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Shekhtman LM, Gates AJ, Barabási AL. Mapping philanthropic support of science. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9397. [PMID: 38658598 PMCID: PMC11043411 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58367-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
While philanthropic support for science has increased in the past decade, there is limited quantitative knowledge about the patterns that characterize it and the mechanisms that drive its distribution. Here, we map philanthropic funding to universities and research institutions based on IRS tax forms from 685,397 non-profit organizations. We identify nearly one million grants supporting institutions involved in science and higher education, finding that in volume and scope, philanthropy is a significant source of funds, reaching an amount that rivals some of the key federal agencies like the NSF and NIH. Our analysis also reveals that philanthropic funders tend to focus locally, indicating that criteria beyond research excellence play an important role in funding decisions, and that funding relationships are stable, i.e. once a grant-giving relationship begins, it tends to continue in time. Finally, we show that the bipartite funder-recipient network displays a highly overrepresented motif indicating that funders who share one recipient also share other recipients and we show that this motif contains predictive power for future funding relationships. We discuss the policy implications of our findings on inequality in science, scientific progress, and the role of quantitative approaches to philanthropy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis M Shekhtman
- Network Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Alexander J Gates
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Albert-László Barabási
- Network Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Network and Data Science, Central European University, Budapest, 1051, Hungary.
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Science can drive development and unity in Africa - as it does in the US and Europe. Nature 2024; 626:692. [PMID: 38383631 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-00510-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
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4
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Tay A, Leeming J. Where science meets Indian economics: in five charts. Nature 2023; 624:S20-S21. [PMID: 38092927 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-03907-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
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5
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Tsanni A. Is the EU-Africa innovation plan toothless? Nature 2023; 624:S10-S12. [PMID: 38092922 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-03904-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
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7
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Cutting health and science support should not be an option in Argentina's election. Nature 2023; 623:224. [PMID: 37935973 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-03480-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
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8
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Tollefson J. US science agencies on track to hit 25-year funding low. Nature 2023; 622:438-439. [PMID: 37803203 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-03135-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
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9
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Ramos VA. Science is under threat in Argentina - we must call out the danger. Nature 2023; 622:433. [PMID: 37848521 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-03228-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
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10
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Debat H. Argentina: publicly funded science under threat. Nature 2023; 621:258. [PMID: 37700041 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-023-02862-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
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Yu Z, Yu J. Evaluation of the coordinated development between Chinese cultural industry and scientific & technological innovation. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0284213. [PMID: 37498976 PMCID: PMC10374157 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0284213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Based on the coupling and interaction relationship between China's cultural industry (CI) and scientific & technological innovation (STI), this study constructed an index system for their coordinated development. The weight of each indicator was determined by using the entropy value method (EVM), and the coupling coordination degree (CCD) model was used to calculate CCD and coordination degree of China's CI and STI from 2012 to 2020. On this basis, the key factors in the coupling effect were analyzed using grey correlation degree (GCD). The results demonstrate that: (1) there is a high-level coupling relationship between China's CI and technological innovation; (2) the level of coupling coordination between the two is generally on the rise, experiencing a development process from serious maladjustment to high coordination; (3) Industry resources, policy support and the cost of cultural undertakings are the endogenous factors restricting the development of CI, and the environment and output of STI are the key factors restricting the coupling and coordinated development of Chinese CI and STI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenni Yu
- Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, Beijing, 100710, PRC
| | - Jian Yu
- School of Economics and Management, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, PRC
- Institute of Internet Industry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100085, PRC
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13
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Chignell SM, Myers ME, Howkins A, Fountain AG. Research sites get closer to field camps over time: Informing environmental management through a geospatial analysis of science in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257950. [PMID: 34735463 PMCID: PMC8568199 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
As in many parts of the world, the management of environmental science research in Antarctica relies on cost-benefit analysis of negative environmental impact versus positive scientific gain. Several studies have examined the environmental impact of Antarctic field camps, but very little work looks at how the placement of these camps influences scientific research. In this study, we integrate bibliometrics, geospatial analysis, and historical research to understand the relationship between field camp placement and scientific production in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of East Antarctica. Our analysis of the scientific corpus from 1907-2016 shows that, on average, research sites have become less dispersed and closer to field camps over time. Scientific output does not necessarily correspond to the number of field camps, and constructing a field camp does not always lead to a subsequent increase in research in the local area. Our results underscore the need to consider the complex historical and spatial relationships between field camps and research sites in environmental management decision-making in Antarctica and other protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M. Chignell
- Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Madeline E. Myers
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Adrian Howkins
- Department of History, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew G. Fountain
- Department of Geology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Department of Geography, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
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Abstract
This study aims to explore whether higher education and science popularization can achieve coordinated growth with temporal and spatial characteristics. Selecting the provincial regions of the Yangtze River Economic Belt in China as cases with data from the national statistics administrations (such as China Statistical Yearbook), this study uses entropy weight analysis, TOPSIS, GM(1,1) gray prediction methods and coupling coordination degree model to evaluate the coordinated growth status. The key findings are: (1) the annual budget per student, and the number of science and technology museums affect both systems more obviously; (2) the overall performances of science popularization fluctuate more obviously than those of higher education; (3) the coordinated growth performances of the two systems in most regions remain mild fluctuations and keep relatively stable coordinated status, however, temporal and spatial variation tendencies do exist among regions. Therefore, corresponding countermeasures should be implemented: generally, national authority needs to involve in coordination activities among regions; the regions with satisfactory coordinated growth performances need more creative approaches to maintain the coordinated growth interactions; the regions at the transitioning status need to prevent the grade decline and upgrade the performances; the regions with lagging performances need to stop the decline and reduce the gaps with others. The novelties include analyzing the coordinated growth interaction mechanism between the two, selecting indices to assess the abstract interaction mechanism precisely, proposing suggestions based on temporal and spatial comparisons of the coordinated growth performances, etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing Geng
- School of Business, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Yan
- School of Business, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai, China
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Zhang S, Hu B, Zhang X. Have FDI quantity and quality promoted the low-carbon development of science and technology parks (STPs)? The threshold effect of knowledge accumulation. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245891. [PMID: 33493180 PMCID: PMC7833161 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent times, China has emphasized five major development concepts to promote high-quality development: coordination, green, innovation, openness, and sharing. As a metamorphosis of these ideas, Chinese science and technology parks (STPs) are gathering areas of high-tech industries and represent advanced productive forces. Their greenness, openness, and innovative developments herald the future development trends of China. Based on the data of 52 STPs in China from 2011 to 2018, this study analyzes the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) quantity and quality on the low-carbon development of the STPs. We use Hansen’s nonlinear panel threshold regression model with knowledge accumulation as the threshold variable. The results show the following: First, there are complex nonlinear relationships between FDI quantity, FDI quality, and the low-carbon development of the STPs. Second, FDI quantity has a significant positive impact on the low-carbon development of the STPs only when the level of knowledge accumulation is below a certain threshold. Beyond this threshold the effect is no longer significant. Third, FDI quality has a significant positive impact on the low-carbon development of STPs only when the level of knowledge accumulation is lower than a certain threshold; beyond which, the impact is no longer significant. These results can serve as a reference for China to effectively promote economic low-carbon growth of STPs and achieve green, open, and innovative development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shujing Zhang
- School of Management and Economics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Beibei Hu
- Institutes of Science and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Xiufeng Zhang
- Business School, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China
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Xiong W, Han Y, Crabbe MJC, Yue XG. Fiscal Expenditures on Science and Technology and Environmental Pollution: Evidence from China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:ijerph17238761. [PMID: 33255740 PMCID: PMC7728311 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17238761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Studying the driving factors of environmental pollution is of great importance for China. Previous literature mainly focused on the cause of national aggregate emission changes. However, research about the effect of fiscal expenditures on science and technology (FESTs) on environmental pollution is rare. Considering the large gap among cities in China, it is necessary to investigate whether and how FESTs affect environmental pollution among cities. We adopted three kinds of typical environmental pollutants including sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, wastewater emission, and atmospheric particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5). Using the data of 260 prefecture-level cities over ten years in China, we found that FESTs play a significantly positive role in reducing sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions and PM2.5 concentrations, but fail to alleviate wastewater emissions. Specifically, for every 1% increase in FESTs, SO2 emissions were reduced by 5.317% and PM2.5 concentrations were reduced by 5.329%. Furthermore, we found that FESTs reduced environmental pollution by impeding fixed asset investments and by promoting research and development activities (R&D). Moreover, the impacts of FESTs on environmental pollution varied across regions and sub-periods. Our results are robust to a series of additional checks, including alternative econometric specifications, generalized method of moments (GMM) analysis and overcoming potential endogeneity with an instrumental variable. Our findings confirm that government efforts can be effective on pollution control in China. Hence, all governments should pay more attention to FESTs for sustainable development and environmental quality improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanfang Xiong
- Department of Finance, School of Economics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China;
| | - Yan Han
- School of Humanities and Social Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
- Correspondence: (Y.H.); (X.-G.Y.)
| | - M. James C. Crabbe
- Wolfson College, Oxford University, Oxford OX2 6UD, UK;
- School of Life Sciences, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
- Institute of Biomedical and Environmental Science & Technology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Bedfordshire, Park Square, Luton LU1 3JU, UK
| | - Xiao-Guang Yue
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia 1516, Cyprus
- CIICESI, ESTG, Politécnico do Porto, 4610-156 Felgueiras, Portugal
- Department of Business Sciences, University Giustino Fortunato, 82100 Benevento, Italy
- Correspondence: (Y.H.); (X.-G.Y.)
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Abstract
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) plays a critical role in funding scientific endeavors in biomedicine. Funding innovative science is an essential element of the NIH's mission, but many have questioned the NIH's ability to fulfill this aim. Based on an analysis of a comprehensive corpus of published biomedical research articles, we measure whether the NIH succeeds in funding work with novel ideas, which we term edge science. We find that edge science is more often NIH funded than less novel science, but with a delay. Papers that build on very recent ideas are NIH funded less often than are papers that build on ideas that have had a chance to mature for at least 7 y. We have three further findings. First, the tendency to fund edge science is mostly limited to basic science. Papers that build on novel clinical ideas are not more often NIH funded than are papers that build on well-established clinical knowledge. Second, novel papers tend to be NIH funded more often because there are more NIH-funded papers in innovative areas of investigation, rather than because the NIH funds innovative papers within research areas. Third, the NIH's tendency to have funded papers that build on the most recent advances has declined over time. In this regard, NIH funding has become more conservative despite initiatives to increase funding for innovative projects. Given our focus on published papers, the results reflect both the funding preferences of the NIH and the composition of the applications it receives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikko Packalen
- Department of Economics, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
| | - Jay Bhattacharya
- Center for Health Policy/Primary Care and Outcomes Research, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
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Zhang B, Mildenberger M. Scientists' political behaviors are not driven by individual-level government benefits. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230961. [PMID: 32374737 PMCID: PMC7202598 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Is it appropriate for scientists to engage in political advocacy? Some political critics of scientists argue that scientists have become partisan political actors with self-serving financial agendas. However, most scientists strongly reject this view. While social scientists have explored the effects of science politicization on public trust in science, little empirical work directly examines the drivers of scientists’ interest in and willingness to engage in political advocacy. Using a natural experiment involving the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF-GRF), we causally estimate for the first time whether scientists who have received federal science funding are more likely to engage in both science-related and non-science-related political behaviors. Comparing otherwise similar individuals who received or did not receive NSF support, we find that scientists’ preferences for political advocacy are not shaped by receiving government benefits. Government funding did not impact scientists’ support of the 2017 March for Science nor did it shape the likelihood that scientists donated to either Republican or Democratic political groups. Our results offer empirical evidence that scientists’ political behaviors are not motivated by self-serving financial agendas. They also highlight the limited capacity of even generous government support programs to increase civic participation by their beneficiaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baobao Zhang
- Department of Political Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Matto Mildenberger
- Department of Political Science, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Hon Wai Lum
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Paul Anantharajah Tambyah
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, National University Health System, Singapore
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Abstract
Researchers attribute suspicion to institutional scandals.
