ZOOM: Survey among researchers at Belgian universities - What motivates them? What obstacles are they facing?

How do researchers at Belgian universities view their role in society? What drives them? Which obstacles do they encounter? What factors determine the quality of their research? How do they handle ethics, questions of diversity and gender, open access and public engagement?The King Baudouin Foundation carried out an online survey among academic researchers. A total of 1720 researchers from all Belgian universities took part in the survey. It is the first large-scalesurvey to ask academics in Belgium about these issues.Researchers at Belgian universities don’t do it for the money, a flashy career, the honor, fame and glory or for a good pension. They are driven by curiosity, the desire to produce new knowledge or the aspiration to respond to existing and future societal needs. In their everyday work, however, it is not easy to meet the expectations placed on them by the academic system and society.