[ernie]

Lanny is correct. The higher levels of government may be involved in setting general direction research should be concentrating on and approving budgets but they aren’t involved in grant review or approval processes. Those things are shielded from what’s happening on the hill. The biggest thing that happens in those offices is the picture of the president and responsible cabinet member gets changed in the lobby.

I’m speaking from a background as someone who has been in many of those offices, helped write multiple full grant proposals that received funding, many more that didn’t get funding and usually don’t get past a white paper stage, had continuing funding for projects denied and am literally preparing responses to reviewers on another grant that are due end of day Monday.