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Access to research funding is a critical determinant of doctoral candidates’ productivity, timely progression, and post-PhD career prospects, with notable differences between funded and unfunded students.
Productivity
Funded doctoral candidates consistently demonstrate higher research productivity, measured by publications and citations, compared to their unfunded peers. This effect is observed across various funding types, including grants, fellowships, and assistantships. Funding enables students to focus on research activities rather than outside employment, directly supporting greater scholarly output (Horta, Cattaneo and Meoli, 2018; Nisticò, 2018; Larivière, 2013; Larivière, 2012; Smirnov, 2025).
However, the type of funding matters: research assistantships and project grants are particularly associated with increased research skills and productivity, while external fellowships may offer less opportunity for skill development and integration into research groups (Grote et al., 2021; Knight et al., 2024).
Progression and Completion
Financial support is strongly linked to higher rates of degree completion and shorter time-to-degree, especially when funding is stable and aligned with research productivity. Funded students are more likely to graduate and do so within standard timeframes, while financial strain and lack of funding are significant predictors of attrition and delayed completion (Smirnov, 2025; Feizi and Elgar, 2023; Larivière, 2013; Horta, Cattaneo and Meoli, 2019).
Notably, funded students who publish during their PhD complete their degrees faster than both unfunded productive students and funded students who do not publish (Horta, Cattaneo and Meoli, 2019; Grote et al., 2021).
The positive impact of funding on progression is robust across disciplines, though STEM students may be more sensitive to these effects (Horta, Cattaneo and Meoli, 2019; Feizi and Elgar, 2023).
Post-PhD Career Opportunities
Access to funding during doctoral training increases the likelihood of pursuing research-oriented careers and enhances post-PhD publication productivity (Nisticò, 2018; Graddy‐Reed, Lanahan and D’Agostino, 2021; Horta, Cattaneo and Meoli, 2018). Competitive research grants and fellowships are associated with higher rates of academic placement, career advancement, and greater career satisfaction (Graddy‐Reed, Lanahan and D’Agostino, 2021; Bloch, Graversen and Pedersen, 2014; Hancock, 2023).
The nature of funding can also steer career trajectories: private sector funding increases the probability of employment in industry, especially when accompanied by company collaboration (Muscio and Shibayama, 2023).
Conversely, students funded by external fellowships may be less likely to pursue research-focused jobs, potentially due to reduced integration with research groups (Grote et al., 2021; Knight et al., 2024).
Differences by funding type
| Funding Type | Productivity Impact | Progression Impact | Career Impact | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Assistantship | High | Faster completion | More research careers | (Grote et al., 2021; Knight et al., 2024; Feizi and Elgar, 2023; Graddy‐Reed, Lanahan and D’Agostino, 2021) |
| Teaching Assistantship | Mixed | Slower completion | More peer mentoring skills | (Grote et al., 2021; Feizi and Elgar, 2023; Knight et al., 2024) |
| External Fellowship | Variable | Unclear | Less research integration | (Grote et al., 2021; Knight et al., 2024) |
| Private Sector Funding | Field-specific | Not specified | More private sector careers | (Muscio and Shibayama, 2023) |
| No/Low Funding | Low | Higher attrition | Fewer research opportunities | (Horta, Cattaneo and Meoli, 2018; Feizi and Elgar, 2023; Larivière, 2013; Smirnov, 2025) |
Figure 1: Comparison of funding types on doctoral outcomes.
Summary
Access to research funding is a strong predictor of doctoral student success, with funded candidates outperforming unfunded peers in research productivity, degree completion, and career advancement. The type and stability of funding further shape these outcomes, underscoring the importance of targeted financial support in doctoral education.
References
- Horta, H., Cattaneo, M., & Meoli, M., 2018. PhD funding as a determinant of PhD and career research performance. Studies in Higher Education, 43, pp. 542 – 570. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2016.1185406
- Horta, H., Cattaneo, M., & Meoli, M., 2019. The impact of Ph.D. funding on time to Ph.D. completion. Research Evaluation. https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvz002
- Grote, D., Patrick, A., Lyles, C., Knight, D., Borrego, M., & Alsharif, A., 2021. STEM doctoral students’ skill development: does funding mechanism matter?. International Journal of STEM Education, 8, pp. 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-021-00308-w
- Nisticò, R., 2018. The Effect of PhD Funding on Postdegree Research Career and Publication Productivity. ERPN: Human Capital (Sub-Topic). https://doi.org/10.1111/obes.12232
- Graddy‐Reed, A., Lanahan, L., & D’Agostino, J., 2021. Training across the academy: The impact of R&D funding on graduate students. Research Policy, 50, pp. 104224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.104224
- Muscio, A., & Shibayama, S., 2023. Industry-funding for Ph.D. students: benefits and challenges. Studies in Higher Education, 48, pp. 1883 – 1900. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2216736
- Feizi, S., & Elgar, F., 2023. Satisfaction, research productivity, and socialization in doctoral students: Do teaching assistantship, research assistantship and the advisory relationship play a role?. Heliyon, 9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19332
- Hancock, S., 2023. Knowledge or science-based economy? The employment of UK PhD graduates in research roles beyond academia. Studies in Higher Education, 48, pp. 1523 – 1537. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2249023
- Knight, D., Grote, D., Kinoshita, T., & Borrego, M., 2024. PhD Student Funding Patterns: Placing Biomedical, Biological, and Biosystems Engineering in the Context of Engineering Sub-disciplines, Biological Sciences, and Other STEM Disciplines. Biomedical Engineering Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43683-024-00142-w
- Smirnov, N., 2025. The Effectiveness of Grant Support for Doctoral Students in Russia: A Quasi-Experimental Analysis of the RFBR Programme. Vysshee Obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. https://doi.org/10.31992/0869-3617-2025-34-3-77-99
- Larivière, V., 2013. PhD Students’ Excellence Scholarships and Their Relationship with Research Productivity, Scientific Impact, and Degree Completion.. Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 43, pp. 27-41. https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.v43i2.2270
- Bloch, C., Graversen, E., & Pedersen, H., 2014. Competitive Research Grants and Their Impact on Career Performance. Minerva, 52, pp. 77-96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-014-9247-0
- Larivière, V., 2012. The relationship between Ph.D. students’ excellence scholarships and their research productivity, scientific impact and degree completion.. **.