Report Tells NSF to Think More Boldly
Date: Saturday, July 21, 2007 @ 12:09:33 GMT
Topic: Science
A new draft report from its oversight body calls on the U.S. National Science Foundation to be more receptive to funding wild-eyed ideas that, just maybe, could revolutionize science, according to an article in the March 9th Science by Jeffrey Mervis.
The Board’s proposal calls for a separate “transformational research initiative,” but NSF Director Arden Bement feels that adding another program would tax the already overburdened staff. NSF’s peer-review system is widely seen as the gold standard for selecting high-quality research proposals, but Board members say they are worried that some scientists do not even apply for grants that cut across the scientific grain because of “the external perception that NSF is not as welcoming as it should be to such research”.
The Board report asks NSF to come up with a management plan for its suggested direction by August. (See http://www.sciencemag.org)
Source: http://www.worldexpertise.com/March_2007.htm
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