I think it's wise to don't try to push the people than can accept or reject your project.
It's remind me the few times I came in the US before I get the Canadian citizenship, back in the 2000's.
I had to answer a MCQ with question like "Did you participate in the Nazi crimes during WW2?" and "Do you plan to commit any crime or take part in any illegal activity during your stay in the US?".
My father was BORN during the WW2. And sure, if I was a criminal, I will certainly claim it at the custom... I had to resist a bit to not answer stupidly to these stupid questions. But then I remembered I wasn't so sure about US Customs' sense of humor and wasn't so thrill to visit the US Custom's cell, so I play it safe