Performance-based Institutional Research Funding in Flanders, Belgium

Research and innovation is one of Flanders’ priorities and over the last three decades its public funding has strongly increased. Universities are key actors in this strategy. They have a large autonomy and receive a substantial share of additional RD however, in some nations the increase began before a PRFS was implemented. In almost all cases, demonstrating a causal link between a PRFS and increased output is difficult since R&D investments and the number of researchers have also increased for a variety of reasons. This is a cautionary note in not over-interpreting the effects or effectiveness of a PRFS. Flanders now exhibits one of the highest levels among European nations of research funding allocations determined by a PRFS: 50% of BOF-funding and 75% of IOF-funding. By employing such a metrics-heavy scheme, Flanders is a good candidate for a detailed study of unintended consequences of a PRFS, at the national, institutional, and research group and individual researcher level. This remains a large gap in our understanding of the use of a PRFS.