Existing empirical evidence suggests that public subsidies and fiscal incentives have a positive effect on the amount of private R&D expenditure. However, most studies have failed to address the possibility at least some of this increase may simply reflect the fact that R&D workers are being...

Survey data from over 3000 academic scientists shows that nearly half of these scientists report that their choice of research project has been affected (to some degree) by the presence of third-party patents. We test for the relative effects of the costs associated with physically obtaining...

The number of research grants awarded to biomedical researchers is found to have a positive effect on their subsequent number of publications and patents but either no effect or a negative effect on the subsequent number of commercial contracts signed. The exception was ‘development grants’...

Survey data from over 3,000 academic scientists show that nearly half of these scientists report that their choice of research projects has been affected (to some degree) by the presence of third‐party patents. Our evidence suggests that the operation of this patent‐induced effect is through...

The Review of Research Policy and Funding Arrangements 2015 (the ‘Watt Review’), presents a well considered commentary and recommendations for how the Commonwealth Government should fund university research in coming years. What is clear from the report – and has been known by insiders for...