IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jfpoli/v56y2015icp87-99.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding the selection processes of public research projects in agriculture: The role of scientific merit

Author

Listed:
  • Materia, V.C.
  • Pascucci, S.
  • Kolympiris, C.

Abstract

This paper analyses factors that affect the funding of agricultural research projects by regional governments and other regional public authorities. We study the selection process of agricultural research projects funded by the Emilia Romagna regional government in Italy, which follows funding procedures similar to many other European regional public authorities. Leveraging a unique dataset, a Heckman selection model demonstrates that the scientific merit of proposed projects is the primary selection criterion. Still, factors such as the experience of the proposal’s reviewers and the gender composition of the reviewing team also influence whether or not a submitted proposal receives funding as well as the amount allocated to the proposal.

Suggested Citation

  • Materia, V.C. & Pascucci, S. & Kolympiris, C., 2015. "Understanding the selection processes of public research projects in agriculture: The role of scientific merit," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 87-99.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:56:y:2015:i:c:p:87-99
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2015.08.003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306919215001025
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.foodpol.2015.08.003?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Viner, Neil & Powell, Philip & Green, Rod, 2004. "Institutionalized biases in the award of research grants: a preliminary analysis revisiting the principle of accumulative advantage," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 443-454, April.
    2. Richard E. Just & Wallace E. Huffman, 1992. "Economic Principles and Incentives: Structure, Management, and Funding of Agricultural Research in the United States," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 74(5), pages 1101-1108.
    3. Alston, Julian M. & Wyatt, T. J. & Pardey, Philip G. & Marra, Michele C. & Chan-Kang, Connie, 2000. "A meta-analysis of rates of return to agricultural R & D: ex pede Herculem?," Research reports 113, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Wallace E. Huffman & Richard E. Just, 1994. "Funding, Structure, and Management of Public Agricultural Research in the United States," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 76(4), pages 744-759.
    5. G. M.P. Swann, 2009. "The Economics of Innovation," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13211.
    6. Eickelpasch, Alexander & Fritsch, Michael, 2005. "Contests for cooperation--A new approach in German innovation policy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(8), pages 1269-1282, October.
    7. Wallace E. Huffman & Richard E. Just, 1999. "Agricultural Research: Benefits and Beneficiaries of Alternative Funding Mechanisms," Review of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 21(1), pages 2-18.
    8. Julian M. Alston & Philip G. Pardey, 1996. "Making Science Pay: The Economics of Agricultural R&D Policy," Books, American Enterprise Institute, number 53242, September.
    9. Wallace E. Huffman & Robert E. Evenson, 2006. "Do Formula or Competitive Grant Funds Have Greater Impacts on State Agricultural Productivity?," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 88(4), pages 783-798.
    10. Wallace E. Huffman & Richard E. Just, 2000. "Setting Efficient Incentives for Agricultural Research: Lessons from Principal-Agent Theory," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 82(4), pages 828-841.
    11. Huffman, Wallace E. & Evenson, Robert E., 1993. "Science for Agriculture: A Long Term Perspective," Staff General Research Papers Archive 10997, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    12. Pardey, Philip G. & Beintema, Nienke M. & Dehmer, Steven & Wood, Stanley, 2006. "Agricultural research: a growing global divide?," Food policy reports 17, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    13. Huffman, Wallace E. & Just, Richard E., 1999. "The organization of agricultural research in western developed countries," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 21(1), pages 1-18, August.
    14. Alston, Julian M. & Pardey, Philip G. & Roseboom, Johannes, 1998. "Financing agricultural research: International investment patterns and policy perspectives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 26(6), pages 1057-1071, June.
    15. Gangan Prathap, 2010. "Is there a place for a mock h-index?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(1), pages 153-165, July.
