The field of research impact assessment (RIA) has seen remarkable growth over the past three decades. Increasing numbers of RIA frameworks have been developed and applied by research funders and new technologies can capture some research impacts automatically. However, RIAs are too different to draw comparable conclusions about what type of…

Globally, performance-based research funding aims to support the most deserving academic institutions and researchers. However, overcoming entrenched assumptions about quality is a persistent challenge for higher education research policies worldwide; traditionally powerful institutions tend to maintain dominance. Research impact as a performance…

Empirical research is a critical in the field of education, however, research funding sources are often hard to identify. In this study, we examined how National Center for Education Research (NCER), a branch of the federal Institute of Education Science (IES), has supported research on various areas of reading development and instruction. Our…

The need to understand efficacy and outcomes from grant-funded activity is common to funders, the academic community, and the public. Yet, few articles in the research administration corpus offer details on and considerations of applying the concept of return on investment (ROI) to grant activity. To determine the volume of material available…

Issues in determination of overhead for cost recovery from research funding sources are discussed, including the need to collect overhead, principles involved in charging for overhead, range of activity types to be considered, classification and calculation of costs, pricing policy, and payment to the university versus payment to its components.…

This paper provides a critical analysis of New Zealand's Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF). The first section sketches the development and implementation of the PBRF. The second section evaluates the scheme, concentrating on three themes: the relationship between privatization, competition and research performance; the standardization of…

This study examines the changing notions of excellence and utility and their influence on the purposes and culture of higher education. A conceptual framework is developed that harmonizes the conflicting forces that drive the research effort. Eight sections include: introduction (the legacy of expansion, research under pressure, trends in funding…

Changes in Australia's university research funding, with both indirect and a substantial portion of direct funding administered centrally by the new Ministry of Employment, Education and Training, are discussed. The new arrangement is intended to ensure university research gives greater priority to projects contributing to national social and…

Canada's policy of increasing support for university research on the condition that the private sector also contribute, and the policy's results, are discussed. Trends in the awarding of federal grants and the national priorities in research directions are outlined. (MSE)

Issues in sponsored research are addressed: institutional commitment and targeted budget allocations, administrative and faculty commitment--structure and support services; sponsored research and institutional characteristics; and faculty development programs--research-oriented. (MLW)

The recommendations of the National Institute of Mental Health task force on social work research are reviewed and discussed. It is proposed that as a means of forwarding reform and building an infrastructure for research, doctoral education in social work should be expanded and focused in selected institutions. (MSE)