Jeffrey Mervis, ScienceInsider:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) today rebuffed a request from the chairman of the House of Representatives science committee to obtain reviewer comments on five social science research projects it is funding.
[…]
In a letter to Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX), NSF defended the need to preserve the confidentiality of the peer-review process, according to sources with knowledge of the letter’s contents.
In case you missed it, Rep. Lamar Smith recently sent a letter (pdf) to the NSF Director requesting peer-review discussions behind several grants that were awarded because he was skeptical that they met the “intellectual merit” criteria.
That a lawyer, turned politician, might possibly veto the recommendations of experts because he is ignorant to each study’s merits is ludicrous. Let’s be honest, though. Rep. Smith isn’t ignorant - he’s a smart guy. His request is the beginning of a thinly-veiled attempt to restructure the NSF into a simple manufacturer of commercially-viable goods. This attempt is based on a short-sighted political worldview and has no business in the scientific process.
Bravo to acting NSF Director Cora Marrett for refusing Lamar Smith’s request.