Institutional Funding Research Articles

Corporate sponsorship as cultural policy: tax incentives in Brazilian contemporary art

ABSTRACT Unprecedented corporate intervention and the withdrawal of government support from the arts and culture characterized the 1980s. Driven by the Thatcher and Reagan administrations, which promoted corporate patronage and art sponsorship, this trend shaped cultural policies worldwide and was adopted by numerous countries. Following this global movement, Brazil introduced tax incentives in the early 1990s to encourage private companies to fund cultural events and institutions. While the literature on Brazilian cultural tax incentives is extensive, researchers have overlooked the connection between these incentives and the country’s artistic production fields. Drawing on data from the past decade of cultural funding and applying Natural Language Processing and machine learning techniques to isolate sponsorship patterns related to contemporary art, this paper examines the financial landscape of Brazil’s contemporary art circuit. The findings reveal that inequalities in resource distribution for contemporary art sponsorship exceed those in other fields, such as music and theater, highlighting the highly institutionalized nature of contemporary art, its reliance on corporate sponsorship, and the substantial costs associated with its production.

Funding LGBTQ Discrimination with Public Money?: Using Dual Enrollment to Pay for Conservative Evangelical Christian Higher Education

ABSTRACT In this article, I examine how Ohio’s dual enrollment (DE) policy funds private religious education with discriminatory policies toward LGBTQ students. I address two research questions: To what extent does Ohio’s DE policy fund institutions that promote a conservative Christian paradigm with anti-LGBTQ policies? and How do these institutions use mechanisms to discriminate against LGBTQ students? Through qualitative content analysis, findings indicate that six private evangelical Christian universities in Ohio’s DE program promote what is often called a biblical worldview and enforce discriminatory policies. Public funds directly support these institutions. Three key themes emerged: (1) Marketization—universities market the DE program for financial benefits to students, (2) Conservative Christian Paradigm—non-religious courses integrate a biblical worldview, and (3) Anti-LGBTQ—student handbooks explicitly condemn LGBTQ behaviors.

A New Way Forward for Women's Health Research at the National Institutes of Health: A Roadmap From the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Consensus Report.

Despite efforts to address inequities, research on women's health conditions (defined as those that uniquely or differently affect women and female individuals) remain significantly understudied. As directed by Congress, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women's Health requested the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) to conduct an assessment of the state of women's health research at the NIH. The findings of the National Academies committee include: 1) a significant funding inequity, with less than 8% of the total NIH grant budget for fiscal year 2023 allocated to women's health research; 2) a need for improved strategic NIH-wide priority setting, oversight, and adherence to existing policies to support women's health research; 3) a need for a specific institute for research on conditions specific to women's health; and 4) a need for sufficient training and additional funding to grow and retain the women's health research workforce. The National Academies committee recommends restructuring women's health research at the NIH by creating a new Women's Health Research Institute and cross-disciplinary Women's Health Research Fund, including greater accountability and an infusion of new funds to support both research and career development in women's health. The combination of the new institute, greater prioritization and accountability, and new funding would lead to more rapid innovations and advancements, with the ultimate goal of improving women's health and well-being, which, in turn, improves the well-being of families and communities and bolsters a vibrant, healthier society.

Understanding reasons for delay in diagnosis of leprosy in Pakistan: A qualitative study.

Recent epidemiological data shows significant rates of grade 2 disability at point-of-diagnosis among new leprosy cases in Pakistan. This indicates a feature of extensive diagnostic delay; the disability burden appears unmoving and disproportionate to the falling leprosy incidence rates. Therefore, this study was required to understand reasons for delay in diagnosis and treatment of leprosy. A qualitative design of 7 semi-structured interviews was employed to reveal perceptions and understandings of various leprosy stakeholders in Pakistan, termed "leprosy experts". Subsequent inductive analysis was used to identify themes and subthemes concerned with delay in the diagnosis and treatment of leprosy. Leprosy experts identified three main areas, or domains, to which delay can be attributed: 1. Awareness and beliefs about leprosy, within the general population, 2. Knowledge and clinical experience of leprosy, among healthcare professionals, 3. Leprosy control program infrastructure, allocation of resources and institutional funding. These domains were each viewed as consequent to the larger theme of 'low-endemicity'. Strong correlations between diagnostic delay and socioeconomic status, gender, geography and health system challenges, were also mentioned, and which intersected the three major themes. Reasons for diagnostic delay are evident in all tiers of the healthcare hierarchy in Pakistan. Thus, an approach at multiple levels is justified, to improve the general awareness of leprosy, education of healthcare professionals, and organizational structuring. Additionally, cultural features relevant to different communities in Pakistan which might be different from other care access frameworks demonstrated a need for further study into the health beliefs of Pakistani patients in a wide range of communities.

