IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/respol/v46y2017i8p1387-1398.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Socio-economic impacts and public value of government-funded research: Lessons from four US National Science Foundation initiatives

Author

Listed:
  • Bozeman, Barry
  • Youtie, Jan

Abstract

Interest in evaluating non-economic social outcomes of science and technology research has risen in policy circles in recent years. The interest in social impacts of research has not yet given rise to a great proliferation of useful, valid techniques for evaluating such impacts. This study presents detailed case studies of four US National Science Foundation (NSF) programs/initiatives to provide a framework for understanding diverse efforts at addressing social impacts, and to suggest some important gaps in our research approaches for assessing socio-economic impacts of research. The four cases studied − the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), the Innovation Corps (I-Corps), the Arizona State University Center for Nanotechnology in Society, and the NSF “Broader Impacts” criteria—were chosen for their diversity in intent and modality but operating within a single agency. The cases are compared based on criteria important for assessing socio-economic outcomes: the initiative’s modality, enabling policy vehicle, benefit guarantor, distribution and appropriability of benefits, specificity of beneficiary, social-economic range, and timing of the benefit stream. The paper concludes with a discussion of the most pressing methodological and theoretical issues that need addressing for greater progress in assessing social impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Bozeman, Barry & Youtie, Jan, 2017. "Socio-economic impacts and public value of government-funded research: Lessons from four US National Science Foundation initiatives," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(8), pages 1387-1398.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:46:y:2017:i:8:p:1387-1398
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2017.06.003
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048733317301014
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.respol.2017.06.003?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. Payne A. Abigail & Siow Aloysius, 2003. "Does Federal Research Funding Increase University Research Output?," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 1-24, May.
    2. Yonghong Wu, 2009. "NSF's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR): Subsidizing academic research or state budgets?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(3), pages 479-495.
    3. Daniel Sarewitz, 2011. "The dubious benefits of broader impact," Nature, Nature, vol. 475(7355), pages 141-141, July.
    4. Youtie, Jan & Bozeman, Barry & Shapira, Philip, 1999. "Using an evaluability assessment to select methods for evaluating state technology development programs: the case of the Georgia Research Alliance," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 55-64.
    5. Joly, P.B. & Gaunand, A. & Colinet, L. & Larédo, P. & Lemarié, S. & Matt, M., 2015. "ASIRPA: a comprehensive theory-based approach to assessing the societal impacts of a research organization," Working Papers 2015-04, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).
    6. Gretchen B Jordan, 2010. "A theory-based logic model for innovation policy and evaluation," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 19(4), pages 263-273, October.
    7. Lutz Bornmann, 2013. "What is societal impact of research and how can it be assessed? a literature survey," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 64(2), pages 217-233, February.
    8. Gaunand, A. & Hocdé, A. & Lemarié, S. & Matt, M. & Turckheim, E.de, 2015. "How does public agricultural research impact society? A characterization of various patterns," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 849-861.
    9. James S Dietz, 2000. "Building a social capital model of research development: The case of the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 27(2), pages 137-145, April.
    10. Winter, Sidney G., 2006. "The logic of appropriability: From Schumpeter to Arrow to Teece," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1100-1106, October.
    11. Laura W. Perna & Heather Rowan-Kenyon & Angela Bell & Scott L. Thomas & Chunyan Li, 2008. "A Typology of Federal and State Programs Designed to Promote College Enrollment," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 79(3), pages 243-267, May.
    12. Corley, Elizabeth A. & Boardman, P. Craig & Bozeman, Barry, 2006. "Design and the management of multi-institutional research collaborations: Theoretical implications from two case studies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 975-993, September.
    13. Ponomariov, Branco L. & Boardman, P. Craig, 2010. "Influencing scientists' collaboration and productivity patterns through new institutions: University research centers and scientific and technical human capital," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 613-624, June.
    14. Bozeman, Barry & Rogers, Juan D., 2002. "A churn model of scientific knowledge value: Internet researchers as a knowledge value collective," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(5), pages 769-794, July.
    15. J. Scott Hauger, 2004. "From Best Science Toward Economic Development: The Evolution of NSF’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 18(2), pages 97-112, May.
