Spoke too soon?
The news I gave last Friday was great, but may be a little premature. :o(
I mentionned that she got a letter from McGill University Faculty of Sciences, indicating their recommendation for offering her the position of Associate Professor in the Biology department with full tenure. The final decision is still in the hands of the Provost/Principal of the university and has been know for refusing such recommendations in the past - in other word she does not "rubber stamp" such recommendations. Final decision will be known in late March/early April.
Despite this welcomed news, Tam is in Ottawa this week, where she and several coleagues from different universities around the country are doing their "tour of duty" as part of a Federal Committee on Scientific Grant Applications (actually, I don't quite know what its official name is, but that's as close as I can get to describing it). Basically, this committee's job is to review all research funding grant applications, and recommend those worthy of getting the government's cash. Every scientist and their dog sends in anywhere for 2-3 applications EACH every year. Thankfully this committee that Tam is on only deals with biology related grants.
Well, one of those grant applications is for Tam's own research, and when someone on the committee is being evaluated, that person is excused from the discussion regarding his or her grant. Her grant was discussed yesterday afternoon. Based on some of the discussions they've had regarding other applications "earlier" in the week, she has little confidence her research will be getting much funding for the coming year. Although Tam won't be getting any official word until sometime after the week-long meeting is over, she is officially depressed.
It's not helping that she made a request for an extension of one week for her to submit her publication, and got an ambiguous answer from the assistant editor, to the tune of "Once the process is initiated online, things are set in motion that cannot be deviated." Tam only needs to add the results of the latest analysis to make the paper "complete". Unfortunately, the samples that were sent out for analysis we wrought with SNAFU's (wrong kind of analysis, results from someone else's samples were sent by mistake, etc.) and have delayed her being able to meet the deadline. "Publish or perish" is the credo of all researchers. Tam's feeling at the moment is that it's leaning towards perish... :o(
Tam is the Yang to my Ying. I'm trying to be optomistic for both of us right now. I'm going to try an cheer her up this weekend once she returns from Ottawa.
Saskatchwan may yet still be a possibility, but it's better than other less than favourable alternatives.
I mentionned that she got a letter from McGill University Faculty of Sciences, indicating their recommendation for offering her the position of Associate Professor in the Biology department with full tenure. The final decision is still in the hands of the Provost/Principal of the university and has been know for refusing such recommendations in the past - in other word she does not "rubber stamp" such recommendations. Final decision will be known in late March/early April.
Despite this welcomed news, Tam is in Ottawa this week, where she and several coleagues from different universities around the country are doing their "tour of duty" as part of a Federal Committee on Scientific Grant Applications (actually, I don't quite know what its official name is, but that's as close as I can get to describing it). Basically, this committee's job is to review all research funding grant applications, and recommend those worthy of getting the government's cash. Every scientist and their dog sends in anywhere for 2-3 applications EACH every year. Thankfully this committee that Tam is on only deals with biology related grants.
Well, one of those grant applications is for Tam's own research, and when someone on the committee is being evaluated, that person is excused from the discussion regarding his or her grant. Her grant was discussed yesterday afternoon. Based on some of the discussions they've had regarding other applications "earlier" in the week, she has little confidence her research will be getting much funding for the coming year. Although Tam won't be getting any official word until sometime after the week-long meeting is over, she is officially depressed.
It's not helping that she made a request for an extension of one week for her to submit her publication, and got an ambiguous answer from the assistant editor, to the tune of "Once the process is initiated online, things are set in motion that cannot be deviated." Tam only needs to add the results of the latest analysis to make the paper "complete". Unfortunately, the samples that were sent out for analysis we wrought with SNAFU's (wrong kind of analysis, results from someone else's samples were sent by mistake, etc.) and have delayed her being able to meet the deadline. "Publish or perish" is the credo of all researchers. Tam's feeling at the moment is that it's leaning towards perish... :o(
Tam is the Yang to my Ying. I'm trying to be optomistic for both of us right now. I'm going to try an cheer her up this weekend once she returns from Ottawa.
Saskatchwan may yet still be a possibility, but it's better than other less than favourable alternatives.