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Not in general, even though spending on R&D might be beneficial for long run growth, it is not, in general, any more effective in stimulating economy in recessions or more effective response than some other spending. There are several reasons for this.

tl;dr:

R&D spending cannot stimulate economy during just by increasing long-run aggregate supply because recessions are fluctuations around the long-run aggregate supply and not necessary affected by the long-run aggregate supply.

A in which spending on R&D in principle could be more effective in fighting recessions than other spending. The effectiveness of spending on increasing output through the multiplier depends on marginal propensity to consume. Hence, a redistribution of resources from people with low marginal propensity to consume to people with high marginal propensity to consume is helpful in increasing the effect government spending has on the economy. If you could argue that people who work in R&D have higher marginal propensity to consume than other people you could argue spending on R&D is more effective. However, I would be extremely surprised if this would be the case, because it is established that marginal propensity to consume decreases with people's incomes and people engaged in R&D tend to be one of the better payed workers (see For example above mentioned Blanchard et al).

Full Answer:

Not in general, even though spending on R&D might be beneficial for long run growth, it is not, in general, any more effective in stimulating economy in recessions or more effective response than some other spending. There are several reasons for this.

In addition, the idea that spending on R&D even affects rate of economic growth and hence increases long-run aggregate supply is somewhat contentious one. In a standard Solow-Swan growth model a economy will growth at an exogenously given rate no matter what is it's R&D spending as technological progress in such models is completely exogenous. In an endogenous growth theories (e.g. Romer model) spending on R&D actually increases long-run economic growth (and thus also rate at which long-run aggregate supply expands). Unfortunately, an empirical evidence is not yet settled on this issue and Solow model is the more accepted one (again see Romer's aforementioned book).

However, there is a way in which spending on R&D in principle could be more effective in fighting recessions than other spending. The effectiveness of spending on increasing output through the multiplier depends on marginal propensity to consume. Hence, a redistribution of resources from people with low marginal propensity to consume to people with high marginal propensity to consume is helpful in increasing the effect government spending have on the economy. If you could argue that people who work in R&D have higher marginal propensity to consume than other people you could argue spending on R&D is more effective. However, I would be extremely surprised if this would be the case, because it is established that marginal propensity to consume decreases with people's incomes and people engaged in R&D tend to be one of the better payed workers (see For example above mentioned Blanchard et al).

In addition, the idea that spending on R&D even affects rate of economic growth and hence the rate at wich long-run aggregate supply expands is somewhat contentious one. In a standard Solow-Swan growth model a economy will growth at an exogenously given rate no matter what is it's R&D spending as technological progress in such models is completely exogenous. In an endogenous growth theories (e.g. Romer model) spending on R&D actually increases long-run economic growth (and thus also rate at which long-run aggregate supply expands). Unfortunately, an empirical evidence is not yet settled on this issue and Solow model is the more accepted one (again see Romer's aforementioned book).

However, there is a way in which spending on R&D in principle could be more effective in fighting recessions than other spending. The effectiveness of spending on increasing output through the multiplier depends on marginal propensity to consume. Hence, a redistribution of resources from people with low marginal propensity to consume to people with high marginal propensity to consume is helpful in increasing the effect government spending has on the economy. If you could argue that people who work in R&D have higher marginal propensity to consume than other people you could argue spending on R&D is more effective. However, I would be extremely surprised if this would be the case, because it is established that marginal propensity to consume decreases with people's incomes and people engaged in R&D tend to be one of the better payed workers (see For example above mentioned Blanchard et al).