Public funds and outputs in higher academic technical institutions: insights from India

Abstract

This study examines the effect of public funding and its lag structure on research outputs in higher academic technical institutions of India. It contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the determinants of academic publications and patents in the developing country context. We use panel data of actual yearly expenditure of 54 comparable scientific departments of the Indian Institutes of Technology from 2009–2010 to 2013–2014. The results highlight the need for increased funding for operational activities of the institutes as it is positively associated with publication and patent intensity. © 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.