@The Pentacle Queen,
In my time, there was pressure to do the work that was described in the grant application, and then, maybe or maybe not, depending on date and time, to beat out the guy with the labs across the hall or down the hall, but, underlying all that, given you were actually interested in your premise, to read day and night about anything going on that might relate to the research. I don't remember any of our research people caring a whit about the department. unless the building would catch on fire. I do remember (seventies) some personal competitions re scientists elsewhere in the world.