I just received a packet of mail forwarded by my department secretary that contained anonymous reviewer forms for a fellowship I didn’t win last winter. I thought the first reviewer was very positive and fair, but the second one, clearly the regional “expert,” made me say, “Huh?”
The line that stands out is this:
“Referees of the applicant may not be aware (as understood from their letters) that it is easy and possible to have interviews with all officials in Turkey and sit at their meetings….Hence the applicant does not have ’super powers’!”
Um, okay.
This reviewer might be interested to learn that after a two-month process of applying for permission, apparently receiving it, and negotiating a visit, I have ultimately been denied permission to observe a meeting at one of my research sites. In explaining the decision an official said, “Even if one of the agency’s drivers entered the room during our meeting we would stop talking.”
Easy and possible. I’ll keep that in mind.
7 comments ↓
sorry to hear this. it seems the only logical conclusion is that the second reviewer must be an official or ex-official in turkey himself.
Interesting, yli. I tend to think it’s likely this person has very little first-hand experience with officials and is therefore able to assume that gaining access to them is easy; insiders should recognize that at least some meetings are off-limits to outsiders.
I can’t believe a reviewer tried to strip you of your “super power” status! S/he is clearly just jealous. Those of us who know you know that your super powers are very, very real.
Aw, shucks. Thanks, jt! I was just about to pack up the cape.
It all started at a young age…
jim - your conclusion is more logical. mine was still based on the assumption that the reviewer was speaking from experience and knew what s/he was talking about…
Did you refer to your super-powers in your application? Or discussed them at length with your referees? Maybe they read about your powers of self-levitation?
What a wanker!!!
Hmm, maybe it was the levitation. I guess word gets around.
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