#StrongerTogether : SSAH and the future of evidence-informed policymaking

There is today a pressing need for multidisciplinary approaches in policymaking to tackle complex challenges like pandemics, climate change and technological transitions. Such approaches emphasize the crucial role of Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities (SSAH) in providing diverse perspectives and expertise to policy makers, as well as the need for policymakers to frame their demand of expertise in a way that takes into account and at the same time stimulates this diversity. Despite traditionally being overshadowed by STEM disciplines in evidence-informed policy making (EIPM) processes, SSAH researchers have nevertheless been in the recent years increasingly recognized for their unique contributions and impact on policy, which has been especially evident during the COVID-19 crisis.

Acknowledging this imbalance between supply and demand in regard to the further integration of SSAH into EIPM ecosystems, efforts are underway to better integrate SSAH into research funding programs like Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. A recent collaborative 2-year reform project funded by EU Commission DG REFORM’s Technical Support Instrument, involving Belgium, also highlighted the necessity for shared understanding and frameworks in EIPM ecosystems. To address these challenges, and fully benefit from the opportunities of a better integration of SSAH expertise into EIPM, the conference aims to foster a productive dialogue and collaboration among SSAH researchers, policymakers, and knowledge brokers. It will therefore contribute to improve our EIPM ecosystems, at national as well as EU level.