Good one Francis!!!

NIH Director Francis Collins was discussing sequestration and the impact of the past many years of flat budgets with POLITICO:

“For people who are in the early stage of their career to just miss the pay line once, twice, three times is pretty demoralizing,” he said. “And they are getting demoralized.”

Three times? THREE?????????!!!!?????

Your are damn right that is “demoralizing” but people are going to have to miss the paylines upwards of SIX times holmes! You said it yourself.

…only about one in six of those who apply actually receives a grant. The chances used to be one in three, Collins said.

When we are sitting around an 18% success rate, well, three straight misses had better not put you off your effort. Not if you want to get funded. You had better hit 6 applications before you start thinking about another line of work. Because that is what it takes to meet the odds.

Thoughts on the NIH followup to the Ginther report

are offered by Bashir.

Even if these recommendations were enacted tomorrow, and worked exactly as hoped, the gains would be slow and marginal. #1 seem to more address the problem of under representation.

Go play over there.