http://www.agu.org/fora/eos/2007/04/30/on-being-a-rotator-in-the-directorate-for-geosciences-at-the-national-science-foundation.html Topical issues in Earth and Space sciences Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:16:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 http://www.agu.org/fora/eos/2007/04/30/on-being-a-rotator-in-the-directorate-for-geosciences-at-the-national-science-foundation.html#comment-2762 Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:24:31 +0000 http://www.agu.org/fora/eos/2007/04/30/on-being-a-rotator-in-the-directorate-for-geosciences-at-the-national-science-foundation.html#comment-2762 I have never been a rotator at NSF, but have wondered what it would be like to be one. The survey that Gisele Muller-Parker made points out ways in which the experience can be beneficial, but I would ask what a rotator can actually do for the careers of applicants when the proposal success rates are as low as they appear to be: in Chemical Oceanography I sort of remember seeing that this was about 20% last year. If this is true it would seem to me that a lot of good ideas just cannot be supported, and other things such as just maintaining existing programs and scientists must take higher priority. As a manager, I would think that this would be kind of depressing. I have never been a rotator at NSF, but have wondered what it would be like to be one. The survey that Gisele Muller-Parker made points out ways in which the experience can be beneficial, but I would ask what a rotator can actually do for the careers of applicants when the proposal success rates are as low as they appear to be: in Chemical Oceanography I sort of remember seeing that this was about 20% last year. If this is true it would seem to me that a lot of good ideas just cannot be supported, and other things such as just maintaining existing programs and scientists must take higher priority. As a manager, I would think that this would be kind of depressing.

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