What matters in funding: The value of research coherence and alignment in evaluators' decisions

The Institute of Economics will hold a webinar meeting as part of its Seminar Series on Tuesday, January 12, 2021: Michele Pezzoni from the University of Cote D'Azur will present the paper "What matters in funding: The value of research coherence and alignment in evaluators' decisions".

Abstract:

This paper investigates the determinants of the selection process for scientists seeking funds for a proposed research project. The authors assess how the project’s coherence with the scientist’s previous work and the project’s alignment with subjects of general interest for the scientific community affect the probability of obtaining funding. They employ a neural network algorithm to analyze the text of 2,494 research projects proposed by scientists competing for a prestigious, early-career fellowship in North America. They find that in life sciences and chemistry, an increase in a project’s coherence and alignment positively relates to the probability of winning the fellowship, with these relationships eroding over time. In physics, only the research project’s coherence with dated work positively relates to the chances of obtaining the fellowship.

The full paper is available here.

All interested participants are welcome to join online at the following link. External participants need to contact the organisers via email to grant access to the seminar.