The Changing Culture of Academic Research: From Organizations to Networks

Abstract

At the start of the 21st century, higher education became more fully understood as an integral component of national and regional economic competitiveness. With this changing socio-economic role, governments have placed more emphasis on expanding the research capacities of colleges, universities and institutes. Even with tight budgets due to the global economic crisis of 2008-2010, allocations for academic research have continued to rise in many countries, although the nature of the relationship between funding agencies and higher education institutions has changed. In addition, the spread of New Public Management's principles into the higher education sector, which some see as reforms, promoted an increasing attention to research evaluation and accountability. These changes have been understood as necessary to measure the outcomes of research while ensuring responsible and adequate public spending on innovation. Once in place, some believe that these accountability measures have the potential to be linked to performance- based funding schemes that may affect academic science and knowledge production, for better or for worse (OECD, 2010; Polster, 2003; Savoie, 1995).