Fund selects researchers for management studies

Researchers are gearing up to take a closer look at how the government could run better under new $15,000 grants from an endowment on public management.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers Endowment for the Business of Government last week awarded 14 grants to government management researchers, who will look at topics including characteristics of successful senior executives, privatization of welfare services and risk management in federal loan programs. The awards mark the first round of grants from the endowment, which was created this summer by the newly formed PricewaterhouseCoopers consulting firm.

"We were very pleased with both the quality and quantity of the 160 applications for the research grants," endowment director Mark Abramson said. "We're very pleased with the 14 winners, but we're also very pleased that we've designed the endowment to take applications on an ongoing basis and that we'll be making awards quarterly."

Abramson is also urging government executives to apply for research sabbaticals. Federal executives in the Senior Executive Service or at the GS-15 level can apply for two- to four-month leaves, during which they would prepare research papers in one of three areas: outstanding leaders; new or effective tools, techniques or methods of delivering government services; and changing organizations, people and cultures.

The endowment will provide office space and cover research-related supplies and travel expenses. Executives' agencies will continue to pay their salaries. Sabbaticals are permitted for SESers under the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act and for GS-15 executives under the 1958 Intergovernmental Personnel Act.

The first sabbaticals are set to begin in January.

In addition to the 14 research grants, two university professors were awarded $20,000 to host conferences next year on management topics.

For more information, call 703-741-1077 or e-mail endowment@us.pwcglobal.com.

The 16 winners and their research topics are:

Research Grants

• Gary C. Bryner
  Department of Political Science
  Brigham Young University
  Subject: Innovations in Environmental Programs (New Tools and Techniques)
• Steven A. Cohen
  School of International and Public Affairs
  Columbia University
  Subject: Welfare to Work Innovations (Changing Organizations/New Tools and Techniques)
• Wayne T. Curtin and Melissa Marschall
  Department of Government and International Studies
  University of South Carolina
  Subject: Use of Technology (New Tools and Techniques)
• R. Steven Daniels and Carolyn L. Clark-Daniels
  Department of Government and Public Service
  The University of Alabama at Birmingham
  Subject: Organizational Transformation (Changing Organizations)
• Samuel M. DeMarie
  College of Business
  University of Nevada-Las Vegas
  Subject: Technology and Teamwork (New Tools and Techniques)
• Robert B. Denhardt
  School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy
  University of Delaware
  Subject: Profiles in Local Government Leadership (Outstanding Leaders)
• Michael H. Granof, David E. Platt, and Igor Vaysman
  College of Business Administration
  The University of Texas at Austin
  Subject: Implementing Activity-Based Costing in Higher Education (New Tools and Techniques)
• Mark W. Huddleston
  Department of Political Science and International Relations
  University of Delaware
  Subject: Profiles in Federal Government Leadership (Outstanding Leaders)
• Jocelyn M. Johnston and Barbara S. Romzek
  Edwin O. Stene Graduate Program in Public Administration
  The University of Kansas
  Subject: Privatization of Welfare Services (Changing Organizations)
• Anne Laurent
  Government Executive Magazine
  Subject: Entrepreneurial Government (New Tools and Techniques)
• Jerry Mitchell
  School of Public Affairs
  Baruch College, The City University of New York
  Subject: Public/Private Partnerships (New Tools and Techniques)
• Beryl A. Radin
  Rockefeller College, School of Public Affairs
  State University of New York at Albany
  Subject: Decentralizing Federal Organizations
• Mark Schneider
  Department of Political Science
  State University of New York at Stony Brook
  Subject: Leadership in Education (Outstanding Leaders/Changing Organizations)
• Thomas H. Stanton
  Center for the Study of American Government
  Johns Hopkins University
  Subject: Risk Analysis in Loan Programs (New Tools and Techniques)

Conference Grants

• Evelyn Ganzglass
  NGA Center for Best Practices
  National Governors' Association
  Subject: Developing Performance Measures (New Tools and Techniques)
• Simon Harkin and Paul Andrisani
  School of Business and Management
  Temple University
  Subject: Privatization (New Tools and Techniques)