Grant Rant IV
January 7, 2013
A comment I made about grants being “saved” in discussion reminded me of one of the first experiences I had on study section in this regard. I can’t go into too many details but suffice it to say I battered a couple of cultural memes/expectations about scoring within a particular study section at a time when I was still on the earlier side of my independent career.
I hadn’t really paid too much attention to the PI or the project, save a notice when the name turned up on a study section roster. Today I took the trouble to wander over to RePORTER and check up on the Results tab for the grant.
That grant and the PI have exhibited excellent productivity ever since I fought for it.
I love being right.
DrugMonkey 
January 7, 2013 at 8:39 am
Fuck it, out em! Who deserves to pay tribute to DrugMonkey?
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January 7, 2013 at 9:42 am
as if we hadn’t noticed
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January 7, 2013 at 3:54 pm
Especially since the productivity of the lab that didn’t get funded because this one did would have totally sucked ass!
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January 8, 2013 at 2:30 am
Hint…..one’s status in the field is usually inversely proportional to the amount they blab about their study section servic.
ACT LIKE YOUBELONG THERE
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January 8, 2013 at 3:08 am
Yes, this blogge thatte is specifically intended in large part to explain to people who have never served on a study section how it works and thereby demystify the process should stoppe blabbeing about it.
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January 8, 2013 at 4:16 am
People funded by the NIH who disdain study section service are free-riding assholes.
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January 8, 2013 at 4:17 am
GR- you will notice I am not discussing the many times I *failed* to save a grant I thought was great.
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January 8, 2013 at 7:25 am
“That grant and the PI have exhibited excellent productivity ever since I fought for it.”
This is true for most of us; I can’t believe that your guy extra special. The money helps. No money, no productivity. I wish study sections would take this into account when they see grant applications from people who have not yet had any major funding.
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January 8, 2013 at 7:40 am
Not all awards result in excellent productivity. But it is certainly true that not having a grant hampers productivity.
Were I the Boss of Science*, one good plan would be to get noob Asst Profs real funding in the first year or two. Then let the second grant / renewal phase coincide with the tenure phase. If they’ve produced, great! If not, buh-bye.
*and more of a hardass than I actually am
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January 8, 2013 at 5:50 pm
[…] is not to brag and I don't think this is unusual at all. This comment is to further reinforce my assertions that questioning the ability of a newly […]
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