Yesterday I opened my campus mailbox and there was a FedEx envelop! What’s this? I opened it, and inside was a check and a letter. Okay, so that does not happen everyday. In the world of academics, where funding rates are as low as 2%, this is a rare event. But success is often about the rare events, and so here I was, check in hand, gleeful and very surprised.
This wonderful foundation, called the Coypu Foundation, has agreed to give me a grant. I was surprised because, when I submitted the application, it felt like it went into a dark abyss. The application went through an internet portal and was never acknowledged. No email, no nothing. When I emailed the address on the portal to find out if they received my application, I received no reply.
A few months went by.
I gave up.
I figured it was lost effort (we academics do lots of that).
There was no one to call and ask.
And then I get a check in the mail.
Thank you Coypu. Thank you. Your money will be carefully funneled into research that will make a positive difference in the world. And now I have your phone number and I know who to call when I apply again.