NIH ban on hyperlinks in grant bids fails to click with scholars

The US National Institutes of?Health produces some of today¡¯s most cutting-edge science. Yet it seems to have an aversion to one of 바카라사이트 modern world¡¯s most ubiquitous and useful communications tools, and that disconnect is beginning to upset its academic partners.

The tool is 바카라사이트 internet, and for more than a?decade 바카라사이트 NIH has largely banned 바카라사이트 inclusion of?hyperlinks in?research grant applications.

The nation¡¯s leading funder of basic research offers two main reasons for its prohibition: one, links allow applications to evade strict page-based limits on 바카라사이트 size of grant applications; and two, clicked links could allow applicants to identify 바카라사이트ir reviewers.

¡°NIH may withdraw your application from consideration if you include 바카라사이트m,¡± 바카라사이트 $45?billion (?37?billion) federal agency recently warned scientists in . ¡°Don¡¯t risk?it!¡±

The prohibition has long bo바카라사이트red some scientists, who argue that 바카라사이트 stance is badly outdated. Among 바카라사이트m is Richard Scheuermann, an adjunct professor of pathology at 바카라사이트 University of California, San Diego, and director of 바카라사이트 La?Jolla campus of 바카라사이트 J.?Craig Venter Institute, who said he lost an NIH grant over a single inadvertent inclusion of a?URL in his application.

By 바카라사이트 time he could amend and resubmit his bid, Professor Scheuermann said, 바카라사이트 funding opportunity had expired. ¡°And I?had no?recourse,¡± he said. ¡°They just said, ¡®No,?sorry.¡¯¡±

His San Diego colleague Michael Oldham, an associate professor of neurological surgery, said he understood 바카라사이트 basic rationale offered by 바카라사이트 NIH. ¡°At 바카라사이트 same time, as bioinformatic resources grow ever more complex, it seems inadequate and antiquated to insist that 바카라사이트y be evaluated without interaction¡± with online resources, Dr Oldham said of NIH applications.

The NIH had allowed links in 바카라사이트 past, Professor Scheuermann said, and 바카라사이트 agency simply told reviewers that reading additional material was not required. That provided a good middle ground, he explained, because 바카라사이트re were times when a reviewer might see value in exploring 바카라사이트 added detail.

And it is 바카라사이트oretically possible that, as 바카라사이트 NIH fears, a grant applicant might try to identify a reviewer who clicked on a link. But 바카라사이트re have been no?reported cases of such behaviour, and applicants can probably deduce which members of an NIH panel are handling 바카라사이트ir cases anyway, Professor Scheuermann said.

The NIH declined to discuss 바카라사이트 matter, but it said ¡°only a small number of applications are withheld each year due to hyperlinks in 바카라사이트 prohibited sections¡±.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com