Artikel,
The role of funding agencies in the cognitive development of science
Research Policy, 27 (8): 807-821 (1998)
DOI: 10.1016/S0048-7333(98)00092-4
Zusammenfassung
The influence of the policies of funding agencies on cognitive developments in science has never been systematically evaluated. In this paper it is endeavoured to gather the knowledge we have on this subject and to answer two questions: by what means and processes is the distribution of funding resources transformed into scientific information and knowledge processes? Who is deciding on the distribution of funds within funding agencies and how is this related to incremental or innovative cognitive developments in science? The major argument is that because funding resources contribute significantly to the chances of doing research and, therefore, to the maintenance or contesting of existing power relations in the scientific field, the policy-making in funding agencies is the focus of diverse interests. The structure, norms and interests within funding agencies explain both the divergence in policy output, and the often conservative implications with regard to cognitive scientific developments.
