Regulating Scientific Research: A Constitutional Moment?

Abstract

This article discusses how and to what extent a transnational societal constitution for science is emerging. It outlines how specific norms and rules secure the autonomy of science (the 'constitutive function') as well as defining the limits of the operations of science with respect to other social systems and the individuals in their environments (the 'limitative function'). It also discusses to what extent complex trends and dynamics in the current science system can be understood in terms of a constitutional recalibration, in which the unleashed dynamism of scientific and technological innovation is counteracted by a varied array of norm‐producing initiatives, such as the increasing importance of ethics bodies in research, public engagement strategies, and initiatives aimed at 'open science' and 'responsible research and innovation'.