As we move into May, devastation to the country’s research enterprise continues in the form of grant cancelations, including ones to PIs who thought they were in the clear, as well as the new Indirect Costs policy at NSF. This barrage of bad news can make anyone feel powerless. However, in a crisis like this, human relationships can help deliver extrication. 

Relationships cannot be taken away by new policies or a denial of funding, and of course they have precious value in and of themselves. Practically, let’s look at how relationships can support PIs in the current situation:

First, relationships are critical for information acquisition. Even though some websites, like NSF’s, are kept up to date, other organizations are unable to keep theirs current. There is information out there that is not confidential and in fact comes from organizations that want you to have it. However, these organizations cannot disseminate it at scale quickly -- for reasons we need not go into here.

Relationships can facilitate direct connections to those with valuable information. Picking up the phone can cut through layers of management and bureaucracy to get you directly to another person. Learning about budgets, the timing of new starts, and what’s working now can have an impact on decisions about how you invest your time, and which specific opportunities you will pursue.

Leverage your existing relationships with faculty colleagues on how they and others are handling administrative requirements. Solutions that you might apply yourself on proposal development, managing budgets, or supporting students.

At a time like this, relationships can make us feel less alone, recognizing that we're all going through this together. The stresses are not related to funding exclusively but also are from balancing work and family, being responsible for students and possibly other staff, or dealing with issues at the departmental or institutional level. Relationships can bring humanity back into a picture that otherwise seems heartless.

As I've said elsewhere, use this time to build new and further cultivate existing relationships with colleagues, both funders and elsewhere in the government, as well as with colleagues from industry or nonprofits.

Before this day is over, I challenge you to send emails or texts to two people: One to someone with whom you would like to begin or expand a relationship -- by introducing yourself and requesting a brief conversation, and a second to an existing colleague with whom you have been out of touch for a long time. As you age, you will see that the years go by more quickly. It’s likely that you will pick up right where you left off no matter how much time has passed.

And keep in mind that these relationship-related investments that have potentially large rewards are available to you at no financial cost and cannot be cancelled by any forthcoming policy or requirement.

From Independence to Interdependence

Continuing with the series 7 Key Mindset Shifts for New Assistant Professors, in this video I explain how important it is to engage fully in the funding ecosystem. Check it out!

When you are ready, here’s how we can help

Need to get your research funded, this year? Check out our 12-week program to get you there.

Check out our storefront where you can access our free Unlocking DOD Funding for University Researchers course and other resources, including for faculty applicants.

Ready to book a call to discuss how our program can support faculty at your institution? Let’s chat!