About 15 years ago, while I was still at Northwestern, we had a proposal to
NSF get lost by FedEx.  For some reason the PI asked us to check to make sure
the proposal had arrived, and it hadn't.  So when FedEx did their tracking
routine, we found out that NSF received an ultracentrifuge rotor, instead of
the proposal, with our PI's tracking number, name, etc.  They asked us what
to do with the rotor, so I had them send it to me, and I gave it to the PI
for safekeeping, and with FedEx's blessing.  To the best of my recollection,
FedEx never found the proposal, nor ever asked to have the rotor returned.
It's probably still spinning happily in NU's Physiology Dept.  As for the
proposal, NSF gave us a break on the deadline and accepted another proposal.
Can't remember if it got funded.

Not a bad trade-off, and NSF seems to still be at it.

Len

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Leonard P. Paplauskas    Assistant Vice President for Research     |
203-679-3173             University of Connecticut Health Center   |
FAX 679-2670             Farmington, CT   06030-5355               |
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xxxxxx@neuron.uchc.edu                                           |
xxxxxx@sun1.uchc.edu                                           |
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