One solution that may be proposed is that a single large grant is made 
to an institution that would be administer the awarding of individual 
DDIG sized grants.  USDA does this, and I think NSF has done it.  Then 
NSF personnel manage a single large grant for the total amount, and 
there are still DDIGs.  Of course, the prestige factor might be less, 
and less total money would be available because of the expenses at the 
host institution, but half a loaf is better than none?

Mike


On 6/9/2017 3:47 PM, Shockley, Floyd wrote:
>
> The responses have begun.
>
> http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/06/ecologists-protest-sudden-end-nsf-dissertation-grants
>
> ESA is figuring out how they will respond (there WILL be a response), 
> and SysEB and ECN are looking at a smaller but cooperative statement 
> as well.  Just keeping everyone aware.  Thanks to Sydney for making me 
> aware that the article was posted.  It came up at yesterday’s ESA 
> Science Policy Committee meeting so I was aware it was being written, 
> but not aware that it was out.  As I’ve mentioned to several of you 
> that have reached out to me off-list…arguing the importance of the 
> program is not an issue.  They understand the importance.  It’s the 
> workload required to process them relative to the value of the grants 
> themselves (high number, low $ value) so any response we give needs to 
> focus not on convincing them that they are important but on providing 
> cost-effective and low-staff solutions to help with the review and 
> processing side of the equation.
>
> Have a good weekend, all!
>
> Floyd
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
>
> Floyd W. Shockley, Ph.D., F.R.E.S.
>
> Collections Manager
>
> Department of Entomology
> National Museum of Natural History
>
> Smithsonian Institution
> P.O. Box 37012, MRC 165
> Washington, DC 20013-7012
>
> Tel (office): 202-633-0982
> Fax (office): 202-786-2894
> Email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>
> Staff Website: http://entomology.si.edu/StaffPages/ShockleyF.html
>

-- 
__________________________________________________

Michael A. Ivie, Ph.D., F.R.E.S.

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