The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) joined 109 other organisations as part of the Coalition for National Science Funding in a letter to the US House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, as well as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. In their letter, the organisations expressed concern about recent Congressional actions that call into question the National Science Foundation's (NSF) merit review process for awarding research grants.
The letter states that NSF's merit review process relies upon the expertise of leading scientists and engineers, and it has a proven track record in supporting outstanding, fundamental research across all disciplines of science and engineering. It is imperative that NSF's system of support for basic research be based upon excellence, competitive scientific merit, and peer-review.
Further, the letter states that while Congress does play an important role in oversight of federally funded research, it should avoid legislative attempts that could undermine a decades-long system of success and ultimately impede discovery and innovation.
