Within PE&RC there will be an increased focus on the role of science in society and on the implications for the PE&RC research agenda. Realisation of research results in a societal context requires decisions and implementation measures by policy makers and such actions are increasingly made in interaction with various stakeholders at multiple scales. Research results can facilitate such interaction processes as scientists act as mediators and facilitators. Together with research groups in social sciences PE&RC will contribute to social learning and capacity building of stakeholder coalitions at multiple scales with respect to their effective engagement in adaptive management of natural resources and ecological services.
In the forthcoming years there will be a focus on the theme Complex adaptive systems with new insights in the natural sciences and in interdisciplinary research bridging the natural and social sciences. This theme is of utmost importance for integrated assessment studies. The various global crises (food, climate, biodiversity, population growth, governance, financial) show the urgency of the theme. PE&RC and collaborating schools have scientific world leaders in-house, who can make this theme exemplary.
The prioritized research topics of PE&RC have high societal relevance in the fields of agriculture and the environment. Furthermore a considerable part of the PE&RC graduates obtain leading positions in research setting their own research topics. Societal relevance has become more important in the appreciation of nowadays academic research and as such has become part of the evaluation protocol of public research organizations in the Netherlands. In the forthcoming period there will be an increased focus on creating awareness among PE&RC scientist on salience (impact potential, potential to make a difference in society) and legitimacy (appreciation by and involvement of stakeholders) of PE&RC research and PE&RC PhD graduates. Indicators and methods will be developed to visualize these aspects.