Archive for February, 2012

Lobbying

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

While scientists might feel gratified that the pursuit of knowledge keeps them out of the politics of Washington, researchers must learn to advocate for their projects. Especially with the increasing competition for federal grants where even outstanding proposals do not receive funding, one concrete step scientists can take is to lobby Congress to support the NIH.

To that end, FASEB, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology has developed a Congressional Visit Toolbox. It describes how to contact a legislator, plan for a visit, and present the case for more research funding. For the nervous novice, the site even includes videos of how to interact with elected officials.

There’s a reason that corporations employ lobbyists–their influence works to direct funds toward favored projects. I heard one state representative explain once that he didn’t have time to learn about every issue, so he appreciated it when lobbyists came to inform him. That said, he was open to any constituent coming to his office with specific arguments for a bill.

Biomedical researchers already have enough to juggle, but it may be worthwhile investing some time in talking to the decision makers who control the flow of federal funds. A small investment now will increase the chances of long-term research success later.

Quarter or Semester?

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

According to an association of college bookstores, 71% of universities operate on a semester calendar while just 15% use the quarter system. And the gap is widening. In 1990 only 62% of universities had a semester calendar.

InsideHigherEd reports that more institutions are switching to semesters as a way to align courses and credits from transfer students. Semesters also allow students to graduate earlier and take advantage of internship or job opportunities.

I taught on the quarter system once and found the pace intense. The rhythm helped keep students engaged, but it meant that they could not catch up if they missed more than a few classes. It's also difficult to assign a long-term research project when there's just 10 weeks to complete it. On the other hand, a semester can drag on and allows for less variety of courses.

On a medical campus, the calendar is different altogether. Graduation occurs in May at BU, but that doesn't slow the activity in the hospital or the research labs.