Hello Fellow Research Administrators,

 After reading the information below I went to the commons site.  It is
described as a site for foundation applications.
> To participate in the practice period, go to
> > www.foundationcommons.org, click on the American Cancer
> > Society logo, click on the "Begin" button and follow
> > the instructions given. Technical assistance is
> > available through the web site.
> >
> > American Cancer Society was the founding member of the
> > Consortium developing Foundation Commons, designed as a
> > common site for foundation grant applications----------
>
 Before I even got to the section relating to the application, it became
clear to me that this is a site for gathering data on Research Faculty and
their interests, including their social security number.  I could not
proceed any farther because I left all this blank.    As we all know this is
valuable information which can be sold and used for any number of purposes.

I agree with the serious concerns regarding this development of methodology
for faculty to submit applications directly without going through the
institution.  Soon enough these Foundations will find that they are busy
wasting their time reviewing applications with out an institutional sponsor.
What a waste of the generous contributions to these Charitable Foundations.

What would the contributors think if they understood the money making
potential of the information on Research Scientists gathered in this
process.  Or what would they think of the underhanded  and single-handed way
in which this is being done.

This is a sad use of a brilliant technology.  A foundation commons  that
registers the institution rather than the faculty would begin to serve the
application process.  This will allow the institution to maintain ownership
of the information on their faculty and to have control of who submits
applications.  Once the Institution registers the faculty, they could then
have access to the forms.

Oh please,  with the language that you want the faculty to have direct
access to the commons so you would not discriminate against faculty with no
institution.   Most, if not all the sponsor policies even say that the funds
are awarded to institutions.  Who is going to be able to accomplish
significant biomedical research with $75 to $150 thousand a year with out
being associated with an institution?  It is going to take a lot to convince
me that this design is not for the purpose of collecting data on research
faculty.

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