BIG VERSUS LITTLE SCIENCE - COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM PROJECTS AND INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH GRANTS

Controversy about the amount and nature of funding for mental retardat ion research has persisted since the creation of NICHD. An issue that has aroused considerable debate, within the mental retardation researc h community as well as beyond, is distribution of funds between large group research grants, such as the program project (PO1) and the indiv idual grant (RO1). Currently within the Mental Retardation and Develop mental Disabilities Branch, more money is allocated to the PO1 mechani sm than the RO1. We compared the two types of grants, focusing on succ ess rates, productivity, costs, impact, publication practices, and out come and conducted a comparative analysis of biomedical and behavioral research. Other related issues were considered, including review proc esses and cost-effectiveness.