Academic research systems contain persistent structural inequalities that shape who conducts research, what topics are studied, and who receives recognition. Through literature analysis and interviews with scholars and policymakers, this research identifies interconnected factors—such as networks, prestige systems, and access—that reproduce inequality and offers insights for designing more equitable research systems.

This research examines how public engagement in science is shaped not just by researchers and audiences, but by institutions, environments, and material objects. By following PhD researchers across Europe, it investigates how engagement practices emerge, why they often remain exclusionary, and how understanding these “actors” can make science communication more inclusive.