The costs of competition in distributing scarce research funds

Gerald Schweiger (), Adrian Barnett, Peter van den Besselaar, Lutz Bornmann, Andreas De Block, John P. A. Ioannidis, Ulf Sandström and Stijn Conix
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Gerald Schweiger: a Vienna University of Technology (Technische Universität Wien) , Vienna 1040 , Austria
Adrian Barnett: b School of Public Health and Social Work , Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , QLD 4000 , Australia
Peter van den Besselaar: d German Centre for Higher Education Research and Science Studies , Berlin 10117 , Germany
Lutz Bornmann: e Science Policy and Strategy Department , Max Planck Society , Administrative Headquarters , Munich 80539 , Germany
Andreas De Block: f Institute of Philosophy , Katholieke Universiteit Leuven , Leuven 3000 , Belgium
John P. A. Ioannidis: j Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford , Stanford University , Stanford , CA 94305
Ulf Sandström: k Department of Industrial Economics and Management , Kungliga Tekniska högskolan Royal Institute of Technology , Stockholm 100 64 , Sweden
Stijn Conix: l Institut Supérieur de Philosophie , Université Catholique de Louvain , Ottignies-Louvain-La-Neuve 1348 , Belgium

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2024, vol. 121, issue 50, e2407644121

Abstract:

Research funding systems fundamentally influence how science operates. This paper aims to analyze the allocation of competitive research funding from different perspectives: How reliable are decision processes for funding? What are the economic costs of competitive funding? How does competition for funds affect doing risky research? How do competitive funding environments affect scientists themselves, and which ethical issues must be considered? We attempt to identify gaps in our knowledge of research funding systems; we propose recommendations for policymakers and funding agencies, including empirical experiments of decision processes and the collection of data on these processes. With our recommendations, we hope to contribute to developing improved ways of organizing research funding.

Keywords: science of science; research funding; funding decision processes; competitive funding (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nas:journl:v:121:y:2024:p:e2407644121

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