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Cost aspects of African agricultural research:
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Abstract
Spending per scientist declined precipitously within African agricultural R&D agencies over the past several decades. In 1991, average cost per researcher across 147 R&D agencies was 119,300in1985internationaldollars—orUS59,500 when measured in United States rather than international dollars — 34 percent below the corresponding 1961 figure. This trend reflects the rapid growth in numbers of scientific staff compared with the slow growth in funds to support them. Comparatively low, and often shrinking, real salaries per scientist are a factor too. African scientists were paid an average of US5,000in1991(orroughlyUS7,500 with fringe benefits included), while comparable average salaries for academic staff working in large public universities in the United States were 58,889(or72,667 with fringe benefits included. The new, agency-level data reported in this paper reveal significant variation in the costs per scientist not apparent from the country averages. There were 67 agencies (46 percent) that spent less than 100,000perscientistperannum.Simpleeconometricprocedureswereappliedtoasub−sampleof107agenciesin21countriestoinvestigatereasonsforthelargevariationincostsperscientist.Theintensityofsupportstaffperscientistandtheintensitywithwhichexpatriateresearchersareusedareimportantsourcesofvariation.Largerstationsloweredthecostsandhavingmorestationsraisedcosts,butnotsignificantlyso.Anagency′sorganizationaltypehadasignificantinfluenceonitscosts.Semipublicagenciestypicallyspentconsiderablymoreperscientistthangovernmentagencieswith1991figuresof207,700 for the former, compared with around $104,600 for the latter (in 1985 international dollars). GDP per capita and various other unspecified, country-specific effects also accounted for much of the observed variation in costs per scientist.Research institutes., Research Economic aspects.,