Some VC firm...Lux Capital, I think..is actually running ads encouraging laid-off scientists to apply for funding. Most won't get it, of course, but I bet some of those that do will be able to make progress faster than they did in the government & academic environments.
WRT making progress faster--I don't know that will be true. True, in the current environment scientists must spend quite a bit of time applying for funding and writing regular reports that show progress. However, they generally don't have to maintain the larger infrastructure (just the equipment they use), handle the HR bits, etc. That's where some of the overhead goes--to pay for somebody else to keep the heat on and make sure the accounting is done to spec.
In the private funding with slashed university overhead model, they'll still have to spend time applying and reporting, and probably will have to handle some of the other stuff themselves.
I know some hard-science types and historians who would love to have fewer academic administrators peering over their shoulders and slowing the research process. There's oversight and there's "you need to fill out all these forms to show that you have a suitably diverse research team. And have more meetings with us" oversight.
How will we survive not paying taxes to support their chosen efforts?
ReplyDeleteLike the kids say, your terms are acceptable.
ReplyDeleteSome VC firm...Lux Capital, I think..is actually running ads encouraging laid-off scientists to apply for funding. Most won't get it, of course, but I bet some of those that do will be able to make progress faster than they did in the government & academic environments.
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/Lux_Capital
ReplyDeleteWRT making progress faster--I don't know that will be true. True, in the current environment scientists must spend quite a bit of time applying for funding and writing regular reports that show progress. However, they generally don't have to maintain the larger infrastructure (just the equipment they use), handle the HR bits, etc. That's where some of the overhead goes--to pay for somebody else to keep the heat on and make sure the accounting is done to spec.
ReplyDeleteIn the private funding with slashed university overhead model, they'll still have to spend time applying and reporting, and probably will have to handle some of the other stuff themselves.
I know some hard-science types and historians who would love to have fewer academic administrators peering over their shoulders and slowing the research process. There's oversight and there's "you need to fill out all these forms to show that you have a suitably diverse research team. And have more meetings with us" oversight.
DeleteLittleRed1
No techie detests anything more than a project status meeting.
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