    16. Phil Weilerstein, 2014. "NCIIA: students as the vanguard in a geographically dispersed approach to stimulating science and technology innovation," Chapters, in: Jerome S. Engel (ed.), Global Clusters of Innovation, chapter 14, pages 359-377, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    17. William B. Bonvillian, 2014. "The new model innovation agencies: An overview," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 41(4), pages 425-437.
    18. Leyden, Dennis Patrick & Link, Albert N., 1999. "Federal laboratories as research partners," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 575-592, May.
    19. Stilgoe, Jack & Owen, Richard & Macnaghten, Phil, 2013. "Developing a framework for responsible innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 42(9), pages 1568-1580.
    20. Shapira, Philip, 2001. "US manufacturing extension partnerships: technology policy reinvented?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 977-992, June.
    21. Monica Gaughan, 2009. "Using the curriculum vitae for policy research: an evaluation of National Institutes of Health center and training support on career trajectories," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 18(2), pages 117-124, June.
    22. Paul Swamidass, 2013. "University startups as a commercialization alternative: lessons from three contrasting case studies," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 38(6), pages 788-808, December.
    23. Michael Howlett, 2009. "Governance modes, policy regimes and operational plans: A multi-level nested model of policy instrument choice and policy design," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 42(1), pages 73-89, February.
    24. Wu, Yonghong, 2010. "Tackling undue concentration of federal research funding: An empirical assessment on NSF's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 835-841, July.
    25. Juan D. Rogers, 2012. "Research centers as agents of change in the contemporary academic landscape: their role and impact in HBCU, EPSCoR, and Majority universities," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(1), pages 15-32, March.
    26. Julia Melkers & Yonghong Wu, 2009. "Evaluating the Improved Research Capacity of EPSCoR States: R&D Funding and Collaborative Networks in the NSF EPSCoR Program," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 26(6), pages 761-782, November.
    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. Reed, M.S. & Ferré, M. & Martin-Ortega, J. & Blanche, R. & Lawford-Rolfe, R. & Dallimer, M. & Holden, J., 2021. "Evaluating impact from research: A methodological framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(4).
    2. Woodson, Thomas S. & Hoffmann, Elina & Boutilier, Sophia, 2021. "Evaluating the NSF broader impacts with the Inclusion-Immediacy Criterion: A retrospective analysis of nanotechnology grants," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 101(C).
    3. Caitlin Drummond Otten & Baruch Fischhoff, 2022. "Assessing broader impacts of funded research: the US National Science Foundation v. Lamar Smith [What is Societal Impact of Research and How Can it Be Assessed? A Literature Survey]," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 49(2), pages 313-323.
    4. Lili Wang & Zexia Li, 2021. "Knowledge flows from public science to industrial technologies," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 1232-1255, August.
    5. Yaqub, Ohid & Malkov, Dmitry & Siepel, Josh, 2022. "How unpredictable is research impact? Evidence from the UK’s Research Excellence Framework," SocArXiv qw873, Center for Open Science.
    6. de Almeida, Liliane & Augusto de Jesus Pacheco, Diego & Caten, Carla Schwengber ten & Jung, Carlos Fernando, 2021. "A methodology for identifying results and impacts in technological innovation projects," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    7. Bella Reichard & Mark S Reed & Jenn Chubb & Ged Hall & Lucy Jowett & Alisha Peart & Andrea Whittle, 2020. "Writing impact case studies: a comparative study of high-scoring and low-scoring case studies from REF2014," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 1-17, December.
    8. Nyboer, Elizabeth A & Nguyen, Vivian & Young, Nathan & Rytwinski, Trina & Taylor, Jessica J & Lane, John Francis & Bennett, Joseph R & Harron, Nathan & Aitkin, Susan M & Auld, Graeme, 2021. "Supporting actionable science for environmental policy: Advice for funding agencies from decision makers," EcoEvoRxiv 4ye2u, Center for Open Science.
    9. Munari, Federico & Toschi, Laura, 2021. "The impact of public funding on science valorisation: an analysis of the ERC Proof-of-Concept Programme," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(6).
    10. Janzen, Katrin & Panitz, Robert & Glückler, Johannes, 2022. "Education premium and the compound impact of universities on their regional economy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(1).
    11. Christopher S. Hayter & Bruno Fischer & Einar Rasmussen, 2022. "Becoming an academic entrepreneur: how scientists develop an entrepreneurial identity," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 1469-1487, December.
    12. Balietti, Stefano & Riedl, Christoph, 2021. "Incentives, competition, and inequality in markets for creative production," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(4).
    13. Aydemir, Nisa Yazici & Huang, Wan-Ling & Welch, Eric W., 2022. "Late-stage academic entrepreneurship: Explaining why academic scientists collaborate with industry to commercialize their patents," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    14. Heidi Peterson, 2023. "Cost–Benefit Analysis (CBA) or the Highway? An Alternative Road to Investigating the Value for Money of International Development Research," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(2), pages 260-280, April.

