This study aims first at exploring to what extent the alignment of SSH scientists' research to the SDGs differs from those scientists whose research is not (or little) related to the SDGs. Given the importance of the challenges that SDGs pose to all 193 countries that agree in 2015 to support them, our study opens up an interesting research avenue. Despite not having any explicit incentive to do so, a large part of our sample of scientists have aligned their research agenda towards the SDGs.

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... eover, two patterns of scientists have been identified, according to their level of engagement with the SDGs. Interestingly, our results suggest that a greater research alignment with SDGs implies a more active engagement with non-academic actors. Specifically, scientists whose research is SDG-related seems to participate more actively in relational involvement activities, namely, personnel mobility and research services. This has important implications for university policies; therefore, should universities aim at promoting societally relevant research and its uptake by societal actors, more coordinating efforts will be needed to strengthen the current top-down approach and its effect on scientists' academic practices.