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Abstract
Unpaid work in the sciences is advocated as an entry route into scientific careers. We compared the success of UK science graduates who took paid or unpaid work six-months after graduation in obtaining a high salary or working in a STEM (Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics) field 3.5 years later. Initially taking unpaid work was associated with lower earnings and lower persistence in STEM compared with paid work, but those using personal connections to obtain unpaid positions were as likely to persist in STEM as paid workers. Obtaining a position in STEM six months after graduation was associated with higher rates of persistence in STEM compared with a position outside STEM for both paid and unpaid workers, but the difference is considerably smaller for unpaid workers. Socio-economic inequality in the likelihood of obtaining entry in STEM by taking an unpaid position is a well-founded concern for scientific workforce diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auriel M. V. Fournier
- Coastal Research and Extension Center, Mississippi State University, Biloxi, Mississippi, United States America
| | - Angus J. Holford
- Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Margaret A. Leighton
- School of Economics & Finance, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
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23
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Abstract
In research into higher education, the evaluation of completion and dropout rates has generated a steady stream of interest for decades. While most studies only calculate quotes using student and graduate numbers for both phenomena, we propose to additionally consider the budget available to universities. We transfer the idea of the excellence shift indicator [1] from the research to the teaching area, in particular to the completion rate of educational entities. The graduation shift shows the institutions’ ability to produce graduates as measured against their basic academic teaching efficiency. It is an important advantage of the graduation shift that it avoids the well-known heterogeneity problem in efficiency measurements. Our study is based on German universities of applied science. Given their politically determined focus on education, this dataset is well-suited for introducing and evaluating the graduation shift. Using a comprehensive dataset covering the years 2008 to 2013, we show that the graduation shift produces results, which correlate closely with the results of the well-known graduation rate and standard Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Compared to the graduation rate, the graduation shift is preferable because it allows to take the budget of institutions into account. Compared to the DEA, the computation of the graduation shift is easy, the results are robust, and non-economists can understand them results. Thus, we recommend the graduation shift as an alternative method of efficiency measurement in the teaching area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lutz Bornmann
- Administrative Headquarters of the Max Planck Society, Division for Science and Innovation Studies, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Kerr JQ, Hess DJ, Smith CM, Hadfield MG. Recognizing and Reducing Barriers to Science and Math Education and STEM Careers for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. CBE Life Sci Educ 2018; 17:mr1. [PMID: 30496031 PMCID: PMC6755887 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.18-06-0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is impacting the Pacific Islands first and most drastically, yet few native islanders are trained to recognize, analyze, or mitigate the impacts in these islands. To understand the reasons why low numbers of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders enter colleges, enroll in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, or undertake life sciences/STEM careers, 25 representatives from colleges and schools in seven U.S.-affiliated states and countries across the Pacific participated in a 2-day workshop. Fourteen were indigenous peoples of their islands. Participants revealed that: 1) cultural barriers, including strong family obligations and traditional and/or religious restrictions, work against students leaving home or entering STEM careers; 2) geographic barriers confront isolated small island communities without secondary schools, requiring students to relocate to a distant island for high school; 3) in many areas, teachers are undertrained in STEM, school science facilities are lacking, and most island colleges lack STEM majors and modern labs; and 4) financial barriers arise, because many islanders must relocate from their home islands to attend high school and college, especially, the costs for moving to Guam, Hawai'i, or the U.S. mainland. Most solutions depend on financial input, but mechanisms to increase awareness of the value of STEM training are also important.
