Re: [Fsfe-uk] RFC: Free software project grants

[ian]

On Fri, 2003-10-17 at 14:10, MJ Ray wrote:
> On 2003-10-17 11:17:12 +0100 Marc Eberhard <address@hidden> 
> wrote:
> 
> > I would hope, that it will usually be the second. My idea is to offer 
> > advice
> > throughout the application process in contrast to research councils.
> 
> I think this may be hard to do in an open and fair manner, unless you 
> issue the same advice simultaneously to all candidates.  I'm not keen 
> on "when money is available" being a possible decision.
> 
> > The whole application process is considered to be strictly
> > confidential up to the point a grant is awarded.
> 
> Can we ask for a public abstract as part of the application, which 
> gives only very broad details, so that we can get general member 
> opinions?  Applications may choose not to include it if they want to 
> be totally private and we just publish "Application AFFS-G-2003-91: No 
> abstract" so that people know there is an application in there, etc.  
> I think this balances both desires.

I deal with school applications for grants and I have just finished
about £10m worth (deadline was to-day). If you make the application
process complex you will reduce the number of applicants and probably
eliminate those with small projects where the time spent on the
bureaucracy would be better just ploughed into the project. You need to
know some basic information:

Why is the project important?

What is the current position?

What will it cost to achieve the objective?

What is involved and why does funding this give good cost-benefit?


You could have a two stage process where the above is submitted on one
or two sides of A4 and then from those submissions a number are
shortlisted and requests for more information made. This would prevent a
lot of people doing a lot of unnecessary work.Unless you think work for
its own sake is good for the soul ;-)

Just my 2 peneth.

-- 
ian <address@hidden>