Segmenting academics: resource targeting of research grants

The allocation of research grants is a typical rationing problem in that demand exceeds supply, compounded by notions of fairness and legitimacy. Segmentation of fund seekers may offer the potential to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of delivery by targeting scarce resources more closely to need, thus sustaining legitimacy in the face of threats posed by scarcity and the political environment. This paper presents evidence for heterogeneity in an academic population consistent with segmentation and discusses how grant allocation managers might use this to target services and resources more effectively. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.