Talking about Success DATE Tuesday 25th of April, 9.40–12.30 Göran Melin, Swedish Institute for Studies in Education and Research (Sweden) TITEL "Effect of Funding young promising scientists" SHORT CV Education and Position: PhD in sociology from Umeå University, Sweden. 1997-2002: Programme Director at The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education, STINT. Melin had a particular responsibility for postdoctoral and visiting scholars programmes. 2003- : Senior Researcher at "The Swedish Institute for Studies in Education and Research" (SISTER). SISTER is an independent research institute in Stockholm, devoted to policy studies and inquiries in the crossroads of research, education and innovation. Melin has conducted studies of research collaboration, primarily with bibliometric methods. In a range of articles the preconditions and the structure of research collaboration have been investigated. Recently, Melin has oriented his research more towards studies of 'young' scholars and their situation. The effects of doing a postdoc period abroad has been investigated; other projects have targeted particular 'elite' research grants, organisation and outcome of research schools and an in-depth investigation of the Danish graduate education system. Melin has also studied university mergers, patterns of R&D funding schemes and large international research organisations or research programmes. ABSTRACT The period after the PhD-exam and a subsequent postdoc period is a crucial period when it comes to establishing oneself as a scientist. The approval of a research proposal can mean the difference between a continued academic career and the end of it. Those who can attract grants have rather good possibilities to form a research group or develop a line of research of their own. This study focuses on a group of highly talented young scientists in the natural, medical and technological areas - possibly the most talented young Swedish researchers of all, in those areas at the time. They all sent in applications to one of Sweden`s largest research foundations which had announced a very prestigious funding programme with 20 research grants of a scale and scope which is unique for Swedish circumstances: each over 1 million euro during six years. For young and relatively unestablished researchers, this may be the largest and most attractive research grant there is in Sweden. The group of study made it all the way to the final round in a careful selection process with full applications and furthermore an interview by a panel of appointed evaluators. The group contained the last 40 applicants out of originally over 500; thus, 20 were approved, 20 were rejected. This means a success rate of 4%. There were probably very small differences between the final 40 in terms of merits, qualifications and future potential. Was it even possible to distinguish any differences between the last 40 applicants? In general, where is it reasonable to draw the rejection line? Where is it optimal to draw it? Can any ever so careful evaluation process distinguish the best four or five percent, and not just five percent of the best ones more broadly speaking? The approved and the rejected group were investigated with respect to publication merits, group size, available funding and other criteria, at the time of the application. In turn, they were investigated some four years later. Their merits at the time of application were indifferent. Four years later (2005) there are some remarkable differences in terms of available funding, spin-off companies and new research groups. Despite equal potential, they were provided with different resources. The consequences raise questions of how funding schemes are organized and what is the optimal level of grants, in order to achieve top scientific results as well as innovations. Were lies the responsibility? Authors: Dr. Göran Melin, Swedish Institute for Studies in Education and Research, Stockholm, Sweden Dr. Rickard Danell, Department of Sociology, Umeå University, Sweden PAPER Göran Melin PRESENTATION Göran Melin