Humanities Decline in Darkness: How Humanities Research Funding Works

Abstract Humanities research is underfunded, and the institutional sources and intellectual effects of this underfunding are insufficiently appreciated. The paper gives an example of the negative effects of a humanities discipline’s lack of research infrastructure on scholarly work. Section 2 describes the main categories through which research funds arrive on U.S. campuses. Section 3 describes the disproportions between Science & Engineering (S&E or “STEM”) funding and funding for social and cultural disciplines. Section 4 discussions the “institutional funds” that universities use to cover research costs from their own pockets. Section 5 shows that universities do not use their institutional funds to compensate for inequities in humanities funding but to perpetuate them. Section 6 claims that the current state of humanities funding abridges academic freedom and calls on humanities administrative personnel to lead a national campaign to rectify the current situation. Misconceptions about humanities research and its funding must be openly acknowledged and addressed so that it can come to have public effects that reflect its actual intellectual achievements.

What attracts sustainable fund flows? Prospectus versus ratings*

AbstractMany studies indicate that sustainability ratings attract high fund flows, reinforcing the dominant role of rating agencies for the fund industry. However, these studies neglect prospectus information, which is very likely to influence investors' decisions. By analyzing 23,606 equity mutual funds and ETFs, we find that self-declared sustainability statements in fund prospectus are the main driver of retail and institutional fund flows. Additionally, sustainability references in the fund name and the fund’s employed sustainability investment approach significantly affect flows. External sustainability ratings on the other hand appear to be less relevant for fund flows than previous studies suggest.

Hypothalamic volume is associated with age, sex and cognitive function across lifespan: a comparative analysis of two large population-based cohort studies.

Emerging findings indicate that the hypothalamus, the body's principal homeostatic centre, plays a crucial role in modulating cognition, but comprehensive population-based studies are lacking. We used cross-sectional data from the Rhineland Study (N=5812, 55.2±13.6 years, 58% women) and the UK Biobank Imaging Study (UKB) (N=45,076, 64.2±7.7 years, 53% women), two large-scale population-based cohort studies. Volumes of hypothalamic structures were obtained from 3T structural magnetic resonance images through an automatic parcellation procedure (FastSurfer-HypVINN). The standardised cognitive domain scores were derived from extensive neuropsychological test batteries. We employed multivariable linear regression to assess associations of hypothalamic volumes with age, sex and cognitive performance. In older individuals, volumes of total, anterior and posterior hypothalamus, and mammillary bodies were smaller, while those of medial hypothalamus and tuberal region were larger. Larger medial hypothalamus volume was related to higher cortisol levels in older individuals, providing functional validation. Volumes of all hypothalamic structures were larger in men compared to women. In both sexes, larger volumes of total, anterior and posterior hypothalamus, and mammillary bodies were associated with better domain-specific cognitive performance, whereas larger volumes of medial hypothalamus and tuberal region were associated with worse domain-specific cognitive performance. We found strong age and sex effects on hypothalamic structures, as well as robust associations between these structures and domain-specific cognitive functions. Overall, these findings thus implicate specific hypothalamic subregions as potential therapeutic targets against age-associated cognitive decline. Institutional funds, Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany, Alzheimer's Association.

Analytical methods for monitoring the provision of commercial medical organizations with fixed assets

Subject. This article considers analytical possibilities for monitoring the effectiveness of commercial medical organizations according to their medical equipment. Objectives. The article aims to identify and substantiate the recommended values of the share of fixed assets in the total amount of property (assets) as an indicator of sufficiency for the effective operation of commercial medical organizations. Methods. For the study, we used deduction, analysis, synthesis, analogy, comparison, extrapolation, abstraction, as well as analytical calculations of the influence of factors. Results. It was not possible to establish an unambiguous criterion for assessing the risks of insufficient equipment as a factor in the inefficiency of the organization's activities. The indicators of municipal medical organizations have significant variability, which is explained by the purchase of equipment by some clinics at the expense of national projects. Conclusions and Relevance. In the context of the unstable situation in the Russian economy, the financing of medical institutions is uneven. Commercial medical organizations, such as newly opened ones, have a sufficient set of high-tech equipment and its share in assets is large. This, to some extent, reflects the specialization of medical companies and their age. In this regard, the risks of inefficiency, since companies with up-to-date equipment are in a winning competitive position, increase in diversified organizations. The results of the study of the structure of the balance sheet of medical organizations and the share of fixed assets may be useful for the development of methods for controlling the risks of inefficiency.

