The article, A genre system view of the funding of academic research, by Christine M. Tardy, identifies grant funding as one of the fundamental requirements for the success of academic research. Tardy proposes that the genre of a researcher’s body of work is instrumental in determining the kind of funding that he/she gets. The paper has explored elements of the grant-funding system particularly focusing on the form and content of grant proposals. The author points out that from a social perspective grant writing is well appreciated through an analysis of the various activities that the researcher takes part in; including conferences and meetings with college administration.
Tardy writes that grant proposals, like other research articles, demand the extensive involvement of various professionals as well as detailed amounts of writing. She notes that the research and writing process at times starts long before the principal investigator contemplates asking for funding for the project. In a way the author in this instance tries to illustrate that the academic researchers who end up getting proper funding are generally never interested in the financial benefits of the project; these are individuals whose sole aim is to make information available to guide future researchers in their work. I completely concur with Tardy, particularly in the notion that researchers should be result oriented with or without proper financial banking for their projects. I also support the author’s assertion that the more academic and professional activities that a researcher involves himself/herself the greater his/her credibility.
By requesting grant funding for the project, the researcher gradually shifts from playing a purely passive and descriptive role in the project to a more active and investigative role. Finally, Tardy confirms that even with the researcher being very much in need of funding for the success of their projects, they have to factor in the intention of the funding source. If the mission of the donors/funding source does not go in tandem with the principles of the investigator then he/she may be forced to reject the monies received even if this may be detrimental to the entire process.
In the article titled, The social construction of two biologists’ proposals, the author, Greg Myers, tries to illustrate just how collaborative effort is important in the writing of academic papers. To some extent, Myers is trying to illustrate that the kind of funding that goes into such projects is necessary and that every dollar put in is reflected in the final document. In his argument, the author explains that the work of researchers is to explain concepts in such a way that they can convince other individuals to support their school of thought. Depending on the nature of activities that the researcher involves himself/herself in to share a particular idea, the audience can easily figure out how the monies that went into the activity were spent. Using Dr. David Crews’ proposal on the theoretical model on the relationship between hormones and behavior, Myers details the amount of time, the different activities carried out, and the number of different professionals involved in the research to warrant the number of resources in terms of funding that went into the project. I support Myers’ conclusion that research work demands the involvement of more than one individual, and that this is the main reason why such projects demand the injection of adequate funds.
The two articles generally explain the importance of funding in the entire research process. The authors, Tardy and Myers conclude that research for academic writing is a very intensive process requiring the input of various individuals. This explains the need for extensive funding and time dedication. From the two articles, the following two research questions can be drawn:
- Should academic institutions establish their funding systems to entirely cover the works of their researchers?
- Does the genre theory offer an acceptable explanation for why researchers get varied allocations of funding depending on the demands of their project?
- If a researcher compromises his/her principles to secure funding for the project, should the results be considered credible, taking from the premise that the end justifies the means?
- Is it necessary for institutions to establish independent departments for fund-sourcing as opposed to having the researchers themselves solicit for finances?
References
Myers, G. (2020). The social construction of two biologists’ proposals. Landmark Essays, 189-210.
Tardy, C. M. (2003). A genre system view of the funding of academic research. Written Communication, 20(1), 7-36.