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The Impact of Project-Based Funding in Science: \r\nLessons from the ANR Experience

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  • Nicolas CARAYOL
  • Marianne LANOË

Abstract

Competitive allocation of funds to research proposals is a mechanism widely used by government agencies to sustain the projects of researchers in universities and other research institutions. However, little is known about how efficient this mechanism is in practice, how it affects the recipients’ behaviors and how it would be possible to improve the precise design of such funding allocation mechanisms. This article provides new answers to those questions, relying on empirical evidence stemming from the creation of a French generalist and nationwide research funding agency in 2005. The impact of receiving a grant on the research outputs as well as on the collaborations of the grantees is precisely quantified. Moreover, the impact on citations turns out to be more than double when funds are distributed in the more competitive non-thematic programs and to be significantly larger when allocated to younger recipients.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolas CARAYOL & Marianne LANOË, 2017. "The Impact of Project-Based Funding in Science: \r\nLessons from the ANR Experience," Cahiers du GREThA (2007-2019) 2017-04, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée (GREThA).
    • Handle: RePEc:grt:wpegrt:2017-04
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    File URL: http://cahiersdugretha.u-bordeaux.fr/2017/2017-04.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Ayoubi, Charles & Pezzoni, Michele & Visentin, Fabiana, 2019. "The important thing is not to win, it is to take part: What if scientists benefit from participating in research grant competitions?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 84-97.
    2. Lawson, Cornelia & Geuna, Aldo & Finardi, Ugo, 2021. "The funding-productivity-gender nexus in science, a multistage analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(3).
    3. Charles Ayoubi & Michele Pezzoni & Fabiana Visentin, 2017. "The Important Thing is not to Win, it is to Take Part: What If Scientists Benefit from Participating in Competitive Grant Races?," GREDEG Working Papers 2017-27, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    4. Lawson, Cornelia & Geuna, Aldo & Finardi, Ugo, 2019. "Nurturing knowledge? The impact of funding and family on scientific performance," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 201902, University of Turin.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    project-based funding; competitive grants; early-career scientists; scientific productivity; conditional difference-in-differences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H5 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies
    • D04 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Microeconomic Policy: Formulation; Implementation; Evaluation
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • C31 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models; Quantile Regressions; Social Interaction Models

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