Not much left of the vaunted trade balance: Brian Setzer’s chart puts the financial and energy crisis in perspective (though I’m sure he’d disagree that the declining dollar bears much responsibility. But my perspective is clouded by being a grad student having to pay to do research in Europe. Right, Andrew?).
June 11, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Ugh, don’t remind me. Every time I hear a news anchor tell me not to worry about the declining dollar because it only affects those who travel to Europe regularly, I die a little.
June 11, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I worry about these things. I can’t see how an history department can get away without providing at least $5000 to each incoming grad student for pre-diss and diss research. I find it laughable that my university dispersed only $8000 per year for general travel and research funds for all departments in Social Sciences and Arts (although there are some specific grant opportunities).
June 11, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I’m fortunate that I’m at a university with a lot of funding available. Which is how I’m still able to go to France for a while next year. That said, the grants meant to facilitate such research (the Fulbright, Chateaubriand, SSRC, etc) are all finding themselves under a deluge of applicants with fewer grants to give out. It’s a major, major problem.