This study utilizes the Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) to evaluate the operating performance of technology universities in Taiwan. The bootstrap method is employed to analyze MPI sensitivity to verify the index's stability. Our results suggest that the universities demonstrate an adequate level of performance with little improvement required.…

In this paper, we engage with the Research Excellence Framework (REF) -- the UK government's national policy tool for competitive allocation of scarce research funding. Success on the terms of the REF provides guaranteed income for UK Universities for a 6- or 7-year period -- and as a result, we suggest that the REF operates as an asset-like…

As part of the shift towards a more equitable research culture, funders are reconsidering traditional approaches to peer review. In doing so, they seek to minimize bias towards certain research ideas and researcher profiles, to ensure greater inclusion of disadvantaged groups, to improve review quality, to reduce burden, and to enable more…

Persistent budget constraints make "equitably" allocating existing resources more important than ever. Conversations regarding equitable funding typically overlook categorical programs, targeted initiatives typically focused on supporting historically underserved student groups, such as veterans, former foster youth, single parents, and…

This dissertation consists of three essays on market and mechanism design. In each essay, I utilize tools and knowledge from game theory, equilibrium theory, and mechanism design to explain agents' behavior and assess the market equilibrium structure in different allocation mechanisms, both with and without monetary transactions. The first two…

Since its inception in 1965, Head Start has provided low-income families with wraparound early childhood programming. Serving nearly a million children and families nationwide, Head Start's "Whole Child" philosophy was particularly evident during COVID-19 when families faced unprecedented disruptions at home, school, and work. Utilizing…

Despite the clear benefits of engaging in regular physical activity (PA), research suggests that young people in Out-of-Home Care (OoHC) are less likely to achieve the recommended levels of PA than their same-aged counterparts in the general community. To date, there has been limited examination of the barriers to PA engagement specific to young…

Over the last decades, most EU countries have profoundly reshaped their public research funding systems by shifting from traditional institutional block-funding towards more project-based mechanisms. The main rationale underlying this evolution builds on the assumption that project funding would foster research performance through the introduction…

Background: The ever-increasing computational demands call for optimal resource utilisation and system performance in the cloud environment. Organisations are increasingly migrating workloads to cloud platforms, mandating the need for efficient resource distribution. Load balancing, a critical cloud component, ensures equitable distribution of…

Determining the level and distribution of special education funding is an ongoing issue. Attempting to meet the extensive range of students' needs, while balancing funding coming from federal, state, and local sources leads to uneven funding burdens and questions about whether all student needs are being met. Traditionally, funding for special…

English learners (ELs) are one of the fastest-growing student groups in the U.S. K-12 system, making up about one in 10 students enrolled in public schools nationwide. Despite research showing that EL students need more resources and supports to be successful in school, funding at the federal, state, and local levels to provide those additional…

Assisted by the COVID-19 Response Fund, nonprofit organizations and their staffs have fed thousands of families culturally relevant food, preserved housing for residents at risk of homelessness, distributed vaccines, strengthened mental health services for survivors of domestic violence, delivered enriching youth programming when schools could not…

This study is dedicated to analyzing and evaluating government initiatives aimed at addressing migration challenges in Kazakhstan that manifest in uneven migration flows and significant disparities in population density between the southern and northern regions. The authors assess the implementation of a state program as part of their analysis,…

This paper explores the contrast between the policy vision for public technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in South Africa, and governance and funding models that have shaped institutional forms and functioning over time. Policy aspires for TVET colleges to play a role in social inclusion and local economic development.…

This study's aim was to examine the impact of pandemic emergency Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) payments on the continuity and security of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Using a multilevel logistic regression, we analyzed secondary Personal Outcome Measures interviews from 738 people with IDD (March 2020…