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The economics of universities in a new age of funding options

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  • Just, Richard E.
  • Huffman, Wallace E.

Abstract

The environment in which universities in the United States and some other countries operate has been changing, creating discussion of privatization of public universities. This paper examines the implications for US universities of greater access to royalties for federally funded, private-goods research, and reduced government grants or transfers to support public-goods research. Conditions under which increased private-goods research for out-of-state firms (developing patents and private market applications) leads to higher tuition and reductions in instruction and basic research are developed. The likely outcome is greater privatization of public universities, which may lead to a new public-private structure for what have been the leading US public research universities.

Suggested Citation

  • Just, Richard E. & Huffman, Wallace E., 2009. "The economics of universities in a new age of funding options," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 1102-1116, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:38:y:2009:i:7:p:1102-1116
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    1. Richard E. Just & Wallace E. Huffman, 1992. "Economic Principles and Incentives: Structure, Management, and Funding of Agricultural Research in the United States," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 74(5), pages 1101-1108.
    2. Rebecca Henderson & Adam B. Jaffe & Manuel Trajtenberg, 1998. "Universities As A Source Of Commercial Technology: A Detailed Analysis Of University Patenting, 1965-1988," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 80(1), pages 119-127, February.
    3. Khanna, Jyoti & Huffman, Wallace E & Sandler, Todd, 1994. "Agricultural Research Expenditures in the United States: A Public Goods Perspective," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 76(2), pages 267-277, May.
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    6. Wallace E. Huffman & Richard E. Just, 2000. "Setting Efficient Incentives for Agricultural Research: Lessons from Principal-Agent Theory," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 82(4), pages 828-841.
    7. Huffman, Wallace E. & Evenson, Robert E., 1993. "Science for Agriculture: A Long Term Perspective," Staff General Research Papers Archive 10997, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    8. Claudia Goldin & Lawrence F. Katz, 1999. "The Shaping of Higher Education: The Formative Years in the United States, 1890 to 1940," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 13(1), pages 37-62, Winter.
    9. David, Paul A. & Hall, Bronwyn H. & Toole, Andrew A., 2000. "Is public R&D a complement or substitute for private R&D? A review of the econometric evidence," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(4-5), pages 497-529, April.
    10. Marie Thursby & Richard Jensen, 2001. "Proofs and Prototypes for Sale: The Licensing of University Inventions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(1), pages 240-259, March.
    11. Richard R. Nelson, 2006. "The Market Economy and the Scientific Commons," Chapters, in: Birgitte Andersen (ed.), Intellectual Property Rights, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Wipo, 2011. "World Intellectual Property Report 2011- The Changing Face of Innovation," WIPO Economics & Statistics Series, World Intellectual Property Organization - Economics and Statistics Division, number 2011:944, April.
    3. Thomas Wolfgang Thurner, 2017. "TRANSFER REVENUES OF RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATIONS (RTOs) IN TIMES OF ECONOMIC CRISIS," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(02), pages 1-24, February.
    4. Huffman, Wallace E., 2009. "Investing in people for the 21st century," ISU General Staff Papers 200911020800001149, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    5. Sengupta, Abhijit & Rossi, Federica, 2023. "The relationship between universities' funding portfolios and their knowledge exchange profiles: A dynamic capabilities view," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    6. Fukuyama, Hirofumi & Weber, William L. & Xia, Yin, 2016. "Time substitution and network effects with an application to nanobiotechnology policy for US universities," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 34-44.
    7. Akhundjanov, Sherzod B. & Gallardo, R. Karina & McCluskey, Jill J. & Rickard, Bradley J., 2020. "Commercialization of a demand-enhancing innovation: The release of a new apple variety by a public university," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 88-100.
    8. Bradley J. Rickard & Timothy J. Richards & Jubo Yan, 2016. "University licensing of patents for varietal innovations in agriculture," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(1), pages 3-14, January.
    9. Tiffany Shih & Brian Wright, 2011. "Agricultural Innovation," NBER Chapters, in: Accelerating Energy Innovation: Insights from Multiple Sectors, pages 49-85, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Wallace E. Huffman, 2020. "Human Capital and Adoption of Innovations: Policy Implications," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 92-99, March.
    11. Gallardo, R. Karina & McCluskey, Jill J. & Rickard, Bradley J. & Akhundjanov, Sherzod B., 2016. "Assessing Innovator and Grower Profit Potential under Different New Plant Variety Commercialization Strategies," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235940, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    12. Javier García-Estévez & Néstor Duch-Brown, 2012. "Student graduation: to what extent does university expenditure matter?," Working Papers 2012/4, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    13. Charlene L. Nicholls-Nixon & Dave Valliere & Steven A. Gedeon & Sean Wise, 2021. "Entrepreneurial ecosystems and the lifecycle of university business incubators: An integrative case study," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 809-837, June.
    14. Stéphanie Chatelain-Ponroy & Christine Musselin & Stéphanie Mignot-Gerard & Samuel Sponem, 2013. "Reforms in French Public Universities. How does commitment to performance match with commitment to public values?," Post-Print halshs-00842166, HAL.
    15. Sparger, John Adam & Norton, George W. & Heisey, Paul W. & Alwang, Jeffrey, 2013. "Is the share of agricultural maintenance research rising in the United States?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 126-135.
    16. Javier García-Estévez & Néstor Duch-Brown, 2012. "Student graduation: to what extent does university expenditure matter?," Working Papers 2012/4, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).

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