Comparative Study of the Status of Basic Sciences in Iran and Selected Countries and Their Role in Science and Technology Governance

Abstract

Basic sciences, as the foundation of knowledge production and the development of technological capacities, play a fundamental role in the sustainability and effectiveness of national science, technology, and innovation systems. However, the utilization of the capacities of these sciences depends not only on scientific capability and the volume of knowledge production but also decisively on the quality of governance, institutional structures, policymaking, financing, evaluation systems, and the manner in which fundamental research is linked to innovation. The present study aimed to comparatively examine the status of basic sciences in Iran and four selected countries, namely the United States, Germany, China, and Japan, and to explain their role in science and technology governance. The research was conducted using a qualitative–comparative approach through the integration of documentary analysis and grounded theory. In the comparative component, policy documents, official reports, and valid data related to the science and technology systems of the countries under study were examined across five dimensions: governance structure, policymaking, financing, evaluation and monitoring, and the linkage between basic sciences and technological innovation. In the qualitative component, data obtained from in-depth, semi-structured interviews with five experts in science and technology policy were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding. The qualitative analysis resulted in the extraction of 75 open codes and 15 axial codes, while “failure of the interinstitutional coordination system and the absence of a single responsible authority” was identified as the core category. The comparative findings also indicated that despite substantial differences among the governance models of the selected countries, institutional stability, policy continuity, long-term financial support, multidimensional evaluation systems, and effective mechanisms for coordination and linking science with innovation were common characteristics. In Iran, institutional fragmentation, discontinuous policymaking, instability of research funding, dominance of quantitative indicators in evaluation, and the weak systematic linkage of basic sciences with industry and innovation mutually reinforce one another in a cascading manner. Accordingly, improving the governance of basic sciences requires simultaneous reform of institutional coordination structures, establishment of stable and multi-year financial support, redesign of the evaluation system with an emphasis on quality and long-term impact, and strengthening of intermediary institutions connecting fundamental research with the innovation system.