Keyword: research capacity

ABSTRACT: In emerging research systems, doctoral publication requirements often outpace the support available to early-career researchers. This study examines whether funded project participation is associated with publication productivity among doctoral students and doctoral graduates in Kazakhstan, and whether particular support forms are more closely linked to international and domestic outputs. The analysis uses an anonymous 2025 survey of 808 respondents from six scientific fields and estimates negative binomial models for Scopus/Web of Science and domestic recommended-journal publication counts. Respondents with any project support reported higher raw mean Scopus/WoS output than unsupported respondents (2.05 vs. 1.11 publications). In adjusted models, any project support was associated with 58% higher expected Scopus/WoS publication counts (IRR = 1.58, 95% CI [1.35, 1.86], p < .001), while the association with domestic publications was marginal (IRR = 1.13, p = .057). Salary support and equipment/software support were significant predictors of Scopus/WoS output; field variation was descriptive rather than statistically significant. The findings suggest that project participation matters most when it supplies time, financial stability, and research infrastructure, not merely formal inclusion in funded grants.