Economics of Science
Organized by Megan MacGarvie and Reinhilde Veugelers
Supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
September 25-26, 2025
Royal Sonesta Hotel, Longfellow AB, 40 Edwin H. Land Blvd., Cambridge, MA and Zoom

Thursday, September 25

12:00 pm

Welcoming Lunch - Longfellow C

12:30 pm

Introductory Discussion of our Resonance Panel: Setting the Scene: Opportunities, Challenges and Expectations for Economics Research on Science
(chair: Manuel Trajtenberg, Tel Aviv University and NBER)

1:45 pm

AI in Science

Ajay K. Agrawal, University of Toronto and NBER
John McHale, University of Galway
Alexander Oettl, Georgia Institute of Technology and NBER

2:25 pm

Open Datasets & Infrastructure at Scale (slides)

Matt Marx, Cornell University and NBER
Dror Shvadron, University of Toronto

3:05 pm

Scientific Peer Review: Institution Workings & Opportunities for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) (slides)

Kevin Boudreau, Northeastern University and NBER

3:45 pm

Break

4:00 pm

Real Effects of Academic Research Revisited

Adam B. Jaffe, Brandeis University and NBER
Laura B. Shupp, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Valentina Tartari, Stockholm School of Economics

4:40 pm

The Economics of Postdoctoral Researcher Positions

Donna K. Ginther, University of Kansas and NBER
Joshua L. Rosenbloom, Iowa State University and NBER

5:20 pm

Science Without Borders? Waxing and Waning Integration in Global Scientific Research and Innovation

Ina Ganguli, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and NBER
Megan MacGarvie, Boston University and NBER

6:00 pm

Adjourn

6:15 pm

Reception and Dinner at Monteverdi Restaurant (Royal Sonesta)

Friday, September 26

8:00 am

Continental Breakfast

9:00 am

Science Funding (slides)

Otto Toivanen, Aalto University

9:40 am

Funding Breakthrough Research. An Update and Research Agenda

Chiara Franzoni, Politecnico di Milano
Reinhilde Veugelers, KU Leuven

10:20 am

Taking Stock: The Past and Future of Biomedical Research Funding (slides)

Bhaven N. Sampat, Johns Hopkins University and NBER

11:00 am

Break

11:15 am

Discussion by our Resonance Panel: Evaluating the scene of where we are and where we should be in Economics on Science
(chair: Manuel Trajtenberg, Tel Aviv University and NBER)

12:30 pm

Closing Lunch - Longfellow C

1:30 pm

Adjourn