[Plsfaculty] grants

[Kenneth Feldmann]

I would like to welcome everyone back from their holidays. Actually, it
turns out that most of you wrote grant proposals during your holidays. In
this regard, a few of you are very good at 1) giving Donna-Rae a heads-up
that you are going to do a grant, 2) getting the budget, title, abstract and
whatever else is necessary in 8 business days before the due date and 3)
getting the complete package turned in three business days before the due
date. 
 
I am happy to inform you that there are a large number of grants going in
for the NSF deadline tomorrow, the USDA next week and plant genome the week
after. Donna-Rae is getting Joy and Renee on-line to be of great assistance
in grant preparation and submission but the reality is that Donna-Rae works
a lot of hours for you, especially during this time of the year, and if
something were to go poorly for her or her family, we would not be able to
get all of the grants in. I would need to prioritize them is some way to get
some of them submitted. Priority would likely be given to early submitters
and those with a track record of success in getting funded. The two grants
that have come in just today (and are not even yet complete) for submission
tomorrow would not have a chance; with all the grants that are being
processed in preparation for the USDA deadline next week, these two may yet
not get through the system on time for uploading. 
 
I am going to make a decision on how to fix this issue by the end of the
month but I am happy to receive suggestions. The scenario that I favor and
believe needs to be put in place is that we employ another accountant as
soon as possible and continue to train Joy and Renee in grant preparation.
The University is asking us to do more and more as they cut their costs.
This scenario means that I will need to lower the technical support for
those of you who still receive it; I would be inclined to exempt the
extension faculty from that reduction. In addition, we are going to need to
begin to enforce the 8 and 3 business day rules. CALS and the University are
going to mandate that we enforce the 3 day rule and I will enforce the 8 day
rule. Solutions are welcome.
 
 
 
Kenneth A. Feldmann
Director and Professor
School of Plant Sciences
The University of Arizona
P.O. Box 210036
Tucson, Arizona 85721
Telephone: 520.621.1945
Fax: 520.621.7186
Email:  <mailto:feldmann at cals.arizona.edu> feldmann at cals.arizona.edu
 
Visit our School website at  <http://www.cals.arizona.edu/pls>
www.cals.arizona.edu/pls
 
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