AN ANALYSIS OF EXTERNAL RESEARCH FUNDING AT PRINCE OF SONGKLA UNIVERSITY, PATTANI CAMPUS, FISCAL YEARS 2020 - 2025

Abstract

External research funding constitutes a strategic resource that shapes the direction and research development capacity of higher education institutions. According to Resource Dependence Theory (RDT), organizations that rely heavily on external funding are inevitably influenced by the structure of funding sources and the policy priorities of funding agencies. This study aims to 1) analyze the number and total value of externally funded research projects, 2) compare the distribution of funding across faculties and organizational units, and 3) examine the allocation of research budgets in relation to the university’s 12 Focus Areas at Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, during fiscal years 2020 - 2025. A descriptive research design was employed using secondary data from the PSU Research Project Management (PRPM) system, covering 233 projects. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, annual trend analysis, and proportional comparison across the 12 Focus Areas. The findings indicate that the campus received a total of 410,832,048 THB in external research funding, with domestic government funding accounting for 88.81% of the total, reflecting a high level of external resource dependence. The number of projects and funding amounts fluctuated across fiscal years. In terms of distribution across the 12 Focus Areas, Language Education and Peace and Conflict represented the largest shares, reflecting the regional identity and social mission of the southern border campus. The synthesized findings suggest that research capacity should not be assessed solely by the number of projects or total funding value, but must incorporate structural dependence, funding trends, and strategic alignment. This study provides a system-level analytical framework enabling higher education institutions to recognize structural risks associated with heavy reliance on government funding, resource concentration, and the linkage between funding portfolios and institutional strategy, with significant policy implications for funding diversification and the long-term sustainability of research funding systems.