The Rate of Return to R&D Investments
NBER invites research on measuring and understanding the rate of return to R&D investments across sectors, with selected work presented at a conference and published in a special journal.
Funder: National Bureau of Economic Research
Due Dates: June 17, 2026 (Submission deadline for papers or extended abstracts)
Funding Amounts: Funding for conference participation; no explicit research grant amount stated.
Summary: Supports research and a conference advancing understanding of the rate of return to R&D investments across sectors and project types.
Key Information: All co-authors of accepted papers are invited to the conference; submissions from early-career and non-NBER-affiliated scholars are especially encouraged.
Description
This opportunity, organized by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), supports research that advances the measurement and understanding of the rate of return to research and development (R&D) investments. The initiative seeks to gather new studies exploring how R&D returns vary across public and private sectors, types of research (basic, applied, experimental development), government agencies, and between private and social perspectives. It also welcomes work on methodological issues such as estimating non-pecuniary benefits, innovation diffusion, knowledge spillovers, and the effects of innovation policy. Selected submissions will be presented at a scholarly meeting and published in a dedicated "Pop Up Journal" to disseminate research findings on these themes.
