Limits and challenges of the institutional framework in the production of cooperative forms of knowledge: the case of the Brazilian Amazon.

Abstract

Transdisciplinary approaches implies in a conflictual relationship between research proposals and social priorities. Society does not recognise the knowledge produced as useful and science does not understand that promises to help and support public policies towards sustainable use of natural resources, specially in the Amazon, creates an expectation difficult to fulfill. The institutional framework has an important role, in the sense of integration between different sciences and to discuss these issues with society. Normally it is understood that no preliminary institutional design is needed. Decisions concerning research founding are taken by scientists leaving society out. In order to discuss these conflicts this paper will analyse an international global environmental change research program: The Large Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia (LBA) that has a strong transdisciplinary appeal. This analysis will focus on the limits and challenges of institutional framework of interdisciplinary and international research programs in incorporating and doing transdisciplinary research.