Saving Soviet Science: The Impact of Grants When Government R& D Funding Disappears

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Ganguli, Ina
• 署名单位: University of Massachusetts System; University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-APPLIED ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7782
• DOI: 10.1257/app.20160180
• 发表日期: 2017
• 页码: 165-201
• 关键词: scientists; Salary; DESIGN

摘要

I estimate the impact of a historic grant program, funded by George Soros, that provided grants to over 28,000 Soviet scientists shortly after the end of the USSR. Exploiting a discontinuity in the grant eligibility formula, I show that the grants more than doubled publications on the margin, significantly induced scientists to remain in the science sector, and had long-lasting impacts. While existing evidence shows negligible impacts of scientific grants, I show that funding for science can have high marginal returns when funding levels are low relative to the stock of human capital.