someotherguy
Posts: 398 Joined: Aug. 2006
|
Quote (Wesley R. Elsberry @ Dec. 18 2015,09:56) | Nick Matzke's paper on the evolution of antievolution legislation was published in Science yesterday. The DI's John G. West posted a screed accusing Nick of misusing NSF research funding.
Here is Nick's bit in the paper that West is upset about:
Quote | ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Helpful comments were provided by E. Scott, G. Branch, J. Rosenau, E. Meikle, C. Knight, J. Felsenstein, S. Kawano, J. Louys, M. Lawing, and N. Jackson. N.J.M. was supported by NSF Awards 0919124, DBI1300426 and Australian Research Council DE150101773.
|
And here is West's accusation:
Quote | A more serious issue is whether Matzke misappropriated taxpayer funds in order to write his article. Matzke discloses in the article's acknowledgements that his research was funded by two National Science Foundation grants. But if you look up those grants, they appear to have nothing to do with the article he published.
Indeed, NSF Grant 0919124 is a $422,000 grant intended to "develop bivalve molluscs as a preeminent model for evolutionary studies...." And NSF Grant DBI-1300426 is a $12 million+ grant for the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, which told the NSF it would "provide scientific insights into problems such as the control of invasive species, limiting impacts of infectious diseases, and suggesting new methods for drug design."
Perhaps Matzke claims academic freedom bills are an "infectious disease," but I doubt most taxpayers who paid for the grant would agree. And I have no idea how he might connect his writing on academic freedom legislation to research about molluscs.
If Matzke used taxpayer funds intended to underwrite serious scientific research to produce this silly piece about the politics of the evolution debate, then the National Science Foundation should consider asking for some of its grant money back.
|
There is a difference between "research was funded by" and "I was supported by".
West apparently doesn't understand the concept of "support". Even when one has personal projects, if one publishes those one acknowledges the funding sponsors who made it possible for one to eat, have a roof over one's head, and pay the broadband internet bill. It doesn't mean that the grants were specifically about those things, and it doesn't mean that the funds were "misused" that one has a life beyond one's specific funded research. But in West's depauperate world, apparently courtesy is merely one of the things lacking besides charity.
I'd say that Nick might have grounds for a defamation case in West's intemperate response. |
The amount of both desperation and ignorance that goes into a claim like that is just amazing. Matzke really strikes a nerve with those folks, and for good reason.
-------------- Evolander in training
|