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Affiliation(s)
- JoNita Q. Kerr
- Department of Math & Science, Guam Community College, Mangilao, Guam 96923
| | - Donald J. Hess
- College of the Marshall Islands, Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Majuro, MH 96960
| | - Celia M. Smith
- Department of Botany, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822
| | - Michael G. Hadfield
- Kewalo Marine Laboratory, Pacific Biosciences Research Center, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96813
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Affiliation(s)
- Venki Ramakrishnan
- Venki Ramakrishnan is a Nobel laureate and president of the UK Royal Society in London
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Popkin
- Gabriel Popkin is a freelance writer in Mount Rainier, Maryland
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Abstract
There is tremendous disparity in scientific productivity among nations, particularly in Latin America. At first sight, this could be linked to the relative economic health of the different countries of the region, but even large and relatively rich Latin American countries do not produce a good level of science. Although Latin America has increased the number of its scientists and research institutions in recent years, the gap between developed countries and Latin American countries is startling. The prime importance of science and technology to the development of a nation remains unacknowledged. The major factors contributing to low scientific productivity are the limited access to grant opportunities, inadequate budgets, substandard levels of laboratory infrastructure and equipment, the high cost and limited supply of reagents, and inadequate salaries and personal insecurity of scientists. The political and economic instability in several Latin America countries results in a lack of long-term goals that are essential to the development of science. In Latin America, science is not an engine of the economy. Most equipment and supplies are imported, and national industries are not given the incentives to produce these goods at home. It is a pity that Latin American society has become accustomed to expect new science and technological developments to come from developed countries rather than from their own scientists. In this article, we present a critical view of the Latin American investigator's daily life, particularly in the area of biomedicine. Too many bright young minds continue to leave Latin America for developed countries, where they are very successful. However, we still have many enthusiastic young graduates who want to make a career in science and contribute to society. Governments need to improve the status of science for the sake of these young graduates who represent the intellectual and economic future of their countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Ciocca
- Oncology Laboratory, Institute of Experimental Medicine and Biology, CONICET, CCT, 5500 Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Delgado
- Immunotoxicology Research Group, Pharmacy Department, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, Edificio 450, Bogotá, Colombia
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Suo Q, Liu Y, Zhang D. Why Tu Youyou Makes Less Money Than Zhang Ziyi? Sci Eng Ethics 2017; 23:1233-1235. [PMID: 27896612 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-016-9837-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Scientists normally earn less money than many other professions which require a similar amount of training and qualification. The economic theory of marginal utility and cost-benefit analysis can be applied to explain this phenomenon. Although scientists make less money than entertainment stars, the scientists do research work out of their interest and they also enjoy a much higher reputation and social status in some countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghui Suo
- School of Engineering and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Ocean Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Panjin, 124221, China
| | - Daming Zhang
- School of Engineering and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
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Affiliation(s)
- John P A Ioannidis
- Departments of Medicine, Health Research and Policy, Biomedical Data Science, and Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, California2Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS), Stanford University, Stanford, California
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Science News Staff. Science gets little love in Trump spending plan. Science 2017; 356:795. [PMID: 28546167 DOI: 10.1126/science.356.6340.795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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31
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid T Katz
- From the Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital (I.T.K.), the Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital (I.T.K.), Harvard Medical School (I.T.K., A.A.W.), and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (A.A.W.) - all in Boston
| | - Alexi A Wright
- From the Division of Women's Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital (I.T.K.), the Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital (I.T.K.), Harvard Medical School (I.T.K., A.A.W.), and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (A.A.W.) - all in Boston
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Poorolajal J. The World's Scientific Authority and Health-Related Challenges. J Res Health Sci 2017; 17:e00376. [PMID: 28469044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jalal Poorolajal
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
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33
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Furlow B. Trump administration budget proposals "bad for health, science, environment, and America". Lancet Respir Med 2017; 5:379-380. [PMID: 28365371 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-2600(17)30118-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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34
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Acosta CAP. [The crisis in science and technology in Colombia and its consequences]. Rev Colomb Psiquiatr 2017; 46:55. [PMID: 28483173 DOI: 10.1016/j.rcp.2017.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
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35
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Velasco M, Sanmartin P, Alonso JC, Guijarro C. [Clinical trials, science and economy]. Rev Calid Asist 2016; 31:247-249. [PMID: 27268122 DOI: 10.1016/j.cali.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M Velasco
- Unidad Investigación, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, España.
