Politicking for grants is unique post 1980? How did folks get awarded grants before? Folks just popped by to say “hey really appreciate all the heads down work you told nobody about here’s a million dollars?”

I’d want to compare grant funding and sources pre and post, as well as the diversity of institutions receiving funding, etc. my hypothesis would be that in order to build up institutions across the country politicians did try to steer grants to regional institutions, etc but it’s still a ton more money. (But I am not an academic)