AI Should We Dump NIH Study Sections?

 See original source at bottom.  AI summarizes.

TL;DR: Is the NIH's grant process flawed, and would a "modified lottery" help?

Dr. Vinay Prasad criticizes the NIH's grant-funding system, proposing a "modified lottery" where grants passing a basic screening are awarded randomly. Critics argue this oversimplifies a complex process and ignores NIH’s successes, such as its significant contributions to biomedical science. Key objections include:

1. Oversights in Dr. Prasad’s Proposal:

   • He lacks detailed plans, leaving questions like how to define "completeness" or balance fairness and scientific merit.
   • Metrics he suggests (e.g., h-indices) are criticized as insufficient or easily gamed.
   • The proposed five-year timeframe to evaluate outcomes is too short for meaningful scientific impact.

2. Critiques of the Current System:

   • NIH study sections, while imperfect, effectively identify highly meritorious applications.
   • The biggest problem is low paylines (only ~10% of applications get funded), creating a "lottery-like" situation among the best proposals already.

3. Modified Lottery Feasibility:

   • Adding randomness could address biases and diversify funding but still requires robust peer review.
   • Existing models for hybrid lottery systems (e.g., funding a fraction of top proposals randomly) might be better than Dr. Prasad’s vague ideas.

4. Concerns About Political Bias:

   • Critics fear that aligning funding with ideological agendas (e.g., defunding "woke" universities) could undermine scientific meritocracy.

Ultimately, while a modified lottery isn’t inherently a bad idea, Dr. Prasad’s proposal lacks depth and ignores practical challenges. NIH reforms should focus on increasing funding and improving peer review, not replacing it with untested, ideologically driven systems.

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https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/are-nih-study-sections-a-waste-of-time/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=are-nih-study-sections-a-waste-of-time

Are NIH study sections a waste of time?

Since the nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya for NIH Director, I’ve been seeing a suggestion from certain contrarian doctors for a a “randomized trial” of study sections vs. a “modified lottery” to determine which grant applications are funded by the NIH. Just what the heck is Dr. Vinay Prasad talking about?

David Gorski on December 9, 2024