The man in the street should be given more say in deciding what subjects university researchers look into, according to education minister Jet Bussemaker and her junior minister Sander Dekker.

Suggestions for research topics could include ‘growing older healthily’ and ‘big data’, the NRC reports.

The ministers make the case for people power in the choice of research subjects in their Science Vision 2025, with a ‘limited number of social themes’ being selected next year.

Currently the business sector has a major say in scientific research, but the ministers now want people to have a voice because research should be useful to society in general.

According to Bussemaker and Dekker, the growing involvement of both business and society in scientific research makes for a quicker exchange of knowledge, something which is essential if the Netherlands is to flourish in the international knowledge society.