I guess it depends how specific you are being. Obviously I don’t think it should be taken as given that “specific think tank plan x” would be good, but I do think it is reasonable for a fund to take it as given that at a high level “policy work” would be good. And if the LTFF does not think this then why does the LTFF actively outreach to policy people to get them to apply?
I don’t think we should take it as a given! I view figuring out questions like this as most of our job, so of course I don’t want us to have an institutional commitment to a certain answer in this domain.
And if the LTFF does not think this then why does the LTFF actively outreach to policy people to get them to apply?
In order to believe that something could potentially be furthered by someone, or that it has potential, I don’t think I have to take it as a given that work in that general area “would be good”.
I also think it’s important to notice that the LTFF page only lists “policy research” and “advocacy”, and doesn’t explicitly list “policy advocacy” or “policy work” more broadly (see Asya’s clarification below). I don’t think we currently actively solicit a lot of policy work for the LTFF, though maybe other fund managers who are more optimistic about that type of work have done more soliciting.
And separately, the page of course reflects something much closer to the overall funds view (probably with a slant towards Asya, since she is head of the LTFF), and this is generally true for our outreach, and I think it’s good and valuable to have people with a diversity of views on the LTFF (and for people who are more skeptical of certain work to talk to the relevant grantees).
Now it is my turn to claim a strawman. I have never applied to the LTFF with a plan anything close to a “let’s try to get smarter people into government” approach. Nor were any of the 5 applications to the LTFF I am aware of anything like this approach.
Sorry! Seems like this is just me communicating badly. I did not intend to imply (though I can now clearly see how one might read it as such) that your work in-particular falls into this category. I was trying to give some general reasons for why I am skeptical of a lot of policy work (I think only some of these reasons apply to your work). I apologize for the bad communication here.
I also think it’s important to notice that the LTFF page only lists “policy research” and “advocacy”, and doesn’t explicitly list “policy advocacy” or “policy work” more broadly
The page says the LTFF is looking to fund projects on “reducing existential risks through technical research, policy analysis, advocacy, and/or demonstration projects” which a casual reader could take to include policy advocacy. If the aim of the page is to avoid giving the impression that policy advocacy is something the LTFF actively looks to fund then I think it could do a better job.
I don’t think we currently actively solicit a lot of policy work for the LTFF,
Maybe this has stopped now. Last posts I saw was Dec 2021 from an EA Funds staff who has now left (here). Posts said things like: “we’d be excited to consider grants related to policy and politics. We fund all kinds of projects” (here). It is plausible to me that things like that were giving people the wrong impressions and the LTFFs willingness to fund certain projects.
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I don’t think we should take it as a given! I view figuring out questions like this as most of our job, …
Fair enough. That seems like a reasonable approach too and I hope it is going well and you are learning a lot!!
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Sorry! Seems like this is just me communicating badly
No worries. Sorry too for any ways I have misrepresented our past interactions. Keep being wonderful <3
I don’t think we should take it as a given! I view figuring out questions like this as most of our job, so of course I don’t want us to have an institutional commitment to a certain answer in this domain.
In order to believe that something could potentially be furthered by someone, or that it has potential, I don’t think I have to take it as a given that work in that general area “would be good”.
I also think it’s important to notice that the LTFF page only lists “policy research” and “advocacy”, and doesn’t explicitly list “policy advocacy” or “policy work” more broadly (see Asya’s clarification below). I don’t think we currently actively solicit a lot of policy work for the LTFF, though maybe other fund managers who are more optimistic about that type of work have done more soliciting.
And separately, the page of course reflects something much closer to the overall funds view (probably with a slant towards Asya, since she is head of the LTFF), and this is generally true for our outreach, and I think it’s good and valuable to have people with a diversity of views on the LTFF (and for people who are more skeptical of certain work to talk to the relevant grantees).
Sorry! Seems like this is just me communicating badly. I did not intend to imply (though I can now clearly see how one might read it as such) that your work in-particular falls into this category. I was trying to give some general reasons for why I am skeptical of a lot of policy work (I think only some of these reasons apply to your work). I apologize for the bad communication here.
The page says the LTFF is looking to fund projects on “reducing existential risks through technical research, policy analysis, advocacy, and/or demonstration projects” which a casual reader could take to include policy advocacy. If the aim of the page is to avoid giving the impression that policy advocacy is something the LTFF actively looks to fund then I think it could do a better job.
Maybe this has stopped now. Last posts I saw was Dec 2021 from an EA Funds staff who has now left (here). Posts said things like: “we’d be excited to consider grants related to policy and politics. We fund all kinds of projects” (here). It is plausible to me that things like that were giving people the wrong impressions and the LTFFs willingness to fund certain projects.
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Fair enough. That seems like a reasonable approach too and I hope it is going well and you are learning a lot!!
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No worries. Sorry too for any ways I have misrepresented our past interactions. Keep being wonderful <3