TITLE:
Shrimp on a Treadmill: Politics and Perception in Federally Funded Research  

SPEAKERS:

• Scott M. Niles, Ph.D., Research Associate II/Contracting Officer, Research and Sponsored Programs, Georgia Institute of Technology, NCURA Region III Chair-Elect   
• Katie M. Halley-Octa, Director, Office of Research and Sponsored Projects for the College of Education and Human Development, Georgia State University, NCURA Region III Secretary 
• Erin Heath, Associate Director of Government Relations, American Association for the Advancement of Science

DESCRIPTION:  

In 2011, Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn’s report, “The National Science Foundation: Under the Microscope,” highlighted a study by marine biologist David Scholnick. Coburn accused Scholnick of spending $3 million in taxpayer money to build a treadmill for shrimp. Scholnick’s shrimp treadmill was featured everywhere from Fox News to an AARP commercial, but both the financial specifics of the funding and the scientific impact of his research were largely missing from the narrative. How did a study about the effect of changing ocean temperatures on marine organisms’ ability to fight infection become the center of the battle against wasteful government spending? Accountability in federal research funding is nothing new. However, with the federal research budget slated increase, the conversation about accountability will only get louder, and the phrase “wasteful government spending” will likely continue to pop up in our newsfeeds. What can your institution do if its research is presented negatively in the headlines?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Participants will survey the complicated landscape of politics, public perception and government-funded fundamental science, including contemporary publications and events that have criticized federally funded research.
• Participants will revisit projects identified as “wasteful” and dig deeper to discover the broader applications and scientific impact of the work.
• Participants will consider proactive and defensive tactics and begin to form a response road map to guide your institution’s response when needed.