The role of socio-economic and institutional factors in explaining dental health inequalities

This paper aims to investigate the effect of socio-economic and institutional factors on dental health outcomes and inequalities among countries. By applying the oral health status indicator DMFT 12-year-olds index, 117 countries were classified into three dental health groups. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to examine the relations among a set of socio-economic and institutional variables and dental health inequalities. Variables included are GDP per capita, current health expenditures, number of dentists, Corruption Perceptions Index, quality of health services, unemployment rate, internal conflict, Gini index, UHC service index, and general government health expenditures. The results showed that higher corruption prevalence in a country is associated with poor outcomes in a nation's dental health. In countries with the highest satisfaction with the quality of health services, this may be attributed to substantial public health expenditures. The size of health expenditures and the number of dentists available to the country’s population do not necessarily grant advanced dental health, even in economically prosperous countries. Indicators of social inequality do not explain the dental health outcomes, suggesting there are other factors describing better the disparities among low- and higher- DMFT index country groups. Inequalities in dental health are explained by institutional factors, corruption prevalence, and public health funding being important ones. Policy implications towards more generous public funding of health services and implementation of anti-corruption measures could contribute to seizing dental health inequalities worldwide.

Malay Entry into Business through Scaling the Heights of Corporate Malaysia from mid-1980s – An Assessment

The aim of this paper is in identifying and analysing, from an economic perspective, the policies, programs and instruments the government used in promoting Malay entry into business, the form of this entry, including of rent-seeking, the extent to which Malays have scaled the heights of Corporate Malaysia as well as of the factors accounting for the success or failure of this agenda in the post-1985 period after the launch of the corporatisation and privatisation era. The discussion on the performance as well as of the key problems and issues encountered from the country’s use of the corporatisation or privatisation route to promote entry, is also combined with a similar discussion on its use of: (a) government linked investment companies (GLICs) in promoting Malay entry into business from an almost non-existent level in 1957, (b) the private finance initiative (PFI) or the build, lease, maintain and transfer (BLMT) model in promoting entry as an owner-manager in the era of corporatisation and institutional fund management, as well as (c) multiple instruments in aggressively promoting entry within an industry or sector with multiple goals.

Development and dissemination of programes on the study pysankas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

An attempt is made in the article to conduct a source analysis of programmes on the study of Easter painting in the late nineteenth – first half of the twentieth century. Author’s programmes were published in the form of separate prints or in periodicals. Some of them are found in manuscript sources of archival funds of various institutions. On the basis of the processed materials, it is established that the programmes for the study of Easter painting were quite actively developed in the late nineteenth – early twentieth century. The purpose of the article is to trace the publication of Easter painting programmes in the late XIX – first half of the XX century as an information potential for historiographical research. The conducted source analysis of various programmes for the study of Easter eggs contains a rich information potential for the historiography of Easter eggs. Programmes have played an important role as a means of scientific communication between scientists, researchers and respondents. Their authors were M. Sumtsov, S. Kulzhynsky, M. Korduba, M. Skoryk, L. Shulhyna, as well as the Scientific Society of Volyn Researchers, the Taras Shevchenko Scientific Society in Lviv, the Ethnographic Society in Kyiv. The analyzed programmes are a multifaceted source, because quite often they raised issues not only the study of Easter eggs, but also other types of folk art and more. In turn, the answers provided the above-mentioned researchers to prepare a number of publications on the study of Easter eggs, and the programmes contributed to the formation of museum collections.

