The Effects of Research & Development Funding on Scientific Productivity: Academic Chemistry, 1990-2009
57 Pages Posted: 22 Oct 2014 Last revised: 10 Apr 2023
Date Written: October 2014
Abstract
This article examines the relationship between Research & Development (R&D) funding and the production of knowledge by academic chemists. Using articles published, either raw counts or adjusted for quality, we find a strong, positive causal effect of funding on knowledge production. This effect is similar across subsets of universities, suggesting a relatively efficient allocation of R&D funds. Finally, we document a rapid acceleration in the rate at which chemical knowledge was produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s relative to the financial and human resources devoted to its production.
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