysis of the involved governance actors.