University goals - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Dec 21, 2004

RE: University goals

Date: Dec 21, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Reporter
"Knowledge becomes "secret" property that shouldn't be shared."

If it's not public it can't be replicated by others. If it can't be replicated it's not science.

Date: Dec 21, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Reporter
"Mitch, I know that some agencies like NSF require an "in kind" match on the part of the university. They will not pay for everything. My biggest fear is that "pork" is being used to fund certain research groups. It is politically based and many times is not scholarship driven. When that kind of money gets involved in the "search for knowledge" I don't trust it. Knowledge becomes "secret" property that shouldn't be shared because competition will reduce "profits". Again the tier one universities can function without this fear. But our tier 4 USM lets it go to their head and threaten academia. My evidence? ----SFT "

Correct about "in kinds," especially for NSF instrumentation grants. But cash in-kinds need to come from somewhere, and not ENG (Cecil needs to have a war chest to do this, and it comes largely from F&A). I also agree with your concerns about Pig Meat. I have always had a strong distrust of line-item funding (this is often competitive, but in a different way--state against state, for example). But even all pork is not created equal. For example, it looks like one of our researchers is getting some solid seed money from Congress thanks to Dr. Burge's hard work, to do what most of us would agree is very good science. Her program might die on the vine without it while waiting for R-01 type funding to emerge (which can take years to get). I think the bottom line is that the integrity of an academic community most be solid from top to bottom to play the pork game, else we might as well put up a big red light on Hardy street and sing "Roxanne."

Date: Dec 21, 2004

Reporter-another thought. You may be referring to industry money (rather than "pork") in which a proprietary product is the outcome. For example, a drug company clinical trial. When I was a faculty in a medical school in PA, this was a common source of revenue that true world class researchers used to supplement their research programs (but not to produce scholarship). Pharm companies pay big bucks for each subject entered into a trial, and that money was used to hire nurses, equipmeny. fund travel, pay soft-money researchers and assistants and so on. This really will make one feel like a red-light worker, but the people I worked with were very, very straight-up folks, and the money was not viewed as anything more than it was.

Date: Dec 22, 2004

Kick to see if Robert will comment.

Date: Dec 22, 2004

Punter,

What's happened over the past 3 decades is that Federal "earmarks" to universities (a nice word for pork) have grown at the expense of grants open to all and awarded at the conclusion of a competition.

People closer to USM will know where the pork is (I except the Trent Lott Center, which could be identified as pork by an observer on Mars).

As for the "in kind" requirements, these are a further example of grant funded research having substantial costs that the university is obliged to cover, instead of being the pure gravy or costless stream of revenue dreamed about by administrators.

Robert Campbell

Date: Dec 22, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Robert Campbell
"People closer to USM will know where the pork is (I except the Trent Lott Center, which could be identified as pork by an observer on Mars). Robert Campbell"

If any of Mr. Wonderful's committee members check in over the holidays, please note this! RC has not been given credit for humor before and this is priceless!

Date: Dec 22, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Mitch
"...world class..."

Ahhhh. I love it when you talk to me like that.

Ohhhhh. Say it again . . . Wurl' Class.

Date: Dec 22, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Message from Mars
"If any of Mr. Wonderful's committee members check in over the holidays, please note this! RC has not been given credit for humor before and this is priceless!"

Duly noted. Our eyes and ears are open 24/7/365.