Museums and Research in Nebraska

[Scott L. Gardner]

Willis:
Note the Note from Rodman at NSF below.
SLG

----- Original Message -----
From: "r.flowers" <r.flowers at mail.FAMU.EDU>
To: <TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG>
Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 11:44 AM
Subject: Re: [TAXACOM] Alternative to fate of Museums and Research in
Nebraska


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robin Leech
> To: TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG
> Sent: 3/14/03 10:14 AM
> Subject: Alternative to fate of Museums and Research in Nebraska
>
> Would not the faculty and staff of the University of Nebraska
> be willing to take a 5-10% salary cut in order to preserve
> the priceless research facilities, materials and staff?
>
> You think a professor of PostModern European Deconstructionism is
going to
> agree to a salary cut for a bunch of daid bugs?
>
> There a more permanent solution to this and future crises: NSF has
invested
> substantially in the U Neb. research program.  NSF should put the
word out
> that institutions that accept large amounts of public money, then
trash the
> programs when they think no one is looking will be permanently
barred from
> future considerations (ie. no more NSF grants for anything, ever).
THAT
> might give the bean counters something to think about.
>
> Wills Flowers

Sent: Friday, March 14, 2003 10:26 AM
Subject: NSF response to cuts at UNL


From: "Rodman, James E." <jrodman at nsf.gov>
To: "'ppaul at unlnotes.unl.edu'" <ppaul at unlnotes.unl.edu>,
       "'mzeleny at unlnotes.unl.edu'" <mzeleny at unlnotes.unl.edu>
c: "Rodman, James E." <jrodman at nsf.gov>,
        "Wheeler, Quentin D." <qwheeler at nsf.gov>,
        "Firth, Penelope L." <pfirth at nsf.gov>,
        "'hperlman at unlnotes.unl.edu'" <hperlman at unlnotes.unl.edu>,
        "'mjameson1 at unl.edu'" <mjameson1 at unl.edu>,
        "'bratcliffe1 at unl.edu'" <bratcliffe1 at unl.edu>,
        "Green, Paulette L." <pgreen at nsf.gov>

Subject: Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 11:05:01 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0
Status: Status of NSF grant DEB 0118669 to University of Nebraska

RE: National Science Foundation grant DEB 0118669, University of
        Nebraska  Jameson and Ratcliffe, "PEET: Monography of
Scarabaeoid Beetles."

TO: Dr. Prem Paul, Vice Chancellor for Research, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln

Dr. Michael Zeleny, Assistant Vice Chancellor

In September 2002 the National Science Foundation awarded a 5-year
renewal grant (DEB 0118669) to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
administered I believe through your office, to entomology researchers
Drs. Jameson
and Ratcliffe in the University of Nebraska State Museum. That renewal
was
highly recommended by reviewers, in part at least because of the
splendid record of accomplishment on the previous NSF award (DEB
9712447) for
systematics research and taxonomic training in entomology. The
deplorable news of proposed cuts to the budget and staff of the State
Museum
impels me to request of your office clarification of the status of the
current
award to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and specifically the
following
items:

1. As a continuing award, $146,173 has already been awarded by
NSF, with a specified cost-share of $28,440; I request clarification
of the status of that proposed cost-share amount.

 2. NSF is committed to awarding a further $603,827 over the
next four years for continuing research and training under this grant
(including $158,730 in indirect costs to the University), contingent
upon satisfactory progress, so I would appreciate clarification of
your
expectation for the continuation of that highly productive research
program.

3. Cost-sharing of $267,942 was proposed by the University on
those four remaining years of this grant, as indicated in the revised
budgets sent from your office back on June 11, 2001, and I would
appreciate clarification of the status of that cost sharing during the
continuation of this research program.

I request this clarification in my capacity as the designated NSF
program official for this award. But purely as a personal aside, and
at risk
of being presumptuous, I would add that I cannot help but be reminded
of
the kindergarten tag line about killing the goose that laid the golden
egg.

Sincerely,
James E. Rodman, Program Director

Cc: Dr. Harvey Perlman, Chancellor; Dr. Mary Liz Jameson; Dr. Brett
Ratcliffe; Dr. Quentin Wheeler, Division Director; Dr. Penny Firth,
Deputy
DD; Paulette Green, Division of Grants and Agreements, NSF


James E. Rodman, Ph.D.
Program Director, Systematic Biology
Division of Environmental Biology, room 635
ational Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
703-292-7184 (tel)
703-292-9064 (fax)
jrodman at nsf.gov