Comparing the evolution of national research policies: what patterns of change?
Abstract
This article presents a comparative analysis of the evolution of national research policies during the past three decades in six European countries (Austria, Italy, France, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland), with a special focus on the changes of public project funding schemes. It systematically uses indicators on the volume of funding attributed by each instrument and agency, which have been developed in a project of the European network of excellence PRIME. A common model is identified in these countries, where project funding is the second main channel of public funding of research, but also there are considerable variations among them in the share of instruments and agencies, and in beneficiaries. There are three interesting commonalities: a strong increase of project funding volumes; a differentiation of instruments; and a general shift towards instruments oriented to thematic priorities. They also show that individual countries appear to follow quite distinct paths in the organisation setting of funding agencies, and that national differences in funding portfolios persist through time.
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Public funding for universities in six European countries decreased from about 50% in 1970 to below 20% in 2002.
“A comparative study including six European countries showed that public funding decreased from about 50% in 197050% in to below 20% in 200250% in (Lepori et al. 2007)).”
From Transdisciplinarity: science for and with society in light of the university’s roles and functions (2020) · cites this paper as Lepori et al. 2007
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Transdisciplinarity: science for and with society in light of the university’s roles and functions
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- Authors
- Lepori, B., van den Besselaar, P., Dinges, M., Potì, B., Reale, E., Slipersæter, S., Thèves, J., & van der Meulen, B.
- Affiliations
- Università della Svizzera italiana (CH)
- Joanneum Research (AT)
- Istituto di Ricerca sulla Crescita Economica Sostenibile (IT)
- Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NO)
- Observatoire des Sciences et des Techniques (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Lepori, Benedetto
- Venue
- Science and Public Policy
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2007-07-01
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 372-388
- ISSN
- 0302-3427 (ISSN-L)
- 1471-5430
- OpenAlex
- W2024607732
- Cited by
- 198
- References
- 41
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 17.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science and Public Policy (publishedVersion)
- UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (publishedVersion)
- University of Twente Research Information (publishedVersion)
- reroDoc Digital Library (submittedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- University of Twente Research Information (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Research, Science, and Academia
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Innovation Policy and R&D
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › scientometrics and bibliometrics research
- Keywords
- national science policy, research funding, research funding mechanisms, research funding agencies, thematic priorities, European countries, Austria, Italy, France, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland
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