Hello,
On Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 6:06 AM, Kevin Kofler <kevin.kofler@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Oliver Ruebenacker wrote:
>
>> On Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 3:34 PM, Kevin Kofler <kevin.kofler@xxxxxxxxx>
>> wrote:
>>> Not really. It's a perfect example of bureaucracy gone mad. :-/
>>
>> Why, how would you have done it?
>
> Requiring only one form? Normal, non-bureaucrat people hate filling out
> forms, the less there is to fill out, the better! And if the forms cannot be
> filled out by a human without software assistance, something is really,
> really wrong! Not to mention the reliance on proprietary software, which is
> totally inappropriate for a government office.
This NIH grant application consists of forms about several separate
aspects: the research plan, the time line, the budget etc. Usually,
several people - researchers and administrators - work together to
fill out the forms. Some of these forms are only needed or used in
particular circumstances, for example, if one of the researchers need
to document their visa status, or if a project depends on specific
support from elsewhere. Merging all forms into one flat form does not
seem very helpful to me.
Software is in principle not necessary to fill out the forms, but it
helps. It copies values from one place to another and checks whether
what you entered makes sense. Without software support, you would have
more work and higher chances of submitting an incorrect application.
People have done such applications on paper in the past, though now
NIH insists electronic submission.
That NIH insists on using Adobe Reader is indeed disturbing. But
then, what is the alternative to Adobe Reader, if free software
apparently does not support the latest PDF?
Take care
Oliver
--
Oliver Ruebenacker, Computational Cell Biologist
Systems Biology Linker at Virtual Cell (http://vcell.org/sybil)
Turning Knowledge Data into Models
Center for Cell Analysis and Modeling
http://www.oliver.curiousworld.org
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