The impacts of research grants to community colleges. Evidence from the Technological Research Assistance Program in Quebec, Canada

This article presents the findings of a study on the effects of the Technological Research Assistance Program (TRAP) on the primary activities of Quebec's College Technology Transfer Centres (CTTCs). A database on the distribution of research grants and the activities of CTTCs has been created for this purpose. Then, panel data analysis techniques have been used to measure the effects of TRAP. The study results indicate that TRAP has a positive effect on the revenue of CTTC research projects. However, the increase in research revenue due to this program is slightly lower than the amount of the grant, which suggests that public funding for research partially crowds out private funding. Furthermore, the study suggests that the wise use of research assistance programs could stimulate research investment and, as a result, accelerate the advancement of knowledge and technological innovation.