Barriers for institutional investors to invest in digital financial assets

Subject. The article analyzes barriers to active involvement of institutional investors' funds in digital DFA in the Russian financial market. Objectives. The study aims at identification of the main barriers preventing the active involvement of institutional investors' funds in DFA, development of recommendations for their elimination. Methods. The study employs general scientific methods of research, logical, comparative, and statistical analysis to review foreign practice and academic publications of domestic and foreign authors. Results. We revealed three main groups of barriers. They are legal and regulatory barriers; low volume of the primary market and insufficient liquidity in the secondary market; low level of financial literacy and problems of understanding DFA by private investors. To eliminate them, we offer to amend a number of federal laws to allow institutional investors to include DFA in their investment strategies and portfolios. The problem of low liquidity of the secondary market can be solved by including the main Russian trading platforms in the register of DFA exchange operators of the Bank of Russia, and providing private investors' access to these transactions. Conclusions. It is crucial to develop a risk rating system for DFA and criteria for DFA inclusion in the portfolios of institutional investors.

Analyzing the impact of the key rate on the Russian economy

Subject. The article is devoted to the key rate in the Russian economy. Objectives. The purpose is to determine the impact of the key rate of the Bank of Russia on the economy. Methods. The study employs general scientific methods, primarily data analysis and synthesis, and special economic and mathematical methods, like correlation and regression analysis. Results. The study revealed the key rate volatility and a two-fold excess of the key rate over inflation during the period of increasing risks in the economy at the necessary parity for inflation targeting. The paper shows the target growth of the maximum interest rate (on ruble-denominated deposits) in ten credit institutions attracting the largest volume of deposits from individuals. At the same time, the weighted average interest rates on loans provided by credit institutions to individuals in rubles, in some cases, are twice the key rate. The paper also shows a transition to a higher level of funds of credit institutions in deposit accounts with the Bank of Russia, and a growth in the ratio of debt securities to quoted shares of Russian issuers against the background of acceleration of the first and slowdown of the second, as well as a weak growth of the Federal bond market. Conclusions. The revealed impact of the Bank of Russia's key rate on the economy enables the expert community to correctly determine the critical balance between debt securities and quoted shares of Russian issuers.

НОРМАТИВНО-ПРАВОВІ ЗАСАДИ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ АЛЬТЕРНАТИВНИХ ПРИВАТНИХ АВТОРСЬКИХ ШКІЛ В УКРАЇНІ

The paper deals with the analysis the legal and regulatory basics for alternative private authoring schools in Ukraine. Based on the analysis of in-depth studies by well-known national scholars, it is determined that authoring schools are educational institutions where educational programs are developed by one author or a team of teachers. It was proved that the existence of alternative private education, including authoring schools and private schools, was supported by the state. The author identifies important legislative initiatives and basic regulations on the development of alternative authoring schools, private schools for the period 1991-2024. It is emphasized that with the adoption of the Concept «New Ukrainian School» and the New Edition of the Law «On Education» and other regulations, the state guaranteed equal access to funding for educational institutions of various types and forms of ownership; distribution of finances in accordance with the principle «money follows the child», autonomy of educational institutions, parents’ choice of a comfortable educational institution for their child’s education, and increase in wages. In recent decades, private elementary schools have become widespread as a type of authoring school in Ukraine.

Challenges Faced by Higher Educational Institutions in Implementing NEP 2020

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 transforms India's education system by stressing comprehensive, transdisciplinary, and inclusive learning. This policy aims to match the Indian education system with global norms while retaining its cultural and philosophical history, and higher education institutions (HEIs) are crucial to its success. NEP 2020 envisions an education system that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and ethics to prepare students for real-world situations. From curriculum redesign to faculty training and infrastructure development, NEP 2020 requires HEIs to remodel their structures. Institutions must stimulate research and innovation, integrate multidisciplinary curricula, and offer many entry and departure possibilities. These reforms offer academic excellence but also bring problems, particularly in institutional preparation, funding, and digital infrastructure. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aspires to transform India's educational framework, emphasizing inclusivity, innovation, and alignment with global standards. This study examines the obstacles encountered by higher educational institutions (HEIs) in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, as well as the determinants that affect its successful execution. Drawing upon a sample of 82 respondents, the research delineates significant impediments, including insufficient digital infrastructure, limitations in funding, and a lack of awareness regarding relevant policies. Through the application of chi-square and regression analyses, the study elucidates the significance of institutional preparedness and financial support in facilitating successful implementation. The findings highlight the necessity for focused interventions aimed at addressing regional disparities and enhancing the capacity of higher education institutions (HEIs).

