Dr. Moumita Kole is a consultant with International Science Council; future of scientific publishing project, also a public policy researcher and visiting scientist with special focus on Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI policy; DST Centre for Policy Research, IISc). She is navigating in the field of policies to boost the development of science and technology innovations in India. ScienceandI team was very curious to know more about her role in the field of policy making and what was her journey like till now. Did she know in the beginning of career that she will one day be part of policy development projects? What was her journey like? Where would she like to move ahead in short term future? How can someone studying STEM today can enter into the field of policy making and development in India. What is the impact of this work in the real world. ScienceandI team reached out to Moumita with their big list of questions and Moumita very happily answered to all of them. Please read through Moumita’s story in her words and learn about the exciting world of policy making specially in Science and Technology Innovation (STI)
Moumita, please tell us about yourself and your journey with Science until now
I hold a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Vienna University of Technology, Vienna, Austria. My main objective during PhD was synthesising small molecules that can direct the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells toward heart muscle cells. As we know that Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of deaths world wide. Human heart has a limited regenerative capacity and research have so far not been successful in addressing cardiomyocyte (muscle cell of heart) loss. My research was in the directions of regenerative cell therapies to address the regeneration of heart muscle cells. I am sure the project sounds exciting and complex, and I must admit it was challenging. I mostly had failures in the first year. Then things fell into place, and I broadened my scope to include designing novel synthetic routes using metal as catalysts. After finding many more exciting data points, presenting them in conferences and I could successfully defend my Ph.D. with a couple of papers, one patent, and one of the best thesis awards! My post-doctoral research was in C-H activation chemistry and combining metal and enzyme catalysis in designing synthetic routes. Developing new methodologies for chemical synthesis is a crucial field of research in chemistry from the sustainability and efficiency point of views. Such methodologies are essential for less waste generation and less energy consumption and therefore good for environment. At this point I decided to come back to India as I always wanted to be back in my country. Once back in India, I joined Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) as a post-doctoral researcher, this was the time when I found managing both research and family life quite challenging because of higher demands of work from a senior researcher in the laboratory, commuting time and lack of quality child care facilities in India as a whole. To find back my work -life balance and be able to more available to my child, I chose teaching lab courses in the IISc’s undergraduate program. It undoubtedly gave me much needed flexibility in handling my child and my career track in academia. Designing experiments were fun, and so were the interactions with students initially, But eventually I could foresee that it lacked the challenges of a research bench and was not rewarding from the prospect of developmental path in career – there was no further road map planned for these positions which was frustrating.
While trying to find my next steps in sciences, I started leveraging my interest in exploring the structure and evolution of science and started dabbling on questions and exploring the answers about how to make the research ecosystem more efficient and responsible? How to make research respond to local problems? How to drive and fund the research that matters the most? So I joined the Policy research centre of Department of Science and Technology (DST) at IISc. These changes led me to where I am now. Today I am engaged in academic research on science policy and act as an expert member in open science and evaluation-related research groups and my avenues are expanding in policy research.
How would you summarise your experience of working in different countries?
It was fun, exciting, and rewarding. I can’t recall facing any bad situation. I might be lucky, but I can’t remember any adverse incident. The research groups during my PhD and Postdoctoral tenure were fun to work with and my supervisor was also an easy-going person so as my co-supervisor. We used to have exciting group meetings with stimulating conversations. The technical staffs were very helpful, even if there were language barrier as some of them were not fluent in English. But there was never a situation where I had to face any problem because of that. However, I must admit that there were not many women in the field, especially in the synthetic organic chemistry. So, I did not have any role model and I think that’s one of the reasons I was lost in my career path. Also, since I never wanted to stay back and my supervisor was a young researcher, did not have any connection in India, I felt lost at times during my research tenure in Europe.
Since you started your career in a research lab, when did you decide to move towards policy making?
At some point in this phase of my postdoctoral research career, I felt we were doing research just for the sake of it. The research had no contribution to society or, for that matter, tackle transformative research questions in our particular field. We were involved in incremental research, and nothing would have changed even if we had not done it. I might sound too pessimistic, and someone else might have other views. But I am open to that discussion and debate. Many believe that since the funding is too low in India, we have no choice but to think big. Is this the reason? I wanted to explore such questions and give some evidence-based answers. Overall I did not see myself working in the research labs for next decades and as mentioned above while searching answers to these questions I found my role in policy research.
Could you briefly describe what policy research is for our readers?
Science policy is a particular area of public policy that guides the allocation of resources, directions of research, rules and regulations to be followed and creates the roadmap for impact on society. Public funding is one of the significant sources of investment in science, especially in India, where the private sector’s contribution to scientific research is relatively low compared to other knowledge economies. India spends ~0.7% of its GDP on Research & Development, which obviously needs to be increased. We must design efficient policies to utilise the limited funding for the betterment of society through science, technology, and innovation—this is where policy research comes into the picture. You don’t do such an essential task without sufficient evidence; it cannot be arbitrary.
