======= Date Modified 19 26 2009 21:26:51 =======
Hello everyone
Just a bit of a rant. A friend of mine (at another uni) and I got some funding by a research council to hold a conference a few months ago, and the conf will be this summer. A couple of weeks ago, he got in touch again saying he'd found another (much larger) funding opportunity, and asked if I'd be interested in going for it. It would be to fund a two-year training project, and he suggested that I would be the perfect choice to be administrator of the project this coming academic year (my fourth year) given that my funding runs out this summer, and he is about to submit so wouldn't need the role.

We've both worked really hard on the bid, but today when we met up to discuss budgetary issues I discovered that 1) my name would not be going on the bid - only his name and the name of a member of staff at his uni and 2) he wants to do the admin job in the first year of the project as he has not found another job to start when he submits this summer. I feel totally screwed over by this - none of the work I have done will be recognised. But I can't tell him to get lost as I still have to work with him on the initial project.

I know this is all part of academia, and my plan so far has to be to hold my tongue, does anyone have any suggestions as to what other options they might take??


Thanks as ever kids!

Hiya, Sleepy, that sounds grim. It seems like he's stitched you over. How can he decide that he's going to take the role assigned to you? He has no right, as it was a joint agreement between you both. How would he feel if you suddenly made a decision as drastic as that, like, hmmm, you're totally in charge of it all? Sounds to me like that's what he's done. If I were you, I'd talk to him tactfully about it, tell him you feel a tad usurped. It doesn't seem fair. Sorry, if I've misunderstood.:-)

Hey Walminski, no you understood correctly. His argument is that as the bid has not yet been submitted he can take on the role, even though my involvement in creating the bid was due to the fact I thought I'd be taking it...
I really needed that job, and he'll just be using it as additional pocket money... argh!!!

So just what do you get out of this after the work you have put in? I think I would definitley want to talk about this - calmly and assertively.

''But I can't tell him to get lost as I still have to work with him on the initial project.'' Well, he still has to work with you too and he hasn't let that stop him. You can raise this firmly without having to walk away completely. In future, make sure you have something in writing before getting involved in joint projects. It does seem to be a recurring problem in academia - taking people's work and ideas to get funding/papers that are then not shared.

Do you havbe any documentary proof of what you'd previously agreed (emails etc)?

I suspect that there's no formal obligation for him to stick to the original arrangement but it's highly unreasonable of him to behave like this.

I disagree that you can't say anything. I have just had a new supervisor (Dr Y) and my old primary supervisor (Prof X) has taken a step back to third supervisor (nothing dramatic went on, just logistics of my project). Prof X is far senior to Dr Y. I have watched them have NUMEROUS disagreements about where each of them will stand on publications that I may write (I don't care as long as I'm first!!!) but have been so impressed with their behaviour. They are just so professional about sorting it out. I think these communication skills about fairly sensitive issues (IP rights) is one of the most important lessons from our PhDs, but one of the most difficult.

I would just say very calmly that as you worked so hard on the bid you would like your name on there as (at least) co-author. You also feel that it is unreasonable that you took on this project with the view becoming the administrator which he now appears to have decided will not be the case. You understand that he may well struggle for money but you believe the project would be all the more successful if you were administrator because you have previous experience of x, y, z etc etc etc. Is there any chance of you sharing the role and the salary?

If I were you I'd do it all via e-mail. 1 - because I'm a wimp, 2 - because there's a record if you do decide to take it any further.

Good luck Sleepyhead.

A

Hey everyone

Thanks for your suggestions. As it stands I will be getting absolutely nothing for the work I have done - no recognition or funding. I would only be able to take advantage of the training opportunities that come out of the bid if it is indeed successful (which any PhD student at our universities would also be able to do). The admin role is not large enough for us to share; his suggestion is that I take it on in the second year of the project - however by that time I would expect to have an academic job that means I would not need the money or extra work this would entail.

As such, I'm going to email him (I'm a coward to!) to say that whilst I accept that I will not be a formal applicant, I want it written into the bid that I was the co-author, and if the bid is successful, that it is also stated on the projects that come from it. If this cannot be agreed, then I would have to ask that the parts of the bid that I wrote be removed as they are my Intellectual Property, and I may wish to use them for a future bid that I take either individually or with another partner....


Here goes nothing!!

Hey sleepyhead, I'm glad to see you aren't just rolling over and taking things on the chin. Too many people seem to get screwed in academia and do nothing about it.

Hey Sleepyhead - I admire your balls, and think you are right to email him and say this. id also be tempted to threaten to write to the funder and explain your role in writing the bid and the applicants refusal to acknowledge you...which should put the wind up him. You could even do this if he still refuses to acknowledge you - i guess you have nothing to lose?