Universities have lost their way

[cajunfan96]

So, we are cutting people left and right, but the university feels this is a priority!

Postdoctoral Researcher in Flood Risk, Human and Infrastructure Resilience, and Adaptation Planning
seeks a postdoctoral researcher to conduct interdisciplinary research addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change and increasing flood risk in U.S. Gulf regions through justice-minded research and collaborative climate adaptation planning

[DocRaginCajun]

FYI - those funds are very likely tied to an external grant that the faculty won from the feds. External grant funding does not fall under the cuts issue. In fact, universities gain additional funds via the overhead these grants deliver. Many PhD students and basically all post docs are paid for by external R&D grants - not UL budgeted funds.

[Turbine]

Any known examples of where grants create temporary embedded positions leaving the university to foot the bill when the grants expire?

[DocRaginCajun]

These positions are by nature, temps that run until the project is over. This is very common in R1 type universities. However, these positions are almost completely covered via the external funding source. Post doccing gives future faculty excellent experiences. Plus, it is not uncommon for spin-off companies to emerge from these research endeavors that grows the regional economy with the post docs and PhD student students matriculating into these new companies. A R1 university is absolutely critical to economic development. It is quite an asset in so many ways.

[Louisiana84]

Any chance we can get a federal grant for postdoc interdisciplinary research into athletic fossils whose budgetary micromanagement ruins football programs for decades?

[Cajunrunner]

So, we are cutting people left and right, but the university feels this is a priority!

Postdoctoral Researcher in Flood Risk, Human and Infrastructure Resilience, and Adaptation Planning seeks a postdoctoral researcher to conduct interdisciplinary research addressing the disproportionate impacts of climate change and increasing flood risk in U.S. Gulf regions through justice-minded research and collaborative climate adaptation planning

Don't blame UL for this one. Blame your federal government who thinks it's a good idea to entice them into this study with your tax dollars.

[CajunGator]

"Take the money" is kind of how playing sports teaches players to lie. Don't let the refs know you really didn't catch the ball. Hide the fact that the ball touched the ground. Universities hide the fact that there is no true value in certain research, just give me the money and I will pretend it is a valid endeavor.

[Turbine]

So true currently sports actually teaches deceit.

The real problem is when some cross the line into outright cheating.

They can't tell the difference even when it is blatant.

How it translates to universities as a whole I'm not exactly sure.

But I am worried about them accepting one-time money and then being expected to fund it themselves down the road.

[60swerethebest]

So true currently sports actually teaches deceit.

The real problem is when some cross the line into outright cheating.

They can't tell the difference even when it is blatant.

How it translates to universities as a whole I'm not exactly sure.

But I am worried about them accepting one-time money and then being expected to fund it themselves down the road.

We did this in the past. Lite Center, the prior energy institute, robotics, etc. Big splash for some facility but with no sustainable infrastructure or support. Withered and died. Most of our institutes now have ongoing support from funded sources or industry. Some of our labs have endowed support. They can do well even when crunch time hits. Turbine makes a valid point.

[DocRaginCajun]

So true currently sports actually teaches deceit.

The real problem is when some cross the line into outright cheating.

They can't tell the difference even when it is blatant.

How it translates to universities as a whole I'm not exactly sure.

But I am worried about them accepting one-time money and then being expected to fund it themselves down the road.

Turbine - unless the proposal is a center/institute funding effort - the vast majority of proposal/funded university projects are timed and thus these do not carry a continuous funding load to the universities. Also, note that few ethical researchers (and most are) will take on projects/topics that they sincerely believe do not have scientific merit - in the world of R&D funding, your most important strength is your reputation.