Should I finance my own research trip?

[artalot]

I have a sabbatical in the spring (yay!), and I'm really looking forward to starting on my next research project. My research is based upon traveling to a foreign country to collect data. My university does not award internal money to people on sabbatical. I struck out with the few external grants available in my field. The cost for a month in this country would not be much - about what I make in a month, but of course I will be paying mortgage and utilities here, so I will have to dig into savings that I was planning to use to fix up my house.
I really want to go, and the timing is perfect as there is an event I would really like to attend that will be going on while I plan to be in foreign country. But I'm hesitating to book it. I already spent quite a lot of my own money attending conferences and doing research in order to get tenure. I don't think I should have to spend money to do my job. I know it will make me happier to get away from campus and go do what I love in a place I love. I will also be bitter that I had to spend my own money to do it, but I might be more bitter if I don't go. Thoughts? Anything I haven't considered. 

[Parasaurolophus]

I'm in a grant-light field where we mostly pay our own way for research-related things, trips, and events. So I'd be inclined to answer 'yes', and plan to scale back conferencing in the near future to offset the cost.

There might be some direct ways to offset some of your costs, though. Or at least make them more pleasant/less galling. You could, e.g., reach out to universities in this country and see if any of their relevant departments would be interested in hosting you for a colloquium talk (or whatever your field's equivalent is). Loads of departments would be delighted to have someone come by for a talk, and while they can afford a night in a hotel and a nice dinner, they can't afford to fly people over from distant lands. So if you tell them you'll be in the area, and roughly when, and say you'd be happy to give a talk, if they're interested, you might well get dinner or a night's rest out of it. I'd imagine they'd be especially interested in hearing from someone who works on localish issues.

Plus, you know. Not going to collect your data is presumably going to make your work on this next project a lot harder.

[professing]

There might be some direct ways to offset some of your costs, though. Or at least make them more pleasant/less galling. You could, e.g., reach out to universities in this country and see if any of their relevant departments would be interested in hosting you for a colloquium talk (or whatever your field's equivalent is).

I agree with this. And perhaps reach out to your chair to see what their thoughts are. Maybe some costs can be covered if you give a talk. Would airfare (at least one way) be covered to the talk?

This brings me to... have you spoken to your chair? Do you have travel funds (or access while on sabbatical to them)? Could you negotiate this since it's related to your research?

I haven't had sabbatical yet but some of my colleagues have. Some are in my department and others are even in different fields at different universities. Most have been able to get at least some costs covered out of their budgets. I haven't heard of anyone completely funding out of pocket.

It sounds like this research is meaningful and important to you. I would think going to collect data would be important. Instead of staying for several months, could you strategically plan your trip so that you are there for the major event and can collect additional data you could only do there over a period of several weeks instead of months?

Best of luck...!

[Hibush]

I'm going to conclude that you should.

Sabbatical leaves are incredible opportunities to move on to the next stage of your career, possibly the most exciting and rewarding part of your career.

First, good job applying for external funds. You struck out, but that happens (even to Washington Nationals players, who are winning a lot). That is great planning for a sabbatical. 

Ask for money from the department or the college. Emphasize that you have a clear plan, and that you have applied for external funds. Even if there isn't an official process, sometimes you get something. I just got a thousand bucks of travel funds for a colleague at a different university, for which she was not actually eligible. The administrator had the flexibility to make that call.

The opportunity cost of not doing what you have planned is enormous. That cost may be greater than the modest sacrifices you will have to make, and you may make it up in future grants or other rewards. But the personal satisfaction from the ongoing opportunities that will come from a solid sabbatical makes it worthwhile regardless of those finances.

[mamselle]

Independent scholars (as I have, probably, mentioned before...!) always (or nearly always) pay their own way, or expect we will be, first.

We wouldn't get much done if we didn't.

Consider yourself in competition with us, if you like...

;--}

M.

[aside]

I really want to go, and the timing is perfect as there is an event I would really like to attend that will be going on while I plan to be in foreign country. But I'm hesitating to book it. I already spent quite a lot of my own money attending conferences and doing research in order to get tenure. I don't think I should have to spend money to do my job. I know it will make me happier to get away from campus and go do what I love in a place I love. I will also be bitter that I had to spend my own money to do it, but I might be more bitter if I don't go. Thoughts? Anything I haven't considered.

Another vote for going if you can afford it.  You should make the most of the sabbatical; such opportunities do not come around often.  Academics often have to spend their own money to do their job.  The trick is to spend it on things that will advance your career; then you can consider it an investment in your future.

[polly_mer]

Bottom line: is this something you dearly want to do or is this truly just your job so if you miss out, eh, it's the university's loss?

Something I want to do is worth spending my money if that's literally the only way to get it done after I've struck out with everything else.

Something that is purely for my job, although it's something I wouldn't mind doing, is something I will give up trying to get funding to do once it's clear that's not going to happen.

[fleabite]

Count me as another vote for going. I, too, fund my own research, because that research means a lot to me. Perhaps there is a chance that you could rent your house for a month to someone who will be visiting your city/campus, which would help to cover some of the expenses of the trip.

[new_anth]

One time, many years ago, when I was a grad student there was an upcoming presidential election in the country where I researched. I bit the bullet and flew my own way there in the middle of the semester.

Peaceful regime change for the first time in the history of the country happened right before my eyes (I was in the room when the new president declared victory), I got INCREDIBLE data for my dissertation, and on the flight back to the U.S. I got word that I received two dissertation grants.

I'm really, really glad I went. It would've been worth it without the bonu$ at the end. I think it's worth it to tighten our belts and get to our sites.

[hazelshade]

Depending on how late in the spring you're going, you could still apply for the American Philosophical Society's Franklin Grant (the December deadline lets you start spending as soon as April). Hope your sabbatical is going well!

[Dismal]

"I don't think I should have to spend money to do my job."

Economists make a distinction between acquiring specific human capital and general human capital.  Specific hc only has value in your current job and we would then expect employers to fund it.  Acquiring general human capital makes you more attractive to multiple employers and we wouldn't expect any one employer to completely fund it for you.   

[pedanticromantic]

Can you get in touch with people in the host country?
They may be able to offer you some guest lectures (paid), or otherwise help cover some costs in exchange for some small bit of work.
Or, they may have somewhere to actually house you at a discount.
Some other countries also have funds available to them to pay for foreign scholars to visit. You may not be aware of these until you contact them! I actually came out ahead after a trip to Japan because they had a big pot of money that nobody was using to bring foreign scholars to work with their research faculty. I gave one lecture and left with a lot of money.

[Cheerful]

Academics often have to spend their own money to do their job.

This is a problem. 

[artalot]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I did ask about money, but I'm already going to a conference, so no joy. But, I just booked the trip. I think I would kick myself if I didn't go and, even though I will be working, it will be a nice change of scenery. And since the archives and collections I will be using close at 5 pm, it will actually force me to go out, relax and have some fun.
I have to move between small towns, so I think visiting lectures are out, but I'll do some looking. I hadn't even considered that as option. Thanks!

[mamselle]

Academics often have to spend their own money to do their job.

This is a problem.

Why?

M.