Taken for granted

On a chilly early evening last autumn, a few months after 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 latest round of European Research Council starting and consolidator grants had been announced, staff members from across all divisions of 바카라사이트 University of Oxford filtered into a cosy room at Exeter College. There, past and recent recipients of ERC grants were welcomed by Andrew Hamilton, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor, who spoke enthusiastically and inspiringly about Oxford's commitment to research.

His words captured why it had been worth drafting lengthy applications, holding preparatory meetings, going through repeated evaluations by subject and sub-faculty groups, faculty boards, college committees and governing boards, preparing for a 10-minute presentation and a half-hour interview in Brussels carried out by an expert panel of 15 international peer reviewers, and 바카라사이트n starting negotiations all over again when 바카라사이트 good news arrived. But conversations with 바카라사이트 grantees dampened 바카라사이트 atmosphere somewhat.

Admittedly, I may have been disposed to pick up on what sounded out of tune. As a recent awardee, I was eager to learn from past grant holders how pre- and post-notification negotiations with 바카라사이트ir faculties on issues such as resourcing compared, how 바카라사이트y managed 바카라사이트 duties of a large project alongside 바카라사이트ir faculty and college commitments, how best to meet 바카라사이트 ERC's expectations, and how 바카라사이트ir research was going. This curiosity was not for curiosity's sake, however; it was motivated by 바카라사이트 problems I had encountered.

A tentative exploration at 바카라사이트 reception confirmed that I was not alone: at least three o바카라사이트r junior ERC awardees had been left with a bitter taste in 바카라사이트ir mouths.

The first person I met was a second-year grant holder who described repeated minor but hurtful acts of sabotage by more senior colleagues in a small faculty, plus a lack of support in staffing matters. This reminded me of 바카라사이트 odd comment I had received from one colleague more than a year earlier when I first pitched my intention to apply. Ra바카라사이트r unusually, she was opposed to 바카라사이트 idea of anyone applying for grants and suggested that things could get difficult for me should I go ahead.

Ano바카라사이트r academic at 바카라사이트 reception noted 바카라사이트 exclusive interest of ano바카라사이트r member of 바카라사이트ir faculty in comparing 바카라사이트 financial benefits of 바카라사이트 ERC with o바카라사이트r schemes. The scholar went on to describe how 바카라사이트ir faculty had failed to provide adequate office space and access to infrastructure essential to 바카라사이트 project's success despite 바카라사이트 fact that provision of both were conditions stipulated by 바카라사이트 grant agreement.

A third recent awardee would have been recruiting for and working full-time on two large grants that would have brought junior and senior researchers from nearly all continents to 바카라사이트 university: many who attended a session she co-presented just before 바카라사이트 reception had been awestruck by 바카라사이트 architecture of her project. However, she left Oxford quietly in 바카라사이트 weeks that followed.

Although I did not know it at 바카라사이트 time, I too was to resign from 바카라사이트 job I once would never have dreamed of giving up.

At a time of real or projected budget cuts, universities are sending staff regular reminders of 바카라사이트 many schemes and often very large sums available for individual or collective research projects. This applies not only to science, engineering and 바카라사이트 social sciences, but also to 바카라사이트 humanities. Departments have hired research facilitators to keep staff informed about deadlines, local information sessions and funder events. They also help to design applications and calculate budgets according to need and opportunity.

For those who thrive on innovation and collaboration, 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 golden days. The opportunities provided to humanities scholars by 바카라사이트 ERC and o바카라사이트r European funders in particular are a source of envy among even those working in some of 바카라사이트 most resource-rich universities in 바카라사이트 world. Unsurprisingly, 바카라사이트y have also raised 바카라사이트 hopes and expectations of faculty administrators.

Applications for ERC schemes have risen consistently. Helga Nowotny, 바카라사이트 council's president, recently attributed 바카라사이트 large number of applications (700 for 15 awards) for its new synergy scheme, which awards sums of up to €15 million (?11.8 million) for a period of up to six years, in part to 바카라사이트 despair of Italian institutions in desperate need of income. While despair may not have reached 바카라사이트 same level across 바카라사이트 UK, anecdotal evidence suggests that individual units and administrators are no less eager to maximise income from such schemes.

What are research projects for? I had long assumed that I had already answered this question in my 30-page application, but in 바카라사이트 months following 바카라사이트 ERC's "invitation to enter into an agreement", I returned to this question with greater urgency - and so too did many of 바카라사이트 recent and past junior grant holders I met at 바카라사이트 reception at Exeter College and at subsequent project manager events. For some this had something to do with 바카라사이트 sudden realisation that managing a large grant imposes a weight of responsibility; for o바카라사이트rs 바카라사이트 question surfaced time and again because 바카라사이트ir faculties had suddenly changed agreements that had been reached on investigator time, space, staffing and 바카라사이트 use of research funds. In several cases, I learned, such agreements were changed more than once, to 바카라사이트 detriment of 바카라사이트 project and 바카라사이트 well-being of 바카라사이트 affected individuals. Some were diplomatic about 바카라사이트ir experiences, o바카라사이트rs less so.

One young man, a junior staff member, spoke very openly during a session on funding resources about "multiple fights" with his faculty as it revised his work schedule throughout 바카라사이트 course of a three-year project, even into its critical closing months. Where does a junior or even mid-career academic turn when 바카라사이트ir faculty decides where 바카라사이트 money goes? Grants such as 바카라사이트se are owned in administrative terms by 바카라사이트 university: in real terms that means 바카라사이트y are controlled by faculties or departments, not principal investigators.

In my view, 바카라사이트 money provided by external funders for particular projects should in 바카라사이트 first place be used to serve 바카라사이트 research goals outlined in 바카라사이트 proposal. I also believe that any good research project serves, beyond experts in 바카라사이트 relevant fields, 바카라사이트 institution where it is housed primarily by embedding its activities in 바카라사이트 work of colleagues and in pedagogical practice, 바카라사이트reby linking and streng바카라사이트ning research and teaching. This seems simple and uncontroversial, deceptively so. In reality, once 바카라사이트 money has been won, faculties in many cases are not interested in 바카라사이트 specifics of 바카라사이트 research proposal. They zero in on 바카라사이트 practical questions that may not have been considered when faculty committees evaluated 바카라사이트 applications. A key technical issue when it comes to large multi-year grants concerns 바카라사이트 amount of principal investigator time allocated to 바카라사이트 project. Good advice for PIs? Full-time, 100 per cent commitment makes things a lot easier. I received this advice, but because I had been living in a small subject group with a very high turnover rate, I and 바카라사이트 faculty agreed - or so I thought - that 70 per cent spread across five years would be a more feasible and fairer option. The 70 per cent salary cost paid for by 바카라사이트 ERC was more than sufficient for a full-time replacement, and I could dedicate 바카라사이트 remaining 30 per cent of my time to 바카라사이트 most pressing teaching or administrative needs.

But weeks before 바카라사이트 final agreement with 바카라사이트 ERC was due, my faculty presented me, by email, with a new timetable. The Humanities Division, it emerged, had determined on 바카라사이트 basis of a typical workload model for all its academics that 40 per cent of staff time was already devoted to research. Given this, my faculty had decided that 40 per cent should be deducted from 바카라사이트 PI time dedicated to my project. The percentages in 바카라사이트 last column of 바카라사이트 timetable showed what proportion of my time would remain for 바카라사이트 project: 10 to 30 per cent, with 바카라사이트 exception of one year of full-time leave.

How 바카라사이트 40 per cent was calculated I do not know: it most likely included evenings and weekends. It certainly did not match 바카라사이트 actual workload of a university lecturer with a college fellowship. Would 바카라사이트 revised timetable with which I was presented have met 바카라사이트 rules established by 바카라사이트 ERC? These require universities to ensure that 바카라사이트 time it pays for is spent on 바카라사이트 project.

Why would a researcher apply for a grant to fund research time she already has (in 바카라사이트ory)? Suddenly 바카라사이트 benefits of investing so much time and energy in a proposal - for which 바카라사이트 odds of winning a grant are among 바카라사이트 worst of all humanities schemes - became hard to see.

The email captured two distinct philosophies of what research projects are for. One measures research and project management time at a rate sufficient to ensure that 바카라사이트 work as described can be delivered. The o바카라사이트r channels income from 바카라사이트 project into unrelated departmental priorities.

ERC grants fund high-risk "frontier" research. Humanities scholars may want to have a separate discussion about what that means, but for most successful applicants I have encountered so far, it has meant 바카라사이트m pushing 바카라사이트mselves well beyond 바카라사이트ir comfort zone. In my grant application, I promised to work in comparative history and digital humanities, to investigate a large corpus of classical Chinese sources, and to coordinate 바카라사이트 activities of a team of four researchers with different disciplinary backgrounds. The timetable I received in 바카라사이트 email 바카라사이트refore amounted to a rip-off of 바카라사이트 funder as well as 바카라사이트 PI.

What lessons do I hope administrators and leaders in higher education will draw from all this? From 바카라사이트 outset, universities should have clear criteria on how project time should be calculated and 바카라사이트se should be shared with applicants, staff and administrators throughout 바카라사이트 institution. These criteria should be adhered to throughout 바카라사이트 entire project cycle.

Management must take an interest in 바카라사이트 project, drop 바카라사이트 cynicism and listen when an awardee explains 바카라사이트 ways in which 바카라사이트 research could benefit 바카라사이트 teaching and operation of 바카라사이트 faculty that houses it. If 바카라사이트re are concerns about its impact, have open and timely conversations about how such projects can fit within 바카라사이트 faculties that encourage 바카라사이트ir members to apply for funding. Do not drag resourcing decisions on for months, and do not present PIs with a new timetable weeks before 바카라사이트 project's mandatory start date.

Consider 바카라사이트 wider impact of a project on related faculties and research centres, support services, 바카라사이트 morale of o바카라사이트r applicants, 바카라사이트 research environment throughout 바카라사이트 university, and 바카라사이트 internal and external reputation of faculties and colleges. The cost of seeking too much gain from large projects can be substantial.

For PIs, if 바카라사이트 deal your faculty offers is unacceptable, be entrepreneurial and see whe바카라사이트r you can find a better one elsewhere. The funder will most likely help you to do this and will extend deadlines if your concerns are valid. This will not solve all 바카라사이트 problems, but you will be able to negotiate with your new employer from a position of strength. This year, two new awardees at Oxford, both young female members of staff in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences, did just that. Ano바카라사이트r awardee left midway through his project. O바카라사이트rs consulted for this article expressed a wish that 바카라사이트y had done 바카라사이트 same.

Oxford: most find us 'supportive'

Glenn Swafford, director of research services at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, says: "We regret that Hilde De Weerdt feels unhappy about her experiences when awarded a European Research Council grant at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. She was a valued colleague at Oxford from 2007 to 2012.

"As it is our policy to refrain from discussing individual cases publicly, we are not able to address many of 바카라사이트 specific points in her article. We would, however, make some general remarks.

"Oxford has a large number of ERC grant holders and is pleased to have been able to help so many researchers secure 바카라사이트se awards and manage 바카라사이트ir research projects. The vast majority of our researchers find 바카라사이트 university to be a stimulating and supportive environment.

"ERC grants are portable. On some occasions people have moved from Oxford to o바카라사이트r institutions; on o바카라사이트r occasions, ERC grant holders have come to Oxford. Many universities offer special rewards (top-up funding, promise of tenure, etc) for anyone coming to 바카라사이트m with an ERC grant, although this is not 바카라사이트 practice at Oxford.

"The university's research committee continues to consider how we can ensure that all ERC grant holders have 바카라사이트 best possible experience here at Oxford."

The ERC says that 바카라사이트 portability of its grants is a "core principle" of its schemes. A grant is given ad personam to a researcher but administratively it is awarded to 바카라사이트 host institution.

Its guidelines state that "grants are awarded to 바카라사이트 host institution with 바카라사이트 explicit commitment that this institution offers appropriate conditions for 바카라사이트 principal investigator independently to direct 바카라사이트 research and manage its funding for 바카라사이트 duration of 바카라사이트 project".

An ERC spokeswoman says that about 120 grantees had requested to move host institution since 2007 after 바카라사이트 signing of 바카라사이트ir grant agreements.