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Is Lottery a Better Way of Resource Distribution Than Baseline Funding?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2023

Takahiro Sakamoto Open the ORCID record for Takahiro Sakamoto [Opens in a new window]
Takahiro Sakamoto*
Affiliation:
Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, SOKENDAI (Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Hayama, Japan
*
Email: sakamoto_takahiro@nig.ac.jp
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Abstract

Recently, several funding agencies have introduced the distribution of funds by a lottery system; however, the effects of this system on the productivity of the research community are unclear. Simulation studies in philosophy of science have argued that a combination of peer review and lottery is an optimal method. However, these models overlook several important aspects of research activities, such as baseline funding through block grants. In this article, I present a general theoretical model that incorporates these aspects and argue that the conventional combination of peer review and baseline funding outperforms the combination of peer review and lottery in many situations.

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Type
Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 90 , Issue 3 , July 2023 , pp. 603 - 628
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Philosophy of Science Association

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