    16. Santamaría, Lluís & Barge-Gil, Andrés & Modrego, Aurelia, 2010. "Public selection and financing of R&D cooperative projects: Credit versus subsidy funding," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 549-563, May.
    17. Spielman, David J. & von Grebmer, Klaus, 2004. "Public-private partnerships in agricultural research: an analysis of challenges facing industry and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research," EPTD discussion papers 113, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    18. Tabor, Steven R. & Janssen, Willem & Bruneau, Hilarion, 1998. "Financing Agricultural Research: A Sourcebook," ISNAR Archive 310739, CGIAR > International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    19. Heckman, James, 2013. "Sample selection bias as a specification error," Applied Econometrics, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), vol. 31(3), pages 129-137.
    20. Lutz Bornmann & Hans-Dieter Daniel, 2006. "Potential sources of bias in research fellowship assessments: effects of university prestige and field of study," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 15(3), pages 209-219, December.
    21. Grimpe, Christoph, 2012. "Extramural research grants and scientists’ funding strategies: Beggars cannot be choosers?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(8), pages 1448-1460.
    22. Materia, Valentina Cristiana & Esposti, Roberto, 2009. "How Do Public Institutions Select Competitive Agricultural R&D Projects? - The Case Of An Italian Region," 113th Seminar, December 9-11, 2009, Belgrade, Serbia 57642, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    23. Christine Wennerås & Agnes Wold, 1997. "Nepotism and sexism in peer-review," Nature, Nature, vol. 387(6631), pages 341-343, May.
    24. Labarthe, Pierre & Laurent, Catherine, 2013. "Privatization of agricultural extension services in the EU: Towards a lack of adequate knowledge for small-scale farms?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 240-252.
    25. Ballesteros, Juan Acosta & Rico, Aurelia Modrego, 2001. "Public financing of cooperative R&D projects in Spain: the Concerted Projects under the National R&D Plan," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 625-641, April.
    26. Sparger, John Adam & Norton, George W. & Heisey, Paul W. & Alwang, Jeffrey, 2013. "Is the share of agricultural maintenance research rising in the United States?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 126-135.
    27. Jesper Rasmussen & Vibeke Langer & Hugo Alrøe, 2006. "Bias in Peer Review of Organic Farming Grant Applications," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 23(2), pages 181-188, June.
    28. Bianca Potì & Emanuela Reale, 2007. "Changing allocation models for public research funding: An empirical exploration based on project funding data," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 34(6), pages 417-430, July.
    29. Martin Reinhart, 2009. "Peer review of grant applications in biology and medicine. Reliability, fairness, and validity," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 81(3), pages 789-809, December.
    30. Bornmann, Lutz & Daniel, Hans-Dieter, 2007. "Gatekeepers of science—Effects of external reviewers’ attributes on the assessments of fellowship applications," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 83-91.
    31. Dietmar Braun, 2003. "Lasting tensions in research policy-making — a delegation problem," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 30(5), pages 309-321, October.
    32. Lepori, Benedetto, 2011. "Coordination modes in public funding systems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 355-367, April.
    33. Lutz Bornmann & Hans-Dieter Daniel, 2005. "Selection of research fellowship recipients by committee peer review. Reliability, fairness and predictive validity of Board of Trustees' decisions," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 63(2), pages 297-320, April.
    34. Morten S. Henningsen & Torbjørn Hægeland & Jarle Møen, 2012. "Estimating the additionality of R&D subsidies using proposal evaluation data to control for firms' R&D intentions," Discussion Papers 729, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    35. Renkow, Mitch & Byerlee, Derek, 2010. "The impacts of CGIAR research: A review of recent evidence," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 391-402, October.
    36. Unknown, 2009. "Multifunctional agriculture and rural development," Economics of Agriculture, Institute of Agricultural Economics, vol. 56(1).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Klimczuk, Andrzej & Klimczuk-Kochańska, Magdalena, 2019. "Innovation in Food and Agriculture," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pages 1635-1641.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Esposti, Roberto & Materia, Valentina, 2015. "The determinants of the public R&D cofinancing rate An empirical assessment on agricultural research," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211624, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Kremer, Michael & Zwane, Alix Peterson, 2005. "Encouraging Private Sector Research for Tropical Agriculture," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 87-105, January.
