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Scientific Publications at U.S. Federal Research Laboratories

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  • Link, Albert

    (University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics)

  • Scott, John

    (University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics)

Abstract

In this paper, we focus on scientific publications as an innovative output from the research efforts at U.S. federal laboratories. The data used relate to Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). The relationship between R&D expenditures at these federal laboratories and their peer-reviewed scientific publications allows us to make inferences about the return to public-sector R&D. We examine two complementary statistical models. From the first model, we find that a 10 percent increase in constant dollar public-sector R&D is associated with between a 15.5 and 21.5 percent increase in scientific publications. From the second model, we find that the annual rate of return generated by an additional $1 million of R&D-based knowledge stock varies across the FFRDCs, averaging about 93 additional scientific publications, with the statistically significant values ranging from about 1 to as many as about 400 additional scientific publications.

Suggested Citation

  • Link, Albert & Scott, John, 2020. "Scientific Publications at U.S. Federal Research Laboratories," UNCG Economics Working Papers 20-12, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:uncgec:2020_012
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Czarnitzki, Dirk & Kraft, Kornelius & Thorwarth, Susanne, 2009. "The knowledge production of 'R' and 'D'," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 105(1), pages 141-143, October.
    2. Albert N. Link & Cody A. Morris & Martijn van Hasselt, 2019. "The impact of public R&D investments on patenting activity: technology transfer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(5), pages 536-546, July.
    3. Robert D. Shelton, 2008. "Relations between national research investment and publication output: Application to an American Paradox," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 74(2), pages 191-205, February.
    4. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2021. "Technological change in the production of new scientific knowledge: a second look," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(4), pages 371-381, May.
    5. Mansfield, Edwin, 1998. "Academic research and industrial innovation: An update of empirical findings1," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(7-8), pages 773-776, April.
    6. Seung Ki Moon & Xiaomeng Chang & Janis Terpenny & Timothy W. Simpson & Soundar R. T. Kumara, 2009. "Towards a Knowledge Support System for Product Family Design," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Frank T Piller & Mitchell M Tseng (ed.), Handbook of Research in Mass Customization and Personalization (In 2 Volumes), chapter 16, pages 297-318, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    7. James Adams & Zvi Griliches, 1996. "Measuring Science: An Exploration," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1749, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    8. Chuchu Chen & Albert N. Link & Zachary T. Oliver, 2018. "U.S. federal laboratories and their research partners: a quantitative case study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 115(1), pages 501-517, April.
    9. Erik Stam & Andrew Ven, 2021. "Entrepreneurial ecosystem elements," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 809-832, February.
    10. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2013. "The theory and practice of public-sector R&D economic impact analysis," Chapters, in: Albert N. Link & Nicholas S. Vonortas (ed.), Handbook on the Theory and Practice of Program Evaluation, chapter 2, pages 15-55, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. Hall, Bronwyn H & Ziedonis, Rosemarie Ham, 2001. "The Patent Paradox Revisited: An Empirical Study of Patenting in the U.S. Semiconductor Industry, 1979-1995," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 32(1), pages 101-128, Spring.
    12. David B. Audretsch & Albert N. Link & Martijn Hasselt, 2019. "Knowledge begets knowledge: university knowledge spillovers and the output of scientific papers from U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 121(3), pages 1367-1383, December.
    13. Zvi Griliches, 1998. "Issues in Assessing the Contribution of Research and Development to Productivity Growth," NBER Chapters, in: R&D and Productivity: The Econometric Evidence, pages 17-45, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    14. Link, Albert N. & van Hasselt, Martijn, 2019. "A public sector knowledge production function," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 64-66.
    15. Vidita Choudhry & Todd A. Ponzio, 2020. "Modernizing federal technology transfer metrics," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 544-559, April.
    16. Audretsch, David & Link, Albert & van Hasselt, Martijn, 2019. "Knowledge Begets Knowledge: Knowledge Spillovers and the Output of Scientific Papers from U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Projects," UNCG Economics Working Papers 19-12, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Economics.
    17. Albert N. Link & John T. Scott, 2020. "Creativity-enhancing technological change in the production of scientific knowledge," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(5), pages 489-500, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Shin, Seungryul Ryan & Lee, Jisoo & Jung, Yura Rosemary & Hwang, Junseok, 2022. "The diffusion of scientific discoveries in government laboratories: The role of patents filed by government scientists," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(5).
    2. Sebastian Aparicio & David Audretsch & David Urbano, 2022. "Governmental Support for Entrepreneurship in Spain: An Institutional Approach," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 243(4), pages 29-49, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Scientific publications; Federal laboratory; R&D; Evaluation; Return on investment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H42 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Private Goods
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy

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