1.Introduction

Universities play a pivotal role in advancing knowledge and fostering societal progress. However, their ability to align research with real-world challenges remains a critical global concern. In Iran, this issue is particularly pressing. Despite significant achievements in quantitative scientific output, ranking 15th and 16th globally in Scopus and Web of Science in 2022, Iranian research often fails to address pressing national problems. This paradox highlights systemic inefficiencies, including institutional misalignment, fragmented innovation ecosystems, and policies prioritizing publication metrics over societal impact. National frameworks, such as Iran's Fifth Development Plan (2010), emphasize the need to direct research toward addressing societal needs, yet implementation gaps persist. This study examines the institutional, organizational, environmental, and individual barriers that prevent Iranian universities from translating academic research into practical solutions, aiming to propose reforms that bridge the gap between scholarly output and societal relevance. Based on this framework, the present study, considering the aforementioned challenges and issues in academic research and its qualitative development about society and its needs, seeks to answer the following key question:

2.Literature Review

The disconnect between academic research and societal needs has been widely debated in global scholarship. Universities worldwide are increasingly encouraged to adopt a "third mission" focused on social responsibility, integrating community engagement and problem-solving into their core activities. Scholars such as Jones et al. (2021) argue that universities must evolve from isolated knowledge producers to active contributors to societal development, emphasizing collaborative frameworks that connect academia with industry and policymakers. In emerging economies, this challenge is exacerbated by structural barriers, including rigid funding models, bureaucratic inertia, and a lack of institutional incentives for applied research. In Iran, studies critique the predominance of "scientific formalism," where procedural rigor and publication metrics overshadow practical relevance. Researchers like Shafiei et al. (2020) highlight the disconnect between academic output and industry demands, attributing it to weak collaboration mechanisms and a cultural preference for theoretical over applied studies. Similarly, Ghoreishi et al. (2021) identify systemic flaws in promotion policies that reward quantity (e.g., article counts) over quality or societal impact, discouraging faculty from undertaking time-intensive, problem-driven projects. Farastkhah (2016) further critiques the erosion of universities’ core mission—science for societal advancement—due to bureaucratic pressures and misaligned institutional priorities. Globally, similar trends exist. For instance, Shaffer et al. (2018) note that academic systems prioritizing high-impact journals often neglect local problem-solving, while Makhatini et al. (2022) highlight demand-supply mismatches in innovation ecosystems. Existing literature, however, tends to focus on isolated challenges (e.g., funding or industry collaboration) rather than systemic analyses. This study addresses this gap by taking a holistic approach to examining multidimensional barriers that hinder impactful research in Iran.

3.Methodology

In the study, a qualitative research design by content analysis was used to investigate the challenges of academic research in solving Iran's issues. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 Iranian expert academics who are senior faculty members, research directors, and policymakers. The participants were selected according to purposive sampling because of their experience in applied research. Data collection stopped when theoretical saturation had been achieved, with interviews taped and analyzed through Granheim and Lundman's (2004) inductive content analysis approach. This included the identification of meaningful units, coding for emerging themes, and categorizing results under institutional, organizational, environmental, and individual problems. Rigor was ensured through triangulation, member-checking, and peer-checking, with ethical considerations being the anonymizing of participant data and seeking informed consent.

4.Results

The analysis of study data identified four interconnected forms of challenges:

Institutional barriers include promotion systems that prioritize publication volume over societal impact and the absence of national accreditation frameworks to ensure research quality and relevance.
Organizational challenges involve structural inefficiencies, such as faculty-student imbalances, non-performance-based funding models, and recruitment practices misaligned with national priorities.
Environmental barriers highlight fragmented innovation ecosystems characterized by weak linkages between academia, industry, and policymakers, as well as low demand from the private sector for collaborative research.
Individual challenges primarily consist of motivational gaps among faculty, driven by institutional incentives favoring easily publishable topics over complex, problem-driven projects.

These factors collectively divert academic efforts from addressing societal needs, perpetuating a cycle of non-impactful research.

5.Discussion

The findings underscore the systemic misalignment between Iran’s academic ecosystem and societal needs. Institutional policies, such as promotion criteria favoring publication volume, mirror global "publish or perish" cultures but lack compensatory mechanisms for applied work. Organizational challenges, including overcrowded supervision roles and rigid funding structures, reflect broader governance issues observed in other contexts, such as India and Brazil. Environmental barriers, particularly weak industry-academia linkages, highlight the need for ecosystem-level reforms to foster demand-driven research. At the individual level, faculty motivations shaped by institutional incentives perpetuate the cycle of non-impactful output. Addressing these issues requires integrated reforms, including policy revisions to reward societal impact, funding models tied to performance, and capacity-building initiatives to enhance problem-solving skills.

6.Conclusion

This study highlights the urgency of realigning Iran’s academic research ecosystem with national priorities. Key recommendations include revising promotion policies to incentivize applied research, establishing national accreditation systems, and fostering industry partnerships through targeted grants. By addressing institutional, organizational, environmental, and individual barriers, universities can transition from passive knowledge hubs to dynamic contributors to societal development. Future research should explore the socioeconomic impacts of these reforms and benchmark progress against international models, such as South Korea’s integrated innovation ecosystems.