Institutional Typologies in European Research Funding: A Cluster Analysis of Organized Participation Patterns

European research funding takes a central spot in shaping the strategic development and competitive position of organisations in Europe. When participating in international funding programs becomes more important for institutional visibility and resources, understanding patterns of collaboration has risen as an important research question. Existing literature has looked into factors of research funding success, institutional performance and collaboration network but fewer studies have investigated if distinct institutional types can be based on participation patterns in European research projects. This study addresses this gap by investigating if universities cluster into meaningful groups according to their funding level, project involvement, and financial dependence on external funds.

Utilizing project and organization level data from European research programs, the study makes institutional indicators including number of funded projects, total financial funding, project duration and coordinating ratios. A cluster analysis is applied to identify groups of universities with similar participation pattern. The research asks if different institutional types can be determined based on funding participation patterns? What structural attributes set apart these groups?

The analysis identifies groups of universities that show different patterns of involvement and funding. These clusters highlight differences in how much funding universities receive, how many projects they participate in and how they position themselves. The paper provides a framework for classifying universities based on their participation in European research funding and demonstrates how cluster analysis can help understand the roles and strategies of institutions in international research projects.