Public Sector Support of Scientific Inquiry

This comprehensive book explores project managers in publicly funded projects, offers a theoretical model to define and evaluate their role, and provides guidelines for future study. Morgan Boyce and Albert Link present data from across the US, arguing that the goal of project managers is to anticipate and alleviate unanticipated challenges. Analyzing projects funded by the Small Business Innovation Research program at the US Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health, the authors describe the impact of project managers on entrepreneurial firms' research projects. They argue that these impacts are generally positive, and are felt in terms of commercialization, patenting and publishing, but also in related technical areas and through identifying potential markets for developing technologies. The book concludes with policy recommendations for improving the role of project managers, especially in the area of network development. Public Sector Support of Scientific Inquiry is an essential resource for scholars and students in economics, business management and innovation policy makers. Public sector project managers as well as their funding supervisors will also benefit from its actionable recommendations.