Tackling undue concentration of federal research funding: An empirical assessment on NSF's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)

Abstract

This empirical study focuses on NSF's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) and its effect on a state's share of federal academic science and engineering (S&E) support to higher education institutions. Based on a panel of 50 states in period 1979–2006, the statistical results suggest that EPSCoR may have enhanced research capacity and competitiveness of EPSCoR states as reflected in a significant and positive effect of state's tenure in the program. The small effect of EPSCoR indicates that enhanced and more innovative efforts are needed in order to effectively tackle undue concentration of federal S&E support.