How economics shapes science / Paula Stephan.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 307-347) and index.

What does economics have to do with science? -- Puzzles and priority -- Money -- The production of research: people and patterns of collaboration -- The production of research: equipment and materials -- Funding for research -- The market for scientists and engineers -- The foreign born -- The relationship of science to economic growth -- Can we do better?

The beauty of science may be pure and eternal, but the practice of science costs money. And scientists, being human, respond to incentives and costs, in money and glory. Choosing a research topic, deciding what papers to write and where to publish them, sticking with a familiar area or going into something new - the payoff may be tenure or a job at a highly ranked university or a prestigious award or a bump in salary. The risk may be not getting any of that. At a time when science is seen as an engine of economic growth, Paula Stephan brings a keen understanding of the ongoing cost-benefit calculations made by individuals and institutions as they compete for resources and reputation. She shows how universities offload risks by increasing the percentage of non-tenure-track faculty, requiring tenured faculty to pay salaries from outside grants, and staffing labs with foreign workers on temporary visas. With funding tight, investigators pursue safe projects rather than less fundable ones with uncertain but potentially path-breaking outcomes. Career prospects in science are increasingly dismal for the young, because of ever-lengthening apprenticeships, scarcity of permanent academic positions, and the difficulty of getting funded. Vivid, thorough, and bold, "The Economics of Science" highlights the growing gap between the haves and have-nots - especially the vast imbalance between the biomedical sciences and physics/engineering - and offers a persuasive vision of a more productive, more creative research system that would lead and benefit the world. -- From Inside Flap.