Experimental Approaches to Improving Research Funding Programs Proceedings of a Workshop (2024) / Chapter Skim
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4 Nongovernmental Perspectives on Experiments
Pages 35-42

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From page 35...
... Its department of impact assessment, which has grown substantially over the past decade, follows large grants through the length of the grants and for up to 5 years thereafter, explained Rikke Christensen of the foundation. It is also interested in doing experiments to fund the most effective approaches, which involve such questions as weighing projects versus people, deciding whose expertise should be solicited, and choosing selection criteria.
From page 36...
... Christensen explained that statistical and econometric data analyses are being conducted on the relationship between the design of peer review and the predictive validity of the outcomes. Framed-field experiments are being conducted to simulate peer review, she reported, with randomization of the alternative designs used in the simulated peer review and a specific focus on the relationship between the peer-review design and the predictive validity of the outcomes in the case of high-risk, high-gain science.
From page 37...
... and her colleagues' research is based entirely on field work rather than artificially constructed situations. Much of the work takes advantage of opportunities made available through the Harvard Catalyst, Harvard's clinical translational science center, where Guinan directs an innovation center, and focuses on aspects ranging from ideation to team formation and grant evaluation.
From page 38...
... Multiple data streams also make it possible to look retrospectively at issues such as feasibility and the impact of published results. In medicine, one randomized controlled trial (RCT)
From page 39...
... The Schmidt Science Polymath program gives people who have just gotten tenure approximately $2.5 million over 5 years to do research in a completely different field. Savage focused his talk on the Rise program, which seeks to identify 100 brilliant people each year between the ages of 15 and 17 and provides them with a high level of support for life to create public goods at scale.
From page 40...
... "It turns out if you give people the option of attending breakout sessions that they themselves create, opting into the same breakout session almost completely swamps the effect of sitting people next to each other for even 6 hours," reported Savage. Savage drew several lessons from these observations.
From page 41...
... . To keep going, you have to check in with yourself pretty frequently to make sure that the global community, the resource constraints, the effort required, and whatever aren't pushing you so far off base that you end up having done a lot of work not to your own satisfaction."


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