“The Harder They Fall”: hybrid careers between research and science policy

Abstract

This article studies professional careers between research and positions of responsibility in the governance of science. The process by which researchers are recruited in science policy organizations is studied as well as the conditioning social mechanisms which intervene in the subsequent development of their careers. 65 professional life stories of researchers that have held management, policy making and political positions in the Spanish R&D system between 1975 and 2007 have been employed. The study identifies organizational, cognitive and institutional social mechanisms that affect the researchers’ careers depending on the scientific specialties of origin, the positions held and the length of time out of research. The conclusions highlight the implications of hybrid careers for both human resource management and organizational learning in science policy.