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The impact of ex-ante subsidies to researchers on researcher's productivity: Evidence from a developing country

Author

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  • Aboal, Diego

    (Centro de Investigaciones Económicas (CINVE), and Universidad ORT Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay)

  • Tacsir, Ezequiel

    (UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University, and Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.)

Abstract

In this paper we perform a short-run (two years after the programme) impact evaluation of a programme that provides ex-ante subsidies to researchers in Paraguay. The analysis of the effects of this type of subsidies, that are prevalent in Latin America, has received little attention in the literature. Thanks to the availability of data coming from electronic CVs of applicants we are able to analyse the impact of the programme in dimensions of researchers' productivity that have been mostly overlooked previously, such as technical production, own education, the training of other researchers and other dimensions of the bibliographic production different to published articles. We also provide estimations of the impact on quantity and quality of publications based on more traditional sources of data. We find some positive impacts of the programme. However, some of the results are not robust to alternative methods of estimation.

Suggested Citation

  • Aboal, Diego & Tacsir, Ezequiel, 2016. "The impact of ex-ante subsidies to researchers on researcher's productivity: Evidence from a developing country," MERIT Working Papers 2016-019, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2016019
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economics of Science; Scientific Subsidies; Policy Impact Evaluation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O30 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - General
    • O38 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Government Policy
    • H43 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Project Evaluation; Social Discount Rate
    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models

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