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MSc. - Science and Technology Policy Research (SPRU), University of Sussex, Brighton, UK

PhD. - Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

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Ismael Rafols is Senior Research Associate at the School of Public Policy and Research Fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex (UK). He studies the emergence of hybrid scientific fields, such as bionanotechnology or systems biology, drawing on sociological approaches and on dynamical systems concepts such as diversity. He serves as Editorial Advisor in the journal Scientometrics.

His research focus is on the analysis of interdisciplinarity in nanotechnology. Although this emergent field is often presented as an example of interdisciplinarity or technological convergence, there is a lack of empirical studies analysing how and why this field is interdisciplinary. Relying both on qualitative data from interviews and bibliometric analyses, we aim to identify the bodies of knowledge of contributing to various subfields of bionanotechnology, the practices (collaborations, recruitment, in-house learning) used by research groups in order to garner knowledge from various sources, and the drivers or visions leading to these cross-disciplinary practices.

In SPRU, he contributes to the study of the innovation systems of nanotechnologies (see RCEP project and SPRU Nanotechnologies Group) and to the EU project FRIDA (Fostering Regional Innovation and Development through Anchors and Networks). For further details and publications see homepage.

Ismael started his career in physics (BSc, Barcelona) then pursued a specialisation in statistical physics and complex systems (MSc, Tokyo) which eventually led him to conduct research in cell and developmental biology combining experimental approaches and mathematical modelling (PhD, Tohoku Univ., Sendai, Japan). After this, he carried out a postdoc in Cornell University (New York) in a project that involved the Cornell NanoBiotechnology Center. He moved to SPRU to undertake an MSc in Science and Technology Policy in 2004, joining shortly after the faculty. In 2005-06 he worked in the EC-BIOPOLIS project which provided a detailed overview of policy instruments (including research funds) for biotechnology in Europe. In 2006-08, he was awarded an EU postdoctoral Marie Curie fellowship.

Besides academia, Ismael has worked on international cooperation in Oxfam-Intermon (1993-4) and the Int. Assoc. of Educating Cities (2003-04). He has lived for more than 6 years in Japan and have travelled extensively in Asia.

Resarch Interests

• Research dynamics and governance of emergent technologies (nanotech, biotech)
• Interdisciplinarity, knowledge integration and technological convergence -public policies and organisational arrangements.
• Japan: science and technology policies
• Network analysis: applications to innovation studies (bibliometric, social networks)