How Do Selected National Funding Agencies Communicate the Concept of Cognitive Innovation on Their Public Website?

Abstract

In this paper, I discuss how three funding agencies have presented or discussed the concept of cognitive innovation in formulating their research programs, calls or funding opportunities on their website. Gummerum and Denham recognize the association between the innovator, innovation and the contextual challenge of the concept of cognitive innovation and its impact on society (Gummerum & Denham, 2014). Research funders make decisions to allocate resources to certain research questions and not others. Researchers attempt to understand how these decisions are made and consider them in applying for funding to them. One of the information sources that researchers can use to inform what areas of research they can get funding for or how to formulate their research grants is the public information on the website of the funding agencies. In this paper, I only focus on the information presented on their website and not their internal processes or policies. The approach of funding agencies to present what is categorized as innovation or creativity has the potential to influence how researchers focus or frame their research.