An efficiency analysis of grant awarded research projects: A case study of a Malaysian public university

Abstract

This paper presents a novel way of evaluating the performance of grant awarded research projects using two multi-criteria decision-making methods, the measuring attractiveness through a category-based evaluation technique (MACBETH) and data envelopment analysis (DEA). This study examines the relative efficiency of the research projects as a whole and according to four groups of research disciplines. A case study of sponsored research projects from the Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia was presented in this paper. The MACBETH methodology was employed before conducting the DEA analysis to group the output variables and therefore increasing the discrimination power of DEA. A total of two inputs and four outputs, after the MACBETH analysis, were used in the DEA analysis. Also, a non-parametric statistical test, the Kruskal-Wallis test, was employed to compare the performance of the research projects according to research discipline, years sponsored and a number of collaborations. Finally, a potential improvement of selected input and output was discussed as a result of a further investigation of the DEA analysis.