    3. Tiffany Shih & Brian Wright, 2011. "Agricultural Innovation," NBER Chapters, in: Accelerating Energy Innovation: Insights from Multiple Sectors, pages 49-85, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Huffman, Wallace, 2005. "Developments in the Organization and Finance of Public Agricultural Research in the United States, 1988-1999," Staff General Research Papers Archive 12485, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    5. Pardey, Philip G. & James, Jennifer S. & Alston, Julian M. & Wood, Stanley & Koo, Bonwoo & Binenbaum, Eran & Hurley, Terrance M. & Glewwe, Paul & Mayer, Jorge & Jones, Richard & De Groote, Hugo & Kana, 2007. "Science, Technology and Skills," Reports 136256, University of Minnesota, International Science and Technology Practice and Policy.
    6. Cox, Michael & Mincey, Sarah & Ruseva, Tatyana & Villamayor-Tomas, Sergio & Fischer, Burney, 2013. "Evaluating the USFS State and Private Forestry Redesign: A first look at policy implications," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 35-42.
    7. Valentina Cristiana MATERIA & Roberto ESPOSTI, 2010. "Modelling Agricultural Public R&D Cofinancing Within A Principal-Agent Framework. The case of an Italian region," Working Papers 347, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    8. Wallace E. Huffman & Richard E. Just, 1999. "The organization of agricultural research in western developed countries," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 21(1), pages 1-18, August.
    9. Huffman, Wallace & Evenson, Robert, 2003. "Determinants of the Demand for State Agricultural Experiment Station Resources: A Demand-System Approach," ISU General Staff Papers 200312010800001236, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    10. Oscar Alfranca, 2005. "Private R&D and Spillovers in European Agriculture," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 11(2), pages 201-213, May.
    11. Albert Banal-Estañol & Qianshuo Liu & Inés Macho-Stadler & David Pérez-Castrillo, 2021. "Similar-to-me Effects in the Grant Application Process: Applicants, Panelists, and the Likelihood of Obtaining Funds," Working Papers 1289, Barcelona School of Economics.
    12. Pardey, Philip G. & Alston, Julian M. & Ruttan, Vernon W., 2010. "The Economics of Innovation and Technical Change in Agriculture," Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, in: Bronwyn H. Hall & Nathan Rosenberg (ed.), Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 0, pages 939-984, Elsevier.
    13. Banal-Estañol, Albert & Macho-Stadler, Inés & Pérez-Castrillo, David, 2019. "Evaluation in research funding agencies: Are structurally diverse teams biased against?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(7), pages 1823-1840.
    14. Alston, Julian M. & Pardey, Philip G. & Ruttan, Vernon W., 2008. "Research Lags Revisited: Concepts and Evidence from U.S. Agriculture," Staff Papers 50091, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    15. Day-Rubenstein, Kelly A. & Heisey, Paul W. & Klotz-Ingram, Cassandra & Frisvold, George B., 2000. "Competitive Grants And The Funding Of Agricultural Research In The U.S," 2000 Annual meeting, July 30-August 2, Tampa, FL 21863, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    16. Wright, Brian D., 2012. "Grand missions of agricultural innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(10), pages 1716-1728.
    17. Sparger, John Adam & Norton, George W. & Heisey, Paul W. & Alwang, Jeffrey, 2013. "Is the share of agricultural maintenance research rising in the United States?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 126-135.
    18. Jin, Yu & Huffman, Wallace E., 2013. "Reduced U.S. Funding of Public Agricultural Research and Extension Risks Lowering Future Agricultural Productivity Growth Prospects," Staff General Research Papers Archive 36796, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    19. Yu Jin & Wallace E. Huffman, 2016. "Measuring public agricultural research and extension and estimating their impacts on agricultural productivity: new insights from U.S. evidence," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(1), pages 15-31, January.
    20. Stéphane Lemarié & Valérie Orozco & Jean-Pierre Butault & Antonio Musolesi & Michel Simioni & Bertrand Schmitt, 2020. "Assessing the long-term impact of agricultural research on productivity: evidence from France," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 47(4), pages 1559-1586.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:56:y:2015:i:c:p:87-99. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/foodpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.