| | - P Sanmartin
- Presidencia Comité Ético Investigación Clínica, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, España
| | - J C Alonso
- Dirección Económica Financiera, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, España
| | - C Guijarro
- Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, Madrid, España
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Lerchenmueller MJ, Sorenson O. Author Disambiguation in PubMed: Evidence on the Precision and Recall of Author-ity among NIH-Funded Scientists. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0158731. [PMID: 27367860 PMCID: PMC4930168 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the usefulness (precision) and completeness (recall) of the Author-ity author disambiguation for PubMed articles by associating articles with scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In doing so, we exploited established unique identifiers—Principal Investigator (PI) IDs—that the NIH assigns to funded scientists. Analyzing a set of 36,987 NIH scientists who received their first R01 grant between 1985 and 2009, we identified 355,921 articles appearing in PubMed that would allow us to evaluate the precision and recall of the Author-ity disambiguation. We found that Author-ity identified the NIH scientists with 99.51% precision across the articles. It had a corresponding recall of 99.64%. Precision and recall, moreover, appeared stable across common and uncommon last names, across ethnic backgrounds, and across levels of scientist productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc J. Lerchenmueller
- Yale School of Management, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Olav Sorenson
- Yale School of Management, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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37
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Murray DL, Morris D, Lavoie C, Leavitt PR, MacIsaac H, Masson MEJ, Villard MA. Bias in Research Grant Evaluation Has Dire Consequences for Small Universities. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155876. [PMID: 27258385 PMCID: PMC4892638 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Federal funding for basic scientific research is the cornerstone of societal progress, economy, health and well-being. There is a direct relationship between financial investment in science and a nation's scientific discoveries, making it a priority for governments to distribute public funding appropriately in support of the best science. However, research grant proposal success rate and funding level can be skewed toward certain groups of applicants, and such skew may be driven by systemic bias arising during grant proposal evaluation and scoring. Policies to best redress this problem are not well established. Here, we show that funding success and grant amounts for applications to Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grant program (2011-2014) are consistently lower for applicants from small institutions. This pattern persists across applicant experience levels, is consistent among three criteria used to score grant proposals, and therefore is interpreted as representing systemic bias targeting applicants from small institutions. When current funding success rates are projected forward, forecasts reveal that future science funding at small schools in Canada will decline precipitously in the next decade, if skews are left uncorrected. We show that a recently-adopted pilot program to bolster success by lowering standards for select applicants from small institutions will not erase funding skew, nor will several other post-evaluation corrective measures. Rather, to support objective and robust review of grant applications, it is necessary for research councils to address evaluation skew directly, by adopting procedures such as blind review of research proposals and bibliometric assessment of performance. Such measures will be important in restoring confidence in the objectivity and fairness of science funding decisions. Likewise, small institutions can improve their research success by more strongly supporting productive researchers and developing competitive graduate programming opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis L. Murray
- Institute of Integrative Conservation Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Douglas Morris
- Department of Biology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Claude Lavoie
- École supérieure d’aménagement du territoire et de développement régional, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0 A6, Canada
| | - Peter R. Leavitt
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Hugh MacIsaac
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | | | - Marc-Andre Villard
- Département de biologie, Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB, E1A 3E9, Canada
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri H Versteeg
- Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden, Netherlands.
| | - Marc Rodger
- Ottawa Hospital, Box 201, 451 Smyth rd, Ottawa, Canada.
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39
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Gulland A. Some scientists are exempted from government's "gagging clause". BMJ 2016; 353:i2299. [PMID: 27102421 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.i2299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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40
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Ferguson M. Science of the times. J Ir Dent Assoc 2016; 62:82-84. [PMID: 27197368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
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O'Dowd A. UK exit from EU would be serious threat to science and healthcare, experts warn. BMJ 2016; 352:i1117. [PMID: 26908135 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.i1117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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43
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O'Dowd A. Science funding may be protected in next spending review, minister says. BMJ 2015; 351:h3871. [PMID: 26187171 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.h3871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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44
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Elliott A, Nerima B, Bagaya B, Kambugu A, Joloba M, Cose S, Pantaleo G, Yazdanbakhsh M, Mabey D, Dunne D, Moffett A, Rwakishaya EK, Kaleebu P, Mbidde EK. Capacity for science in sub-Saharan Africa. Lancet 2015; 385:2435-7. [PMID: 26122054 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(15)61111-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alison Elliott
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | | | - Bernard Bagaya
- Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda; Department of Medical Microbiology, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Andrew Kambugu
- Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Moses Joloba
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Stephen Cose
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Maria Yazdanbakhsh
- Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - David Mabey
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - David Dunne
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ashley Moffett
