Each year the Board of Directors of the viWTA agrees on the annual programme, determining the long-term research projects for the next year. In addition to this, the Flemish Parliament can also order direct research projects from the viWTA.
Should you wish to suggest topics for a research project, please let us know. We wish to involve the general public not only in our activities but also in the planning of our new annual programme.

The Annual Work Plan 2005 presents the new projects and activities which viWTA, the Flemish Institute for Science and Technology Assessment (Vlaams Instituut voor Wetenschappelijk en Technologisch Aspectenonderzoek) is starting up this year. viWTA's Board of Directors adopted the plan on 15 January 2005.

In 2005, viWTA will again be studying a very broad spectrum of subjects on the intersection of society, science, and technology. As before, quality control will remain essential. The large-scale research projects will consequently be subjected to a peer review; for the smaller projects, we provide for tailor-made evaluations.

For viWTA, an annual work plan is part of a permanent learning process. We found there is a need for a new type of recurrent activity in 2005. Therefore, we defined a framework for shorter studies, which we are calling 'Technology Charts' (Technologie in Kaart). These studies should enable the Members of the Flemish Parliament to familiarise themselves quickly with current technological topics that are the subject of a societal or political debate.

But viWTA will of course do much more than what is presented in this annual work plan. This document contains only the new projects which viWTA is starting up in 2005 on its own initiative. In addition, we will carry on with the current projects: the European Citizen's Deliberation (ECD), Institutionalisation of Ethics in Science Policy (INES), and EuroGeneTest. These projects were defined in the Annual Work Plan for 2003-2004.

Moreover, the Flemish Parliament is entitled to award us commissions directly. The procedure is described in Article 87 bis of the Parliament's Regulations. In 2005, viWTA has already been commissioned by the Flemish Parliament to investigate cyber harassment by young persons.

Without the expertise and experience gained in carrying out the previous annual work plans, viWTA would be unable to bring this study to a satisfying conclusion. In 2005, we will carry on building on our strong points from the past with projects such as 'Countryside with a Future' (Platteland met toekomst). We will broach new contents with relevance for the Flemish Parliament in the project 'E-Democracy in Flanders. A Stakeholder Analysis' (E-Democratie in Vlaanderen. Stakeholderanalyse). In the future, we want to meet the needs of the Flemish Parliament even better, and we are convinced that, with this Annual Work Plan for 2005, we are consistently building on a broad and solid basis for doing precisely that.

Annual Work Plan 2005
Download viWTA Annual Work Plan 2005:
in pdf-format (175 KB)
in html-format