Drivers and Barriers to SSHA Impact the Science-Policy Interface. A Literature Review

This scoping review examines the contributions of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts (SSHA) disciplines at the science-policy interface (SPI), synthesizing findings from 71 peer-reviewed articles published between 2008 and 2022. The SPI refers to the zone of interaction between academic research and public decision-making, where knowledge is mobilized to inform policy. While traditionally dominated by STEM fields, the SPI increasingly relies on SSHA expertise to address societal challenges characterized by complexity, uncertainty, and value conflict. SSHA fields contribute uniquely through contextual research, deliberative facilitation, and evidence dissemination; activities essential for policy processes that involve human behavior, ethics, governance, and culture.

Despite their relevance, SSHA engagement at the SPI is constrained by two persistent barriers: low connectivity (across disciplines and sectors) and low institutional capacity (within both academia and policy systems). Structural misalignments, disciplinary silos, and underdeveloped collaborative infrastructures limit SSHA influence. However, where SSHA integration succeeds, it is driven by trusted relationships, reflexive institutional cultures, boundary-spanning actors, and co-designed partnerships. Disciplines with applied orientations (e.g., economics, bioethics) tend to integrate more readily, though often by conforming to dominant evidence standards rather than shifting them.

To realize SSHA’s full potential, the SPI must evolve beyond STEM-centric paradigms. Institutional redesign is required to embed epistemic diversity, participatory infrastructures, and policy-facing mechanisms that support SSHA leadership. The review identifies the need for alternative impact frameworks and expanded empirical research across underrepresented disciplines and regions. SSHA are not auxiliary to science-policy work; they are integral to its legitimacy, accountability, and effectiveness.

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