I am also a recent Ph.D. graduate and I understand exactly what you are
going through. I am hopeful that things are changing with regards to
affirmative action policies (did you know that Pete Wilson just abolished
several affirmative action policies in California?) Even though I am a
woman and will benefit from a few of the programs (not as many as you
think) I think that they are wrong from many standpoints. Mainly, I
don't think they benefit the groups who they are geared toward. Poor
blacks in the inner city are lucky to graduate high school. Many of the
ethnic minorities who get to the PhD level come from middle class to upper
class backgrouds and would have made it anyway. Secondly, when a job
candidate does get special consideration because of their gender or race,
it is wholly obvious to the members of the department and it creates
resentment and a bad morale. I still have hope that things are getting
better. I think I heard that they are awarding around 30% of the R01
applicants with grants. That isn't too bad is it?
In article <3ren73$3pi at newsbf02.news.aol.com>, kepley at aol.com (Kepley) wrote:
> Why is it that almost 75% of the grants (NIH) available are awarded solely
> based on your ethnic make-up? As a recent Ph.D. graduate I am starting to
> write my own grants but am dismayed at the lack of money available for
> Ph.D.s that do not fall into a particular group. One of the reasons I got
> into science was to get away from this type of bullshit and into an
> environment that awards achievement based on someones qualifications and
> what he has done in the past rather than what he looks like. What do
> others feel about this?