The above data has been taken from the World Bank. To know more, please click here.
As ordinary people, where can we see its impact? Can you give some examples in industry or other areas where policy research has utility?
One very recent and relatable example would be the global decision to make the research (articles, pre-prints, and underlying data in different databases from different countries) related to COVID-19 accessible to everyone. SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequencing (WGS) data was available, which led to many significant findings.
How someone with PhD in STEM field and multiple years of post doctoral research or teaching experience can fit into any role in the field of science policy? Do they need further skills to enter into this field?
Science Policy experts serve as the bridge between researchers, policymakers, and government officials. Decisions should be made based on evidence and what is good for the system and society. Science policy experts try to provide this guidance. The question that we ask on a daily basis is, who are the most suitable candidates for this job? Our instincts may tell us that scientists themselves are the best suited. However, it’s not just the knowledge of science or the workings of the science ecosystem. It is much more than that. Knowledge of social science research, management, public administration, etc., is also needed. Many times scientists do have this expertise through their own career experience. But quick learning of other necessary skills is very important to supplement their knowledge in science in order to guide effective policy-making.
Which government or private organisations in India are working in policy research?
The scope of public policies related to STI is not only limited to the Ministry of Science and Technology (DST, DBT, CSIR). Still, it cuts across various other ministries, departments, and agencies. Some of these, including the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, NITI Aayog, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Department of Health Research, etc., and State S&T Councils are directly involved in the STI policy-making process. There are government-run autonomous and independent think tanks and policy institutions. They also actively contribute to this process. These include the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (CSIR-NISTADS), and DST- Centre for Policy Research (DST-CPRs), to name a few. Then there are many private think tanks such as CSTEP, RIS, Centre for Civil Society, etc., who are also involved in policy research in the STI domain and advising the government.
How involved and aware are students pursuing a career/degree in STEM in India regarding opportunities in science policy research?
Awareness among STEM students about STI policy research is minimal. Since, in India, the importance of evidence-based policymaking has been recognised very recently, the discussions around career opportunities are still in the very early stages. Also, the opportunities are still limited. The job posting comes out mostly through LinkedIn.
Are there courses, certifications and degrees in India that support science policy research?
Not really; there are no such courses that exist in India. It’s more like learning by doing. One good option to explore however is the Centre for Studies in Science Policy, at JNU. But anyone can join certification courses offered by the London School of Economics, Harvard Kennedy School, and others.
What are the different avenues through which one can enter into policy research?
The policy field is not limited to research; candidates with STEM degrees can join as program managers or program coordinator roles in independent think tanks and NGOs. For the Policy researcher’s role, a more niche area, an interested candidate can join as a researcher at various stages of their careers.
Policy research is a well-known domain in the USA and Europe. Where does India lie in policy research?
Science policies in the US or Europe and some countries in Asia, such as South Korea, Singapore, etc., have a long history of expert-driven, evidence-based approaches. India’s 2013 science and technology policy proposed creating policy research centres and promoting a culture of evidence-driven policymaking. However, the mindset where we base our decisions only on the experience of senior gorup of scientists, rather than evidence-informed policy making, still exists. India’s R&D expenditure is low compared to many developed and developing countries. We need to not just improve these figures; we have to make strategic decisions. We need to have right policies in place.
And where do you see India in the next ten years in the field of policy research?
This is an upcoming area, and policy-making will be taken seriously in the future. Especially with all the noise and fast paced development in the fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Ethics, Data management and Data Protection, Public Health and digitalisation in healthcare, and so on, more and more professionals will need to design policies in these various upcoming and fast progressing domains.
Do you see yourself in Policy research for the long term, or is it like a transit stop for you? Would you adapt to more changes in your career – if yes, what would those be?
I am in this for the long haul as I see myself guiding STI policies based on solid evidence. Mainly, I am interested in how we can make our STI ecosystem respond to the call of science for the society and the challenges concerning Sustainable Development Goals. The challenges lie at various stages of our STI ecosystem starting from the academia. Academic research is too focused on generating research publications and other publication related indices such as impact factor or h-index. These are no way measure of impact of a research on society. I am working on these problems and hoping to produce enough evidence and future course of actions that would help our science funding agencies to make appropriate decisions.
What are the various roles and career roadmaps people can consider while working in policy research?
There are various roles at the o/PSA and Invest India, NITI Aayog. Also, there are positions in many think tanks as program managers, program coordinators, and researchers. Also, there are positions in international organisations such as UNESCO and many other US, EU, or UK-based independent NGOs and Think tanks.