Scientific and technical human capital: an alternative model for research evaluation

We provide an alternative model for evaluating science and technology projects and programs. Our approach, a "scientific and technical human capital" (S&T human capital) model, gives less attention to the discrete products and immediate outcomes from scientific projects and programsthe usual focus of evaluationsand more attention to scientists' career trajectories and their sustained ability to contribute and enhance their capabilities. S&T human capital encompasses not only the individual human capital endowments but also researchers’ tacit knowledge, craft knowledge, know-how. S&T human capital further includes the social capital that scientists continually draw upon in creating knowledge—for knowledge creation is neither a solitary nor singular event. In sum, it is this expanded notion of human capital when paired with a productive social capital network that enables researchers to create and transform knowledge and ideas in ways that would not be possible without these resources. We review literature contributing to a S&T human capital model and consider some of the practical data and measurement issues entailed in implementing such an approach.