Writing Proposals: Science or Not?

[Susan Hogarth]

Sarah L. Pallas wrote:

> ... I love DOING science but don't get
> to spend enough time.  Instead, I teach, write grants,...

I hear this complaint a lot. It seems a shame that being a PhD *student*
selects for people who *love* the bench, and will work endlessly on the
minutia of science, while being a lab PI actually neccesitates a more
"big picture" view of science. 

Personally, I look *forward* to running a lab; I think I can accomplish
more in science than just running a few experiments. 

I haven't written any formal proposals yet, but even the small amount of
writing required by my prof/committee seems to facus my thinking and
lead to new ideas. Sometimes I wonder if grant proposals and
publications aren't the *meat* of science; after all, what's the good of
doing a bunch of experiments if no one ever finds out about them, and
has the meaning of them explained?

-- 
Susan
"We have politics.  We just haven't offended each other with it yet.
Religion works just fine." --oTTo--
http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/users/s/sjhogart/public/home.html