A presentation on behalf of the Foundation for Research on Biodiversity by Alison Specht on the role of analysis and synthesis centres as knowledge brokers between science and policy.

1. Analysis and synthesis centres: their
role as knowledge brokers between
science and policy
Alison Specht
Directrice, the French Centre for the
Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity

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Converging trends

3. 3
Converging trends

4. 4
Converging trends

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Converging trends
We are drowning in information while starving
for wisdom.
Edward O. Wilson (1998) Consilience: The Unity of
Knowledge

6. 6
Davies et al. (2015) Sci Tot Env.
Complex problems have many domains

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funders
And many accountabilities
Adapted from Campbell et al. (2015) Sci Tot Env.

8. 8
funders
And many accountabilities
Adapted from Campbell et al. (2015) Sci Tot Env.
researchers

9. 9
funders
End-users
And many accountabilities
Adapted from Campbell et al. (2015) Sci Tot Env.
researchers

10. 10
funders
researchers
End-users
And many accountabilities
Adapted from Campbell et al. (2015) Sci Tot Env.

11. So, how to cross the knowledge-action boundary?
Transparency of itself is insufficient in the Science-Policy
Interface because of itself it cannot solve political and ethical
issues (Crouzat et al., 2018).
A key characteristic of transdisciplinary research is that the
domains of science, management, planning, policy and practice
are interactively involved in issue framing, knowledge production
and knowledge application. (Roux et al., 2010)
Boundary organisations are among the best ways of doing this:
Synthesis centres are basic scientific infrastructure, like
telescopes for astronomy or ocean vessels for oceanography,
which enable advancements beyond the fiscal capabilities of
individual research organizations (Baron et al., 2017)
11

12. So, how to cross the knowledge-action boundary?
Transparency of itself is insufficient in the Science-Policy
Interface because of itself it cannot solve political and ethical
issues (Crouzat et al., 2018).
A key characteristic of transdisciplinary research is that the
domains of science, management, planning, policy and practice
are interactively involved in issue framing, knowledge production
and knowledge application. (Roux et al., 2010)
Boundary organisations are among the best ways of doing this:
Synthesis centres are basic scientific infrastructure, like
telescopes for astronomy or ocean vessels for oceanography,
which enable advancements beyond the fiscal capabilities of
individual research organizations (Baron et al., 2017)
12

13. So, how to cross the knowledge-action boundary?
Transparency of itself is insufficient in the Science-Policy
Interface because of itself it cannot solve political and ethical
issues (Crouzat et al., 2018).
A key characteristic of transdisciplinary research is that the
domains of science, management, planning, policy and practice
are interactively involved in issue framing, knowledge production
and knowledge application. (Roux et al., 2010)
Boundary organisations are among the best ways of doing this:
Synthesis centres are basic scientific infrastructure, like
telescopes for astronomy or ocean vessels for oceanography,
which enable advancements beyond the fiscal capabilities of
individual research organizations (Baron et al., 2017)
13

14. The philosophy
14
Adapted from Specht. (2017) In, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Infrastructures:
challenges and opportunities (Eds. A. Chabbi and H. Loescher).

15. The philosophy
15
Adapted from Specht. (2017) In, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Infrastructures:
challenges and opportunities (Eds. A. Chabbi and H. Loescher).

16. The philosophy
16
Adapted from Specht. (2017) In, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Infrastructures:
challenges and opportunities (Eds. A. Chabbi and H. Loescher).

17. The philosophy
17
Adapted from Specht. (2017) In, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Infrastructures:
challenges and opportunities (Eds. A. Chabbi and H. Loescher).

18. The philosophy
18
Adapted from Specht. (2017) In, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Infrastructures:
challenges and opportunities (Eds. A. Chabbi and H. Loescher).

19. 19
Adapted from Specht. (2017) In, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Infrastructures:
challenges and opportunities (Eds. A. Chabbi and H. Loescher).
Core construct

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Adapted from Curty et al. (2017) PlosONE
Changing culture
and
practice

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Adapted from Curty et al. (2017) PlosONE
Changing culture
and
practice

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Effecting domain exchange
SOUS TITRE
Adapted from Pennington et al. (2013) BioScience

23. 23
Effecting domain exchange
SOUS TITRE
Adapted from Pennington et al. (2013) BioScience

24. 24
Effecting domain exchange
SOUS TITRE
Adapted from Pennington et al. (2013) BioScience

25. 25
Effecting domain exchange
SOUS TITRE
Adapted from Pennington et al. (2013) BioScience
A process of
(a) Disorientation
(b) Critical reflection
(c) Reflective discourse

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Synthesised
outcomes

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Synthesised
outcomes
We are drowning in information while starving
for wisdom. The world henceforth will be run by
synthesizers, people able to put together the right
information at the right time, think critically about
it, and make important choices wisely.
—Edward O. Wilson (1998) Consilience: The Unity of
Knowledge

30. sources
Baron J., Specht A., Garnier E., Bishop P., Campbell A., Davis F., Fady B., Field D., Gross L., Guru S.,
Hampton S., McClain C., Parker J., Price R., Rawson C., Rodrigo A., Sheble L., Winter M. (2017)
Synthesis centres as critical research infrastructure. BioScience 67(8): 750-59.
Campbell A, Lefroy EC, Caddy-Retalic S, Bax N, Doherty PJ, Douglas MM, Johnson D, Possingham H,
Specht A, Tarte D, West J. (2015) Designing environmental research for impact. Science for the
Total Environment 534: 4-13.
Crouzat E., Arpin I., Brunet L., Coloff M., Turkelboom F., Lavorel S. (2018) Researchers must be aware
of their roles at the interface of ecosystem services science and policy. Ambio 47: 97-105.
Crowston, K, Specht A., Hoover, C., Chudoba K, Watson-Manheim, M. (2015) Perceived discontinuities
and continuities in transdisciplinary scientific working groups. Science for the Total
Environment. 534: 159-172
Curty R., Crowston K., Specht A., Dalton E., Grant B. (2017) Attitudes and norms affecting scientists’
data reuse. PLosONE 12(12): e0189288.
Pennington, D.D., Simpson, G.L., McConnell, M.S., Fair, J.M., Baker, R.J., 2013. Transdisciplinary
research, transformative learning, and transformative science. Bioscience 63(7), 564–573.
Roux DJ, Stirzaker RJ, Breen CM, Lefroy EC and Cresswell HP. Framework for participative reflection
on the accomplishment of transdisciplinary research programs. Environmental Science & Policy
2010;13:733–41
Specht A. (2017) Synthesis centres: their relevance to and importance in the anthropocene. Pp. 469-
488. In, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Infrastructures: challenges and opportunities (Eds. A.
Chabbi and H. Loescher), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
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