A comprehensive analysis of European Union funds for higher education institutions in Hungary

A comprehensive analysis of European Union funds for higher education institutions in Hungary

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence in Stock Market Investments: A Neomarxist Approach to Alternative Socioeconomic Funding Agendas for National State Revenue Accumulation

In the contemporary economic, sociological and political landscape, the successful integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) computer programs into the predicted behaviour of stock market value in the financial markets represents a profound burgeoning frontier in economics, with profound implications for both wealth generation and national budget resource allocation. This paper explores the potential sociopolitical economic strategy of using AI-driven stock market prediction predictions to cumulatively accumulate capital funded for by taxpayer sourced representative income. As the baseline return accumulates in the form of investment potential then as a means of revenue accumulation for the state then the burden of the national budget upon its citizens decreases then ceases. This is the theorisation of the establishment of a Marxist economic social superstructure for the funding of social institutions through the powerful potential of artificial intelligence. By leveraging a portion of the national budget on advanced AI technologies, this strategy could dramatically facilitate the financial sustenance of political budgets aimed at social equity and economic justice. Through a critical review of sociological and economic theories, this theoretical research delineates exactly how such an approach could potentially reconfigure the mode of production and contribute to the reformation of a sustainable socialist economy.

Mapping scientific research on employee motivation

This article provides a detailed analysis of publications on employee motivation over the last ten years based on data provided by Scopus. The study examines the distribution of publications by author, identifying prominent researchers and significant international collaborations. It also explores the main areas of research in employee motivation, analyzing dominant fields such as organizational psychology and human resource management. At the same time, the article assesses the contribution of different countries and highlights the most prolific regions. Particular attention is paid to funding sources, highlighting significant sponsors such as government institutions and international research agencies. The results show a trend towards increased institutional funding and greater collaboration between researchers. This analysis provides an overview of developments and trends in employee motivation research, offering valuable insights for future work.

REIMAGINING SOUTH AFRICA’S URBAN FOOD SECURITY AND NUTRITION THROUGH THE LENS OF INFORMAL FOOD SECTOR: THE CASE OF BUFFALO CITY MUNICIPALITY

The African Food Security Urban Network (AFSUN)survey found that over 70% of low-income households in South Africa sourced their food from informal outlets. Despite the importance that the informal food retail sector plays in food security, it remains neglected by policy support and institutional funding. The paper focused on the role of local informal food markets in addressing urban household food security in Buffalo City Municipality (BCM), South Africa. This paper argued that informal food markets including food vendors have a potential to improve household food insecurity levels but face many barriers. The study sought to identify these barriers and make an understanding of how these local food markets adopt coping mechanisms in meeting their basic needs including addressing household food insecurity. A qualitative approach was adopted for this study. Data was collected from 40 food vendors, particualrly street vendors and home-based enterprises in the township of Duncan, through interviews, observations, and archival research. Interviews included semi structured interviews to gather insights from street vendors, while interviews with city officials provided key informant perspectives. This study’s findings show that households without access to networked infrastructure use informal food markets as: (i) a food source, (ii) a food kitchen and a cookstove and (iii) a refrigerator, to purchase their foodstuff and other ready-to-eat meals.

Mechanisms and support measures for the field of renewable energy in the Republic of Moldova

The electricity system in the Republic of Moldova is characterized by its dependence on imports, which in 2022 provided 82.78% of the demand. In 2022, of the 4.4 TWh electricity demand, 10.72% was supplied either from Ukraine or from the Cuciurgani Moldavskaya GRES (MGRES) gas-fired power plant (61.19%), located in the Transnistrian region, and from Romania 10.86%. Such heavy dependence on external energy resources makes the country's economy vulnerable to any external interruption of energy supply or fluctuations in energy prices. This situation represents a threat to social/energy security and a major risk to the sustainable economic development of the country. At the same time, the ongoing Russian military aggression in the neighboring country, Ukraine, makes the Republic of Moldova face several critical challenges in the energy sector. In this sense, in recent years, the Republic of Moldova has made considerable efforts to improve energy efficiency and develop, in particular, the renewable energy sector, as well as to attract foreign investments in the energy sector. Capitalizing on the potential of renewable energy sources can contribute substantially to reducing dependence on imports. The article was developed within the framework of Subprogram 030101 „Strengthening the resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability of the economy of the Republic of Moldova in the context of the accession process to the European Union”, institutional funding.