PHN Research Agenda

24 October 2012

Nerds at the Round Table

Some days seem to mark themselves as important.  A memory has substance. A task list rolls forward. The sound of laughter lingers.  Not too long ago, I had one of those days. 

Last month I had served as a grant reviewer for a new federal granting agency, and kept thinking that I can do this.  So, I forwarded to one colleague the announcement for this rather new grant funding stream. She immediately responded with "let's pull out that grant on post partum women that we almost did."  Being office neighbors and friends for several years, I knew exactly what she was referring to. And, as simply as that is how grant application activities get started.

By the following week we had a meeting scheduled with two other colleagues from medicine. We met in my new, slightly larger office which has curtains and a round table for meeting.  Among the four of us (women), the ideas immediately started flowing.  We noted which grant guidance nuances that would need to be addressed. We mapped out an overall research plan and a subject recruitment plan. We all groaned at the short amount of time to do so much, and at a time when we all already have pretty full plates. But, the grant idea is good and like hounds we were following the scent of potential funding. The mix of brain power and enthusiasm around the table far outweighed our reservations.  So, I have a section of the grant proposal to develop, as do the others.

My office neighbor and I handed the title of principal investigator to our younger, not yet tenured colleague. We both have reached a place where we can be more generous in that way, and love the mentoring aspect of this emerging project.

Yes, us four nerds at my office round table were having fun. The way academic work ought to be fun. Now, we are focused on getting the proposal written and pulled together, and then we will cross our fingers. Hopefully, early next year, I'll have good news. Meanwhile, I have the good news of enjoying, a little bit like the "whistle while you work" enjoyment of life.

No comments: