This study investigates the relationship between resource concentration/stability and new results/breakthroughs in the context of a Swedish Center of Excellence (CoE) scheme. A common assumption in using the CoE instrument is that there is a scale return to research on concentration of funds. However, the details of how funding connects to such returns are typically assumed rather than empirically investigated. The present qualitative study sets out to identify the mediating mechanisms connecting organizational capacities made possible through the CoE grant (e.g. recruitment/human capital, data/infrastructure and various collaborative arrangements), and epistemic effects such as extension into new problem areas and higher degrees of risk taking in research generally. We conclude that a CoE program theory can be conceived in terms of resource stability yielding research flexibility, and that the common mechanisms connecting the two may be found in organizational arrangements facilitating slack (autonomy), availability of cooperative partners (critical mass) and concomitant cooperation between specialisms. It is our belief that by explicating such mechanisms CoE program theory can be greatly improved.

中文翻译：

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卓越中心资金：连接组织能力和认知效果

这项研究在瑞典卓越中心（CoE）计划的背景下研究了资源集中/稳定性与新结果/突破之间的关系。使用CoE工具的一个常见假设是，对于资金集中度的研究有规模回报。但是，通常是假定资金如何与此类回报联系起来的细节，而不是凭经验进行调查。本定性研究着眼于确定通过CoE赠款（例如，招聘/人力资本，数据/基础设施和各种合作安排）而实现的组织能力之间的中介机制，以及认知效应，例如扩展到新的问题领域和更高程度的一般冒险进行研究。我们得出结论，可以从资源稳定性的角度来构想CoE计划理论，从而产生研究灵活性，并且可以在促进松弛（自治），合作伙伴的可用性（临界质量）和伴随合作的组织安排中找到将两者联系在一起的通用机制。之间的专业。我们相信，通过阐明这种机制，可以大大改善CoE程序理论。