Exploring the conundrum of the new knowledge production regime: an ethnographic case study on the governance and outcomes of a science/policy network in genetics

This paper examines ANet, the science/policy network, which was created through a Canadian research funding initiative embodying the new knowledge production regime. The network's goal was to develop policy-oriented research in genetics through collaboration between knowledge producers and users from Quebec and the provinces of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. This four-year ethnographic case study shows that ANet succeeded in supporting transdisciplinarity and in creating a unique collaborative structure in which students and many researchers enthusiastically participated. However, ANet did not generate all of the research and user-friendly knowledge-based tools that were initially planned. The network's outcomes are discussed in the light of the current literature on transdisciplinarity and science policy.