Introduction to the Handbook of Public Funding of Research: understanding vertical and horizontal complexities.

This introductory chapter to the Handbook of Public Funding of Research discusses the underlying ideas and rationales for investing public funds in research. It highlights some of the cross-cutting themes of the book’s chapters and locates components of public research funding systems in, respectively, (1)four organizational layers and (2) two allocation modes. In terms of the first, it focuses on the policy design, the policy instruments, research organisations and the layer of the researchers. In terms of allocation modes, the chapter looks at institutional funding and project funding. In sum, we show that the research policy and funding landscape has become increasingly complex and differentiated.