Thanks Tone!
Dear Mr Abbott,
Like a few hundred other applicants out there, I’ve religiously been checking the NHMRC website first thing each day for over two months, in the hope of finding out the outcomes of this year’s overseas training fellowship applications. Sadly, it seems as though you’ve forgotten about us – at least until a more politically expedient moment in time.
Many of those who apply for these fellowships aren’t in the enviable position of having a regular salary coming in. Some of us are still in the process of writing up a thesis – often after our financial support has expired, and aren’t yet in a position to apply for work locally to tide us over, until we know if and/or when we will indeed be able to travel overseas to pursue research work. Worse still, some people might have found an overseas lab to go to, but their potential supervisor can’t or won’t take them on unless they have fellowship support. Others have a supervisor who’s more than happy to have them come over and work, but will want them to apply for another grant should they be unsuccessful in getting funds from the NHMRC. This process can’t really be started until one actually knows that their NHMRC application has been unsuccessful. In a nutshell, people need to be informed sooner rather than later, as to where their next source of income is coming from.
It seems to be common knowledge that the NHMRC has already met and decided who has, and has not, been awarded these fellowships. Some applicants are still in the dark, whereas others whose in-the-know supervisors have had a word in their ear in the meantime, already know the outcome, albeit unofficial. Unfortunately for these suckers, they can’t even tell their overseas supervisor (and hence get the proverbial working visa ball rolling) or their nearests and dearests, until your good self has “signed off”.
Us in the science bubble know what an uncertain and fickle little world it is to live in. But the way I see it, I’d rather deal with political expedience once I’m senior enough to be fretting over project grant applications – ie, I’d rather not have to deal with that sort of stuff now. In short, don’t be so mean and nasty, just let us all know who's been granted the dough so we can all get on with things.
Yours sincerely,
Yo-Yo
Like a few hundred other applicants out there, I’ve religiously been checking the NHMRC website first thing each day for over two months, in the hope of finding out the outcomes of this year’s overseas training fellowship applications. Sadly, it seems as though you’ve forgotten about us – at least until a more politically expedient moment in time.
Many of those who apply for these fellowships aren’t in the enviable position of having a regular salary coming in. Some of us are still in the process of writing up a thesis – often after our financial support has expired, and aren’t yet in a position to apply for work locally to tide us over, until we know if and/or when we will indeed be able to travel overseas to pursue research work. Worse still, some people might have found an overseas lab to go to, but their potential supervisor can’t or won’t take them on unless they have fellowship support. Others have a supervisor who’s more than happy to have them come over and work, but will want them to apply for another grant should they be unsuccessful in getting funds from the NHMRC. This process can’t really be started until one actually knows that their NHMRC application has been unsuccessful. In a nutshell, people need to be informed sooner rather than later, as to where their next source of income is coming from.
It seems to be common knowledge that the NHMRC has already met and decided who has, and has not, been awarded these fellowships. Some applicants are still in the dark, whereas others whose in-the-know supervisors have had a word in their ear in the meantime, already know the outcome, albeit unofficial. Unfortunately for these suckers, they can’t even tell their overseas supervisor (and hence get the proverbial working visa ball rolling) or their nearests and dearests, until your good self has “signed off”.
Us in the science bubble know what an uncertain and fickle little world it is to live in. But the way I see it, I’d rather deal with political expedience once I’m senior enough to be fretting over project grant applications – ie, I’d rather not have to deal with that sort of stuff now. In short, don’t be so mean and nasty, just let us all know who's been granted the dough so we can all get on with things.
Yours sincerely,
Yo-Yo
posted by yossarian | 5:27 PM
4 Comments:
Yeah tell us or we'll biff you one!
We're behind you Yoss, just give us the sign!!!
... to biff tony abbott??!
I'm happy to sort out ol'cauliflower ears for you too if you like, given my proximity to messrs flabbott's stomping ground.
Wow...until reading this i was unaware of the situation! I'd never even heard of these grants and i guess a lot of the general public are also in the dark...it seems unfair to leave people hanging...i mean if their not getting the money just tell them so plan b can begin.
Good luck, hope you a) find out whether you get it or not and of course b) get it!
*good luck to all the other science people, who may also read this!*
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