Public Research Organisations and Public Research Funding

Abstract

This chapter addresses the relationship between public research organisations (PRO) and R&D public funding. The chapter focuses on the analysis of a diverse set of organisations that carry out R&D without having teaching as part of the core missions, which do not depend on companies or universities, and on which the Government exerts influence or control through various channels.

The focus on which relevant dimension of government influence is relevant for categorisation has been changing from the administrative dependence or legal status, to their effective control, funding, or missions. Behind the PRO as a concept new dynamics are identifiable, especially the increasing diversity of sources of funding, the execution of public missions or the provision of public goods.

The chapter examines the classifications of PRO, the role of funding in the typologies and the importance of considering the missions for understanding the increasing diversity of PRO. It also presents some plausible connections between different types of research funding and authority relations in different types of PRO.