Survey on research funding for the social sciences in Europe

Abstract

From mid-2010 through early 2011, the Academic Careers Observatory (ACO) of the Max Weber Programme (MWP) carried out three separate surveys of economists, sociologists and political scientists, the majority of whom held university positions. These individuals were invited to answer an on-line questionnaire regarding research funding in the social sciences in Europe. Each distinct survey was respectively carried out in partnership with the European Economic Association (EEA), the European Sociological Association (ESA), and the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). Overall, we received 3,802 valid responses from among the 19,944 invitations sent: 2,384 economists, 766 sociologists and 652 political scientists. The total response rate is 19.1 per cent. This survey is divided into two parts. Part I analyses the sociology of each profession, gathering personal information and assessing the respondent’s current working position. Part II focuses on the research funding experience of the respondents, revealing both the specifics of the respondent’s research funding, as well as their subjective perceptions of the funding application and fruition processes. Both parts of the survey show remarkable consistency in the responses of economists, sociologists and political scientists; differences are small and confined to specific areas. Much more relevant is the variation across European Research Area (ERA) countries, which share distinct academic traditions, irrespective of the discipline of the respondent.