When Include was established in the fall of 2019 under the Research Council of Norway's (RCN) scheme for Centres for Environmentally-friendly Energy Research (FME), it was initially for a period of five years. A three-year extension was made dependent on an evaluation of the centre's activity. The evaluation was carried out during the spring and summer of 2024, and the RCN has now approved the centre's extension for the period 2025–2027.
“Overall, both centres are very successful and impressive” are the opening words in of the evaluation report. The evaluation addresses Include and NTRANS, which are the two social science FMEs. It's the evaluators' opinion that both centres have made important contributions to research and to society. They are also praised for having shown how to develop and implement close collaboration with partner organizations.
The report emphasizes that social science insights are crucial for a successful energy transition to take place. This is confirmed by the research conducted by Include and NTRANS, it states. At the same time, the two centers are encouraged to use examples from their own work to ensure that all stakeholders understand the value of social science research.
In the part of the report that deals specifically with Include, the evaluators point out that the center appears to be very well managed and organized. After praising the work that has already been done, the report makes several recommendations for the remaining period. Include is advised to:
emphasize synthesis work.
Include has excelled in research, not least in the number of publications. Now the focus should shift towards compiling the findings from individual projects, drawing broader conclusions and formulating overall arguments.- clarify what is meant by co-creation of knowledge.
Include promotes co-creation of knowledge between researchers and partners from the public, private and voluntary sectors as a cornerstone of its methodology. It is not entirely clear what this entails, the evaluators believe, and they call for strengthening/clarification in the future. Doing that, it is important to be conscious of and manage possible tensions between partners' needs and the critical nature of academic research. - create a strategy for international cooperation and draw more on the centre's international expert group.
Include's work is highly focused on Norway. This entails a risk that the perspective may be too limited, the evaluation report points out. Having Durham University as part of the centre provides valuable perspectives from outside, but the evaluators believe that the eight international researchers on Include's Advisory Board should be invited to contribute more actively. This applies especially in the upcoming process of synthesizing the work.
In its response to the report, Include writes that the centre greatly appreciates the evaluation group's thorough work and constructive input, and that the recommendations in the report are in line with the center's own thoughts on the next phase.
More emphasis on synthesis work has already been on the agenda for some time. Among other things, plans are being made for a book based on insights across the center's thematic areas. Include's researchers in Durham have enthusiastically expressed their interest in taking a leadership role in this work. Several of them plan to travel to Oslo in March 2025. The participants in Include's international expert group have, in turn, responded positively to the invitation to contribute more actively with their perspectives.