We collaborated with MIT’s Radius program to host conversations about personal experiences when our values collide with funding sources in work or research. Many members of our community express concern about the funding sources of their departments, labs, and initiatives, and they may struggle if they feel that these sources are not aligned with their moral or ethical values. However, they seek support and clarity in terms of how to react and speak on this topic.
- Who’s someone in your life whose integrity you admire—someone who sticks to their principles even when it’s inconvenient? How do they do this?
- Do you know how your work or schooling is funded?
- Can you share a story about a time when you faced a conflict between your values and the funding source for a place you worked?
- What do you wish you and others knew about funding sources and how to influence these within your work/school life?
- Nicholas Collura, D.Min., BCC, Program Director of Radius
- S. L. (Libby) Hsu, Associate Director of Academics at the MIT D-Lab
Nicholas Collura, Director of MIT Radius and Interfaith Chaplain
"I think someone in the document that we were working on made the point of, particularly in these crisis moments, the job market is so poor or something, where the temptation to just bury your values or ethics under a rug is greatest. It's when it's actually the most important for people."
