Comments on: Select committee report http://chrislintott.net/2008/04/30/select-committee-report/ The Universe as seen from the perspective of an astronomical researcher, presenter and writer. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:14:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Michael Merrifield http://chrislintott.net/2008/04/30/select-committee-report/#comment-54694 Fri, 02 May 2008 09:12:53 +0000 http://chrislintott.net/2008/04/30/select-committee-report/#comment-54694 Well Jonathan, at its crudest level a Government lab mentality is that Government labs are a good thing. With certain creditable exceptions, that is not the view of my university-based physics colleagues. More personally, I have found many middle and senior managers at government facilities to be far more wrapped up in empire building for its own sake than their equivalents in the university sector. They are extremely efficient operators, but not great scientists. Perhaps I have just been unlucky with the ones I have met. Perhaps we need that kind of political nous to squeeze more money out of Government. But it isn't the kind of organization I would want to be working for. Well Jonathan, at its crudest level a Government lab mentality is that Government labs are a good thing. With certain creditable exceptions, that is not the view of my university-based physics colleagues. More personally, I have found many middle and senior managers at government facilities to be far more wrapped up in empire building for its own sake than their equivalents in the university sector. They are extremely efficient operators, but not great scientists. Perhaps I have just been unlucky with the ones I have met. Perhaps we need that kind of political nous to squeeze more money out of Government. But it isn’t the kind of organization I would want to be working for.

]]> by: Jonathan Underwood http://chrislintott.net/2008/04/30/select-committee-report/#comment-54357 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:38:25 +0000 http://chrislintott.net/2008/04/30/select-committee-report/#comment-54357 > I am deeply worried by the idea of coming under the leadership of someone with a > Government lab mentality. I'd be interested to know what your perceive to be a "Government lab mentality", Michael. > I am deeply worried by the idea of coming under the leadership of someone with a
> Government lab mentality.

I’d be interested to know what your perceive to be a “Government lab mentality”, Michael.

]]> by: Michael Merrifield http://chrislintott.net/2008/04/30/select-committee-report/#comment-54333 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:00:55 +0000 http://chrislintott.net/2008/04/30/select-committee-report/#comment-54333 > but to be honest I don’t care who is in charge. You really should be, Chris. Having lived through the tenure of three PPARC/STFC chief executives (although the last isn't quite dead yet), I have seen the differences in atmosphere and even scientific direction that seem to mirror the individuals at the top quite closely. So, ask yourself what will the Government do if Keith does go. It would be hard for them to appoint another academic to the role, given the question mark that now hangs over them as managers. The obvious solution is someone with more senior management experience in a large relevant organization. RAL, for example. Just as our colleagues in the Government labs were nervous about being led by someone from a university background, I am deeply worried by the idea of coming under the leadership of someone with a Government lab mentality. > but to be honest I don’t care who is in charge.

You really should be, Chris. Having lived through the tenure of three PPARC/STFC chief executives (although the last isn’t quite dead yet), I have seen the differences in atmosphere and even scientific direction that seem to mirror the individuals at the top quite closely.

So, ask yourself what will the Government do if Keith does go. It would be hard for them to appoint another academic to the role, given the question mark that now hangs over them as managers. The obvious solution is someone with more senior management experience in a large relevant organization. RAL, for example. Just as our colleagues in the Government labs were nervous about being led by someone from a university background, I am deeply worried by the idea of coming under the leadership of someone with a Government lab mentality.

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