摘要：This paper examines efficiency implications of national and local policies for fund allocation andmanagement of agricultural research, which produce pure and impure public goods. The possibility is examinedthat competitive grants programs increase rent seeking activities by scientists relative to specific block grants orformula allocations and thereby reduce both the real resources available to produce traditional research outputsand the productivity with which research resources are used. Management of local research units, includingadvantages of incentive compatible contracts, is also considered. Additional conceptual and empirical work areneeded before the issues are resolved.
