Abstract
The Momentum program launched in 2009 provides funding of up to 1 million Euro to establish new, independent research groups at Hungarian academic institutions. Here, our aim was to determine factors associated with the scientific output of these research groups. Publication data were downloaded from the Hungarian Scientific Work Archive (www.mtmt.hu), impact factor data were obtained from Thomson Reuters (jcr.incites.thomsonreuters.com), and journal ranks were extracted from the Scimago Journal Rank database (www.scimagojr.com). Investigated input features for each grant holder include gender, degree, targeted category, international mobility, international grants, number of publications, total number of citations, H-index, best publications, impact factors in the last 2 years, and assessment scores provided by the experts. Evaluated performance indicators include cumulative impact factor, number of D1 publications, and number of first/last author D1 publications during the grant running time. Grant holders’ publication output increased by 23 and 52% for life sciences and material sciences researchers. Scientific performance was independent from gender, degree, international grants, category applied for, and citations received for the best pre-grant publication. Those with international mobility had significantly lower scientific output (yearly impact factor, number of D1 publications, number of first/last author publications). Scores received from grant review experts were independent from later publication activity. The strongest correlations were observed between scientific output and total number of citations, H-index, and impact factor in the last 2 years pre-grant. In summary, group leaders with a dynamic publication track record were able to attain the most additional momentum. Our results can help accelerate and improve future grant review processes.
Highlights
The purpose of this study is to provide new ideas for researchers interested in grant evaluation efficiency related issues
Publication data were downloaded from the Hungarian Scientific Work Archive, impact factor data were obtained from Thomson Reuters, and journal ranks were extracted from the Scimago Journal Rank database
A boost of 123 and 146% was observed in life sciences and material sciences, respectively, when comparing the mean of the cumulative impact factor in the first three complete years after grant award to the 3 years before the starting year of the grant
Summary
The purpose of this study is to provide new ideas for researchers interested in grant evaluation efficiency related issues. The authors intend to shed some light on the critical points of project selection based on ex ante grant evaluation. Our research hypothesis is similar to the Antitrust Paradox in a certain way (Bork 1993), a classic in the literature of competition economics. In this Paradox, Bork states that antitrust policies expected to raise consumer welfare sometimes merely reduce it due to high institutional costs and efficiency problems. This Paradox has much relevance for a wider range of regulatory policies, including the selection of scientific projects
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