Academics and entrepreneurs: Factors affecting the quality and utility of government-sponsored research

Evaluations of the factors contributing to the quality and utility of sponsored research have indicated that characteristics of the researchers and funding arrangements tend to explain differences among projects. This article examines the validity of assumptions about the effects of organizational environment, funding level, and project duration on the outcome of funded research. The results of this study suggest a need to reexamine ideas about the determinants of research quality and utility, and implications for managers of research studies are drawn from the findings.