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Distribution of academic research funds : a case of Japanese national research grant

Shibayama, Sotaro LU (2011) In Scientometrics 88(1). p.43-60
Abstract

Drawing on a database of the competitive research funds in the Japanese academia, this study examines the distribution of research grants at the university and individual levels. The data indicates high inequality at the university level and slightly lower inequality at the individual level. Over the last three decades, the total grant budget has greatly increased and an increasing number of researchers have received the funds. Simultaneously, large-size grants have become more common and multiple awarding (i.e., one researcher receives more than one grant simultaneously) has become more frequent. These changes taken together, the level of inequality has not been changed substantially. The extent of inequality largely differs between... (More)

Drawing on a database of the competitive research funds in the Japanese academia, this study examines the distribution of research grants at the university and individual levels. The data indicates high inequality at the university level and slightly lower inequality at the individual level. Over the last three decades, the total grant budget has greatly increased and an increasing number of researchers have received the funds. Simultaneously, large-size grants have become more common and multiple awarding (i.e., one researcher receives more than one grant simultaneously) has become more frequent. These changes taken together, the level of inequality has not been changed substantially. The extent of inequality largely differs between scientific fields; especially high in basic natural sciences and relatively low in social sciences. A close examination of inequality over researchers' career indicates different patterns of transition between fields and cohorts. Finally, both at the university and individual levels, the funding distribution is found more unequal than the distribution of publications as an output indicator.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
academia, funding, inequality, research grant, university, H81, I23, I28, D63
in
Scientometrics
volume
88
issue
1
pages
18 pages
publisher
Akademiai Kiado
external identifiers
  • scopus:84943015084
ISSN
0138-9130
DOI
10.1007/s11192-011-0392-z
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
874bbb5b-68da-479d-b360-3f6576db7af0
date added to LUP
2017-04-13 17:49:49
date last changed
2022-04-17 01:01:02
@article{874bbb5b-68da-479d-b360-3f6576db7af0,
  abstract     = {{<p>Drawing on a database of the competitive research funds in the Japanese academia, this study examines the distribution of research grants at the university and individual levels. The data indicates high inequality at the university level and slightly lower inequality at the individual level. Over the last three decades, the total grant budget has greatly increased and an increasing number of researchers have received the funds. Simultaneously, large-size grants have become more common and multiple awarding (i.e., one researcher receives more than one grant simultaneously) has become more frequent. These changes taken together, the level of inequality has not been changed substantially. The extent of inequality largely differs between scientific fields; especially high in basic natural sciences and relatively low in social sciences. A close examination of inequality over researchers' career indicates different patterns of transition between fields and cohorts. Finally, both at the university and individual levels, the funding distribution is found more unequal than the distribution of publications as an output indicator.</p>}},
  author       = {{Shibayama, Sotaro}},
  issn         = {{0138-9130}},
  keywords     = {{academia; funding; inequality; research grant; university; H81; I23; I28; D63}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{43--60}},
  publisher    = {{Akademiai Kiado}},
  series       = {{Scientometrics}},
  title        = {{Distribution of academic research funds : a case of Japanese national research grant}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0392-z}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11192-011-0392-z}},
  volume       = {{88}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}