66 - A Surprising Request from a Grant Monitor

Summary

The business of obtaining, keeping, and renewing research grants is a stressful yet ongoing one. Given the times, those like me who have run large labs often have found themselves seeking multiple grants at once in order to make sure that they would not suddenly lose funding. At the peak of my research career (yes, that peak has passed!), I had a number of research grants, and felt on top of the world – until I received a strange request.

One day, I received a telephone call from the financial monitor on the largest of my grants, which was, to be precise, a subcontract from another university. I had had some contact with the individual before, but not a lot, since most of the financial reporting was through the primary recipient of the contract. When I had had contact with the monitors in DC, it usually was with the scientific monitor, not the financial one. The call started off pleasantly enough, but then turned to the real topic of the conversation. The monitor asked me whether I would be willing to help do the data analysis on his dissertation. I had not even realized that he did not yet have a doctorate. There was no discussion of exchange of money. The analysis was being requested as a personal, or perhaps professional, favor. He made the request, and there I was, sitting at my phone, sweating bricks. I told him that I certainly would think about it seriously and get back to him.