Ben does outside research projects like OpenCog, since he knows the field and has the connections, and is titled "Research Director". I bear responsibility for SIAI in-house research, and am titled "Research Fellow" because I helped found SIAI and I consider it nobler not to give myself grand titles like Grand Poobah.

Silas, I would confidently say, "Oh hell no, the last thing we need right now is a Manhattan Project. Give me $5 million/year to spend on 10 promising researchers and 10 promising students, and maybe $5 million/year to spend on outside projects that might help, and then go away. If you're lucky we'll be ready to start coding in less than a decade."