Excellence and Growth dynamics: A Comparative study of the Matthew effect

Liv Langfeldt; Mats Benner; Gunnar Sivertsen; Ernst H. Kristiansen; Dag W.  Aksnes; Siri Brorstad  Borlaug; Hanne Foss Hansen; Egil Kallerud; Antti Pelkonen

doi:10.1093/scipol/scu083

Excellence and Growth dynamics: A Comparative study of the Matthew effect

Liv Langfeldt, Mats Benner, Gunnar Sivertsen, Ernst H. Kristiansen, Dag W. Aksnes, Siri Brorstad Borlaug, Hanne Foss Hansen, Egil Kallerud, Antti Pelkonen

21 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In the past two decades, centres of excellence (CoE) and other 'research excellence initiatives' likely to increase the cumulative advantages and stratification of science, have been implemented in many countries. Based on empirical studies of CoE in four Nordic countries, this paper examines how the resources provided by CoE schemes (generous long-term funding, prestige and visibility) add to the success and growth dynamics of the CoE. The data indicate a modified Matthew effect with ceilings and limits avoiding excessive accumulation of resources. Important impacts of the CoE are found, in particular in terms of enabling more interdisciplinary collaboration and risk-taking and enhancing international recruitment to the research areas involved. But, in contrast to what might be expected, the CoE grant seem to add less to the relative citation rate of those already performing at the highest level, than for those performing at a somewhat lower level prior to the CoE grant.

Original language	English
Journal	Science and Public Policy
Volume	42
Issue number	5
Pages (from-to)	661-675
Number of pages	15
ISSN	0302-3427
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scu083
Publication status	Published - Oct 2015

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title = "Excellence and Growth dynamics: A Comparative study of the Matthew effect",

abstract = "In the past two decades, centres of excellence (CoE) and other 'research excellence initiatives' likely to increase the cumulative advantages and stratification of science, have been implemented in many countries. Based on empirical studies of CoE in four Nordic countries, this paper examines how the resources provided by CoE schemes (generous long-term funding, prestige and visibility) add to the success and growth dynamics of the CoE. The data indicate a modified Matthew effect with ceilings and limits avoiding excessive accumulation of resources. Important impacts of the CoE are found, in particular in terms of enabling more interdisciplinary collaboration and risk-taking and enhancing international recruitment to the research areas involved. But, in contrast to what might be expected, the CoE grant seem to add less to the relative citation rate of those already performing at the highest level, than for those performing at a somewhat lower level prior to the CoE grant.",

author = "Liv Langfeldt and Mats Benner and Gunnar Sivertsen and Kristiansen, {Ernst H.} and Aksnes, {Dag W.} and Borlaug, {Siri Brorstad} and Hansen, {Hanne Foss} and Egil Kallerud and Antti Pelkonen",

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doi = "10.1093/scipol/scu083",

language = "English",

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T1 - Excellence and Growth dynamics

T2 - A Comparative study of the Matthew effect

AU - Langfeldt, Liv

AU - Benner, Mats

AU - Sivertsen, Gunnar

AU - Kristiansen, Ernst H.

AU - Aksnes, Dag W.

AU - Borlaug, Siri Brorstad

AU - Hansen, Hanne Foss

AU - Kallerud, Egil

AU - Pelkonen, Antti

PY - 2015/10

Y1 - 2015/10

N2 - In the past two decades, centres of excellence (CoE) and other 'research excellence initiatives' likely to increase the cumulative advantages and stratification of science, have been implemented in many countries. Based on empirical studies of CoE in four Nordic countries, this paper examines how the resources provided by CoE schemes (generous long-term funding, prestige and visibility) add to the success and growth dynamics of the CoE. The data indicate a modified Matthew effect with ceilings and limits avoiding excessive accumulation of resources. Important impacts of the CoE are found, in particular in terms of enabling more interdisciplinary collaboration and risk-taking and enhancing international recruitment to the research areas involved. But, in contrast to what might be expected, the CoE grant seem to add less to the relative citation rate of those already performing at the highest level, than for those performing at a somewhat lower level prior to the CoE grant.

AB - In the past two decades, centres of excellence (CoE) and other 'research excellence initiatives' likely to increase the cumulative advantages and stratification of science, have been implemented in many countries. Based on empirical studies of CoE in four Nordic countries, this paper examines how the resources provided by CoE schemes (generous long-term funding, prestige and visibility) add to the success and growth dynamics of the CoE. The data indicate a modified Matthew effect with ceilings and limits avoiding excessive accumulation of resources. Important impacts of the CoE are found, in particular in terms of enabling more interdisciplinary collaboration and risk-taking and enhancing international recruitment to the research areas involved. But, in contrast to what might be expected, the CoE grant seem to add less to the relative citation rate of those already performing at the highest level, than for those performing at a somewhat lower level prior to the CoE grant.

U2 - 10.1093/scipol/scu083

DO - 10.1093/scipol/scu083

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0302-3427

VL - 42

SP - 661

EP - 675

JO - Science and Public Policy

JF - Science and Public Policy

IS - 5

ER -

Excellence and Growth dynamics: A Comparative study of the Matthew effect

Abstract

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