Abstract
THE TRADITIONAL PEER REVIEW system used by the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies to evaluate research grant proposals has proven to be a good way of ensuring that the best projects get funded. The more proof-of-concept experiments that a researcher can include in his or her proposal, the more likely it will be scored well in this system. As a result, more conservative, lower risk proposals are perceived to have an advantage. Some scientists worry that this characteristic of the peer review system could lead to missed opportunities to make big strides in science. This concern has not fallen on deaf ears at NSF's Division of Chemistry. The division has launched a new initiative called the Chemical Bonding Centers (CBC) program that is designed to target highly innovative research. The program encourages researchers to tackle large-scale, high-risk problems in chemistry through collaborative groups of scientists and engineers from around the ...
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