Systems of performance based funding (LOM), applied by the university faculties, are considered as a central regulatory instrument which will be used as a starting point to identify and analyse effective factors, formal structures, interference of control ranges, and the motivations and decision rationales of relevant actors. Special focus will be on indicators reflecting and describing research activities and which are used as input for funding decisions, such as publications, the Journal-Impact-Factor, and third party funding. Methods to be applied are standardised online interviews, qualitative interviews, desk research and bibliometric studies (in cooperation with the German Center of Competence in Bibliometrics. Bibliometric indicators are by now, in a number of disciplines, used as an integral part in governance and systems of performance based funding.

Empirical results will then be discussed against the background of the ongoing debate on “New Governance” in political science. The gained knowledge will serve as input for the future reorganisations of performance based funding systems.
The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the initiative “New Governance of Science”.

Contact person: Jörg Neufeld