Re: Foundation Commons Herbert B. Chermside 20 Dec 1999 08:19 EST
Lynzee, as usual you have hit the nail on the head. It is unfortunate that these foundations have adopted a process which, by a very small error in design, creates an adversarial relationship within those very disciplines and institutions which can best achieve these foundations' goals. Happy Holidays, anyway!! Chuck At 11:19 AM 12/18/99 -0800, you wrote: >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. > > >====================================================================== > Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including > subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available > via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists") >====================================================================== > Herbert B. Chermside, CRA Director, Sponsored Programs Administration Virginia Commonwealth University PO BOX 980568 Richmond, VA 23298-0568 Express Delivery Only: Sanger Hall, Rm. 1-073 11th & Marshall Streets Richmond, VA 23219 Voice: 804-828-6772 Fax 804-828-2521 OFFICE e-mail xxxxxx@VCU.EDU Personal e-mail xxxxxx@vcu.edu http://views.vcu.edu/views/ospa/ ====================================================================== Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists") ======================================================================