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The Impact of National Research Funds: An Evaluation of the Chilean FONDECYT

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Author Info
José Miguel Benavente () (INTELIS, Department of Economics, University of Chile)
Gustavo Crespi () (International Development Research Centre)
Alessandro Maffioli () (Inter-American Development Bank)

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Abstract

This paper analyzes the role of National Research Funds in promoting scientific production in emerging economies. The investigation focuses on the impact of the Chilean National Science and Technology Research Fund (FONDECYT). The analysis uses data drawn from international sources of bibliometric information combined with the administrative records of the program executing unit. To measure the program’s impact, we implement a Regression Discontinuity (RD) design on projects submitted for funding between 1988 and 1995. The results do not show any significant impact either in terms of publications or in terms of quality of publications in the proximity of the program threshold ranking. Although results show that the program has been partially effective in identifying the best projects in terms of expected quality, evidence suggests that the FONDECYT’s lack of impact may be due to targeting problems in terms of both researchers and research projects.

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Paper provided by Inter-American Development Bank, Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE) in its series OVE Working Papers with number 0307.

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Length: 30 pages
Date of creation: Oct 2007
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Handle: RePEc:idb:ovewps:0307

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Related research
Keywords: FONDECYT; Chile; Economics of Science; Scientific Grants; Regression-discontinuity Analysis; Policy Evaluation.;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
O30 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - General
O38 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Government Policy
H43 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Project Evaluation; Social Discount Rate

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