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.
Fuck it, out em! Who deserves to pay tribute to DrugMonkey?
as if we hadn’t noticed
Especially since the productivity of the lab that didn’t get funded because this one did would have totally sucked ass!
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
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.
People funded by the NIH who disdain study section service are free-riding assholes.
GR- you will notice I am not discussing the many times I *failed* to save a grant I thought was great.
“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.
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