    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. Wu, Yonghong, 2010. "Tackling undue concentration of federal research funding: An empirical assessment on NSF's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 835-841, July.
    2. Jeffrey M. Keisler & Christy M. Foran & Maija M. Kuklja & Igor Linkov, 2017. "Undue concentration of research and education: multi-criteria decision approach to assess jurisdiction eligibility for NSF funding," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 367-378, September.
    3. Elizabeth A. Corley & Barry Bozeman & Xuefan Zhang & Chin-Chang Tsai, 2019. "The expanded scientific and technical human capital model: the addition of a cultural dimension," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(3), pages 681-699, June.
    4. Carolina Cañibano & Richard Woolley & Eric J. Iversen & Sybille Hinze & Stefan Hornbostel & Jakob Tesch, 2019. "A conceptual framework for studying science research careers," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(6), pages 1964-1992, December.
    5. Youtie, Jan & Li, Yin & Rogers, Juan & Shapira, Philip, 2017. "Institutionalization of international university research ventures," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(9), pages 1692-1705.
    6. Matt, M. & Gaunand, A. & Joly, P-B. & Colinet, L., 2017. "Opening the black box of impact – Ideal-type impact pathways in a public agricultural research organization," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 207-218.
    7. Irwin Feller, 2022. "Assessing the societal impact of publicly funded research," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 632-650, June.
    8. Caitlin Drummond Otten & Baruch Fischhoff, 2022. "Assessing broader impacts of funded research: the US National Science Foundation v. Lamar Smith [What is Societal Impact of Research and How Can it Be Assessed? A Literature Survey]," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 49(2), pages 313-323.
    9. Genowefa Blundo-Canto & Bernard Triomphe & Guy Faure & Danielle Barret & Aurelle de Romemont & Etienne Hainzelin, 2019. "Building a culture of impact in an international agricultural research organization: Process and reflective learning," Research Evaluation, Oxford University Press, vol. 28(2), pages 136-144.
    10. Gibson, Elizabeth & Daim, Tugrul U. & Dabic, Marina, 2019. "Evaluating university industry collaborative research centers," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 181-202.
    11. Nathalie Taverdet-Popiolek, 2022. "Economic Footprint of a Large French Research and Technology Organisation in Europe: Deciphering a Simplified Model and Appraising the Results," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(1), pages 44-69, March.
    12. Matt, M. & Colinet, L. & Gaunand, A. & Joly, P.B., 2015. "A typology of impact pathways generated by a public agricultural research organization," Working Papers 2015-03, Grenoble Applied Economics Laboratory (GAEL).
    13. Turner, James A & Guesmi, Bouali & Gil, José M. & Heanue, Kevin & Sierra, Miguel & Percy, Helen & Bortagaray, Isabel & Chams, Nour & Milne, Cath, 2022. "Evaluation capacity building in response to the agricultural research impact agenda: Emerging insights from Ireland, Catalonia (Spain), New Zealand, and Uruguay," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    14. Kwon, Seokbeom & Liu, Xiaoyu & Porter, Alan L. & Youtie, Jan, 2019. "Research addressing emerging technological ideas has greater scientific impact," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    15. Craig Boardman & Denis Gray, 2010. "The new science and engineering management: cooperative research centers as government policies, industry strategies, and organizations," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 35(5), pages 445-459, October.
    16. Boardman, P. Craig & Corley, Elizabeth A., 2008. "University research centers and the composition of research collaborations," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 900-913, June.
    17. Alessandro Magrini & Fabio Bartolini & Alessandra Coli & Barbara Pacini, 2019. "A structural equation model to assess the impact of agricultural research expenditure on multiple dimensions," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 53(4), pages 2063-2080, July.
    18. Dietz, James S. & Bozeman, Barry, 2005. "Academic careers, patents, and productivity: industry experience as scientific and technical human capital," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 349-367, April.
    19. Jan Youtie & Philip Shapira, 2017. "Exploring public values implications of the I-Corps program," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 42(6), pages 1362-1376, December.
    20. Reed, M.S. & Ferré, M. & Martin-Ortega, J. & Blanche, R. & Lawford-Rolfe, R. & Dallimer, M. & Holden, J., 2021. "Evaluating impact from research: A methodological framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(4).

    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:respol:v:46:y:2017:i:8:p:1387-1398. 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/respol .

    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.