Tensions and resistances in the political alignment of public research within Venezuela's new political setup

Public research institutes are undergoing deep transformations everywhere, but the specifics of the changes differ between countries. In this paper we review some of the changes in science and technology policies in Venezuela in the period 1999--2011 and their impact on the main basic science research organization in that country, the Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (IVIC), as well as the latter's gradual alignment with them. Through this case study of an emblematic institution, we illustrate the changing role of knowledge institutions and the emergence of new 'research collectives' that play out in arenas different from the traditional ones. Copyright The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.