CASA Research Grants - Beware!
I have just read the CASA Research grants guidelines and I am filled once again with despair because the research outcomes are only going to be used as a pretext for imposing more regulations.
Im too busy to comment in more detail, but the purposes of the research are all to do with safety outcomes "in Australia".
Ominously "colour vision" is mentioned.
Having had way too much to do with academics, I am sure that there are plenty who will lower their trousers (and their standards) to get a chunk of CASA money to produce a CASA required outcome. In particular, the occupational health and safety academic oxygen thieves will already be lining up.
If any grant money is to be spent by CASA, it should be allocated by an arms length committee made up of relevantly skilled academics, industry representatives and perhaps chaired by a member of the CASA Board. Most importantly any application for a grant must be peer reviewed.
The NHMRC process is the model to follow.
To put that another way; if the process I outline is NOT followed, then CASA has just awarded its managers with a slush fund to feed their own prejudices, biases and pet projects.
Readers might like to dream up titles for such manager inspired research for a bit of comedy.
"The effect of seawater on cockpit voice recorders" comes to mind immediately.