Funding for few, anticipation among all: Effects of excellence funding on academic research groups

Wout Scholten, Thomas P Franssen, Leonie van Drooge, Sarah de Rijcke and Laurens K Hessels

Science and Public Policy, 2021, vol. 48, issue 2, 265-275

Abstract: In spite of the growing literature about excellence funding in science, we know relatively little about its implications for academic research practices. This article compares organizational and epistemic effects of excellence funding across four disciplinary fields, based on in-depth case studies of four research groups in combination with twelve reference groups. In spite of the highly selective nature of excellence funding, all groups employ dedicated strategies to maximize their chances of acquiring it, which we call strategic anticipation. The groups with ample excellence funding acquire a relatively autonomous position within their organization. While the epistemic characteristics of the four fields shape how excellence funding can be used, we find that in all fields there is an increase in epistemic autonomy. However, in fields with more individual research practices a longer time horizon for grants, beyond the usual 5 years, would fit better with the research process.

Keywords: research funding; competition; scientific excellence; research practice; strategic anticipation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:scippl:v:48:y:2021:i:2:p:265-275.

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