Hi academic hive mind, particularly in the UK: what's the approach to fund PhD viva celebrations? We spent £75 total (not exactly a splurge) for about 12 people to celebrate a viva, and no grant wants to reimburse that. It's not a lot but it also means I end up paying it myself out of pocket, which is kind of silly given the massive salary cut in real terms I've experienced in the last 5 years.
Stephen Royle
in reply to Albert Cardona • • •my lab tend to organise these things, as they do for lab members moving on. I put in some cash but yes, from my own pocket. Back in the day I would have a discretionary fund that could be used for this, but that's long since gone.
I also pay for lab social events. I get extra income here and there for panel work etc, that I view as money to share with the group.
Elisa Fadda-🔺
in reply to Stephen Royle • • •Albert Cardona
in reply to Elisa Fadda-🔺 • • •@Elisa @steveroyle
Looks like high time to push back against these inane policies. I wouldn't mind if my own salary hadn't cratered in purchasing power over the last 5 years.
Elisa Fadda-🔺
in reply to Albert Cardona • • •Albert Cardona
in reply to Elisa Fadda-🔺 • • •@Elisa @steveroyle
That one seems harsh: software for work cannot not be reimbursable.
Elisa Fadda-🔺
in reply to Albert Cardona • • •Albert Cardona
in reply to Elisa Fadda-🔺 • • •@Elisa @steveroyle
The amount of money spent by university administrators to prevent academics from spending their own grant money is ... concerning, and even more so since a significant chunk of the administrators' salaries is funded from the overheads of our own grants.
#academia
Steve Gisselbrecht
in reply to Albert Cardona • • •@Elisa @steveroyle
I've long said that the Purchasing Department exists to fight purchasing like the Fire Department exists to fight fires.
El Duvelle
in reply to Albert Cardona • • •Looks like a job for the lecturers' union if anything like that exists?
MCDuncanLab
in reply to El Duvelle • • •@elduvelle @Elisa @steveroyle
A quick check on the Wellcome shows that they specifically ban expenditures on staff leaving parties and other miscellaneous social events.
Which runs counter to their push for good lab management practices, since a key aspect of team management is adjourning or dealing with a staff leaving.