Research funding and scientific performance: measuring the impact of a PhD scholarship program

Author(s)

Bin, Adriana ; Salles-Filho, Sergio ; Spatti, Ana Carolina ; Mena-Chalco, Jesus Pascual ; Basille Colugnati, Fernando Antonio ; Glanzel, W ; Heeffer, S ; Chi, PS ; Rousseau, R

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: 18TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SCIENTOMETRICS & INFORMETRICS (ISSI2021); v. N/A, p. 11-pg., 2021-01-01.

Abstract

This paper presents an impact evaluation of Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)'s Doctoral Scholarship Program. The objective is to assess whether the program impacts the scientific production of its beneficiaries. The study population included all the individuals who applied for PhD scholarships from FAPESP between 2003 and 2017 and were either granted or rejected. The evaluation employed a quasi-experimental design. The treatment group comprehended individuals whom FAPESP awarded and completed their PhD degree. The control groups comprehended individuals who were rejected in their FAPESP application but completed their PhD with scholarships from other funding agencies or those without funding support. Data collection was carried out on secondary bases from different sources (including Scopus and Google Scholar for citations and H-index). For the analysis, we used exact matching with the Propensity Score (PS) as matching distance. As a result, we find that the number of publications, number of citations, and H-index is higher for former FAPESP scholarship holders than for those rejected. The effect is even more significant compared to those who did not have the financial support of research agencies during their PhD studies. Therefore, findings demonstrate that scholarships for doctoral students drive the production of qualified scientific knowledge. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/17461-1 - Systematic impact evaluation of STI actions and programs
• Grantee: Sergio Luiz Monteiro Salles Filho
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants