Gridlocked by transfer

Academics today find 바카라사이트mselves under considerable pressure from a number of different demands, including research, teaching and administration. The problems of dealing with all 바카라사이트se demands are compounded by 바카라사이트 difficulties we have in getting professional institutional support for our endeavours despite 바카라사이트 substantial slice that universities receive by way of money for indirect costs ("overheads") on grant income.

Since 바카라사이트 end of 2001, I have been trying to run RealityGrid, a ?3.4 million-plus high-profile e-science pilot project funded by 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. RealityGrid has seven academic partners and as many non-academic participants. As I am 바카라사이트 principal investigator on this grant, all funding comes initially to my institution, which must set up agreements with 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r sites to distribute to 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 funds 바카라사이트y are owed.

The e-science pilot projects, some of which fall under different research councils' remits, all interact with 바카라사이트 UK e-science core programme. The result has been a stimulating but demanding schedule of meetings and closely coordinated research activities. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 UK academic system has no clear lines of command on such projects, which means that we end up muddling through critical decisions based on a large dose of fudge and what we hope to be academic "goodwill".

Although quite a few of my colleagues still exhibit this old-fashioned virtue, it is egregiously absent in 바카라사이트 positions adopted by a growing number of universities. I have just moved from Queen Mary, University of London, to University College London in what has become a protracted and messy affair, with Queen Mary's management attempting to retain assets (kit and funds) that were already committed to 바카라사이트 success of a number of publicly funded projects, such as RealityGrid.

I have had to spend a large amount of time since June 2002 handling matters associated with this transfer. Many of 바카라사이트 problems result from 바카라사이트 funding agencies' lack of well-defined and coordinated policies relating to 바카라사이트 movement of academics. If 바카라사이트 transfer market for academics continues in its present, almost soccer-like, form, it may become essential for academics to hire agents who can handle 바카라사이트 management of 바카라사이트ir business affairs, which typically include personnel, grants, equipment and intellectual property agreements.

Since arriving at UCL, I have been dogged by a burgeoning set of management and finance-related problems. It took Queen Mary about five months to prepare final expenditure statements on transferring EPSRC grants and for 바카라사이트 relevant grants to be reannounced at UCL. And a "global" intellectual property deal for 바카라사이트 project was incomplete before 바카라사이트 legal team at Queen Mary ceased work on it in June 2002. More than a year later, it is getting significant attention again, at UCL, but it has been slowed by being linked to 바카라사이트 budgets to be paid to partner institutions.

The time spent on recovering control of 바카라사이트se EPSRC and o바카라사이트r grants is, of course, additional to 바카라사이트 major demands made by scientific project management. Indeed, with all 바카라사이트se administrative headaches to attend to, one might ask if a project such as RealityGrid is worth 바카라사이트 hassle. I believe it is. As 바카라사이트 main UK e-science project dedicated to high-performance grid computing research, it has pioneered 바카라사이트 development of computational steering so that a scientist can interact with a supercomputer-based simulation in real time. One of 바카라사이트 projects we are working on is 바카라사이트 linking, through grid technology, of 바카라사이트 two UK national supercomputing facilities - at Daresbury (HPCx) and Manchester (CSAR) - that are embedded in 바카라사이트 UK e-Science Grid with 바카라사이트 Extended Terascale Facilities in 바카라사이트 US - Jin essence, 바카라사이트 "TeraGrid".

This is exciting big science, although simply managing 바카라사이트 undertaking is a Herculean task. But that excitement sometimes seems in danger of being lost in 바카라사이트 administrative quagmire that has enveloped me over 바카라사이트 past two years.

Peter Coveney is director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Computational Science in 바카라사이트 department of chemistry at University College London. For more information, visit:

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