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya
- Makerere University Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies, Kampala, Uganda; Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Pontiano Kaleebu
- MRC/UVRI Uganda Research Unit on AIDS, PO Box 49, Entebbe, Uganda; London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
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Smolka AJ, Halushka PV, Garrett-Mayer E. The faculty costs to educate a biomedical sciences graduate student. CBE Life Sci Educ 2015; 14:ar3. [PMID: 25673355 PMCID: PMC4353078 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.14-06-0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Academic medical centers nationwide face numerous fiscal challenges resulting from implementation of restructured healthcare delivery models, contracting state support for higher education, and increased competition for federal and other sources of biomedical research funding. In pursuing greater accountability and transparency in its fiscal operations, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has implemented a responsibility centers management budgetary model, which requires all MUSC colleges to be eventually self-sustaining financially. Graduate schools in the biomedical sciences are particularly vulnerable in the face of these challenges, depending traditionally as they do on financial support from training grant tuition, occasional medical school tuition and medical practice plan revenues, graduate college-based revenue-generating programs, and faculty payment of PhD tuition. The revenue streams are often insufficient to support PhD training programs, and supplemental financial support is required from the institution. In the context of a college of graduate studies, estimates of the cost of educating a graduate student become a significant necessity. This study presents a readily applicable model of empirically estimating the faculty salary costs that may provide a basis for budgetary planning that will help to sustain a biomedical sciences graduate school's commitment to its teaching, research, and service mission goals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Smolka
- *Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Perry V Halushka
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer
- Department of Public Health Science, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
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Mervis J, Malakoff D. Research Funding. Science agencies make gains despite tight U.S. budget. Science 2014; 346:1437-8. [PMID: 25525219 DOI: 10.1126/science.346.6216.1437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Byrnes JEK, Ranganathan J, Walker BLE, Faulkes Z. To Crowdfund Research, Scientists Must Build an Audience for Their Work. PLoS One 2014; 9:e110329. [PMID: 25494306 PMCID: PMC4262210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2012] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
As rates of traditional sources of scientific funding decline, scientists have become increasingly interested in crowdfunding as a means of bringing in new money for research. In fields where crowdfunding has become a major venue for fundraising such as the arts and technology, building an audience for one's work is key for successful crowdfunding. For science, to what extent does audience building, via engagement and outreach, increase a scientist's abilities to bring in money via crowdfunding? Here we report on an analysis of the #SciFund Challenge, a crowdfunding experiment in which 159 scientists attempted to crowdfund their research. Using data gathered from a survey of participants, internet metrics, and logs of project donations, we find that public engagement is the key to crowdfunding success. Building an audience or “fanbase” and actively engaging with that audience as well as seeking to broaden the reach of one's audience indirectly increases levels of funding. Audience size and effort interact to bring in more people to view a scientist's project proposal, leading to funding. We discuss how projects capable of raising levels of funds commensurate with traditional funding agencies will need to incorporate direct involvement of the public with science. We suggest that if scientists and research institutions wish to tap this new source of funds, they will need to encourage and reward activities that allow scientists to engage with the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarrett E. K. Byrnes
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, 02125, United States of America
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California, 93101, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jai Ranganathan
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California, 93101, United States of America
| | - Barbara L. E. Walker
- Institute for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Research, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, United States of America
| | - Zen Faulkes
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, Texas, 78539, United States of America
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Davis M, Laas K. "Broader impacts" or "responsible research and innovation"? A comparison of two criteria for funding research in science and engineering. Sci Eng Ethics 2014; 20:963-983. [PMID: 24155159 DOI: 10.1007/s11948-013-9480-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Our subject is how the experience of Americans with a certain funding criterion, "broader impacts" (and some similar criteria) may help in efforts to turn the European concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) into a useful guide to funding Europe's scientific and technical research. We believe this comparison may also be as enlightening for Americans concerned with revising research policy. We have organized our report around René Von Schomberg's definition of RRI, since it seems both to cover what the European research group to which we belong is interested in and to be the only widely accepted definition of RRI. According to Von Schomberg, RRI: "… is a transparent, interactive process by which societal actors and innovators become mutually responsive to each other with a view to the (ethical) acceptability, sustainability and societal desirability of the innovation process and its marketable products (in order to allow a proper embedding of scientific and technological advances in our society)." While RRI seeks fundamental changes in the way research is conducted, Broader Impacts is more concerned with more peripheral aspects of research: widening participation of disadvantaged groups, recruiting the next generation of scientists, increasing the speed with which results are used, and so on. Nevertheless, an examination of the broadening of funding criteria over the last four decades suggests that National Science Foundation has been moving in the direction of RRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Davis
- Humanities Department, Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions, Illinois Institute of Technology, 5300 S. South Shore Drive #57, Chicago, IL, 60615, USA,
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McAllister K, Gewin V. Turning point: Kate McAllister. Nature 2014; 515:455. [PMID: 25419559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
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