December 7, 2001

When Politics Trumps Peer Review

To the Editor:

Pork-barrel spending, at least when applied to scientific projects, is a process that many scientists find insidious, potentially damaging to the quality of science in the United States, and possibly dishonest ("Research-University Group Considers Stance on Earmarks," November 2). In a culture where peer review is the ultimate litmus test for assessment, it should be shameful when a project that does not muster positive appraisal by experts is awarded on the basis of