🚀 go-pugleaf

On 3 Sep 1996, Megan Brown wrote:

> I read a really cool article in "The Smithsonian" a few years ago about a
> scientific expedition to high, isolated plateaus somewhere in South
> America (I think). These plateaus were at the top of steep cliffs and
> quite small; life had evolved on each somewhat in isolation, much as on an
> island. The expeditions traveled to them by helicopter and documented the
> animal and plant life found on each. I read that and thought "This really
> sounds fun and exciting." There are accounts of other expeditions from
> time to time in "Smithsonian" and other natural history magazines.
> 
> Megan Brown
> mbrown@fred.fhcrc.org
> --------------------------------------
> Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
> Seattle, Washington
> --------------------------------------
> 

Scientific expeditions, as portrayed on TV (and other media channels), are
often either "natural sciences" orriented or medically orriented. Some are
funded by rich people or collections of them who don't want to do the work
themselves but are happy to contribute tens of thousands directly to
people who will. This leads to a "documentary" which you see on TV. I have
always been curious about how fund raising takes place and the little I
have read about it, it is probably the most "networked" activity you can
imagine. I've seen it happen in front of me when I wasn't fully aware of
what was going on until about 30-60 seconds later and then realized I
should stay out of the process. This is not grant proposal preparation,
but face-to-face work, getting "introductions," and "knowing" people who
will help you. This is more in Dave Jensen's back yard than mine, but he
is specialized to hunt up warm bodies than cool cash, but I'd venture to
say this is the crux of the expeditions: if you can get the cash, then you
can do your expedition. There is the other "expedition" where you work as
an assistant next to and expert (archeological digs, for example). A bad
thing about this is that they make YOU pay all the bills. If you are going
to pay the bills, then you should be the boss.

There is a periodical that some large university libraries, and some very
good public libraries carry, that will give you some information on the
funding problem (I must appoligize for bringing up the nasty "money"issue,
but you can't almost do nothin' without money) and it is "The Chronicle of
Philanthropy" or something like that. Its an offshoot of "The Chronicle of
Higher Education" and has been printing now as a separate periodical for
maybe 3-4 years now. 

If you are inclined to pursue this, please come back to the newsgroup and
share your findings, reactions, plans with the rest of us.

Art Sowers