The Matthew effect, research productivity, and the dynamic allocation of NIH grants

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Qiu, Y. J. Jeff
• 署名单位: Yale University
• 刊物名称: RAND JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0741-6261
• DOI: 10.1111/1756-2171.12433
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 135-164
• 关键词: research-and-development; IMPACT; curse; AGE

摘要

Funding is important for research. However, research funding may suffer from the Matthew effect: the more researchers already have, the more they will be given. I develop an empirical framework to study how the National Institutes of Health (NIH) could allocate funding in a dynamically optimal manner by balancing funds between young and veteran principal investigators (PIs). I find that the discount factor that rationalizes NIH's funding behavior is about 0.75, implying it may underfund young PIs. Moreover, a temporary funding cut would have long-lasting effects on overall research output through its adverse impact on investment in young PIs.