Slowly growing support from the University of California and the lack of a tie between state financial support and grant and contract funds substantially limits the initiation of new programs or the expansion of existing research. The hiatus in faculty hiring for the past several years has allowed the average age of the faculty to increase while curtailing the influx of new scientists in new fields or for the support of existing strong areas of research and teaching. The continuing decline in external grants and contracts during the past is due, at least in part, to this effect. All members of IGPP have many demands on their time. Each new activity that requires a time commitment removes time from research and teaching as well as business management.
Most members are at or near the limit of their discretionary time.
A large academic staff in geophysics can lead to situations in which young scientists, in particular, may step on each other's toes in pursuing research problems and funding. Geophysical research is degraded by allocating research funds on criteria other than merit, by the assaults on the peer review process, by increases in politically motivated funding, and by expenditures in the name of science for projects other than research. Free and open exchange of geophysical data is being threatened by increasing commercialization.