Most of the limited public research funds in Italy are distributed through direct negotiation between the national and regional governments (and their administrators) and research institutions or even individual scientists. It is not uncommon to read in newspapers that millions of euros have gone to a research centre or to individual scientists, in the absence of any kind of long-term national strategy, and worse, without any open and public competition for the best proposals.

It is hard to understand why any national or regional entity that distributes public money in the public interest would prefer to assign funds in this kind of "top-down" manner. Wouldn't they better serve our country's interests by openly inviting all Italian scientists to submit their best and most innovative ideas through a public call for proposals. Submissions could then be scrutinized through an open, regulated, anonymous, competent and independent scientific evaluation of the whole process by third parties.

It is quite embarassing to let the world know that the large part - if not all - of the Italian scientific community is asking for the rigorous and immediate introduction of "peer review" in any distribution of public money for research. It is sort of like asking for integrity, the absence of which is devastating for free science that works in the interest of the country.

But this March, around 2000 Italian researchers in fields from astrophysics to oncology endorsed such a petition to the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano. Published in IlSole24Ore, Italy's main financial newspaper, the petition asked the government to introduce an independent agency and transparent rules for the allocation of public money - to increase the competitiveness of Italian science and prevent the distribution of public funds without peer review.

The petition has obtained the full support of President Napolitano, who is soon to meet with the scientists. Meanwhile many of our colleagues have joined us in this request for transparency. Rarely there has been so much recognition of the existence of a problem in the country's research system. But although the diagnosis is quite clear the cure still seems a long way off.

Related links
Merito e libertà o niente - article by Paolo Bianco, Ranieri Cancedda, Elena Cattaneo in La Stampa Sezione TuttoScienze June 4 2008 (or read the English translation)
Ricerca, niente fondi senza bando - article by Paolo Bianco and Elena Cattaneo in IlSole24Ore May 9, 2008 (or read the English translation)
A Plea for 'Transparent' Funding - commentary in Science published May 16, 2008 (subscription required)
English translation of petition by the Italian scientists to President Napolitano, and the original Italian version published in IlSole24Ore March 7, 2008 (Italian)
Intervento - article by Paolo Bianco, Elena Cattaneo, Ranieri Cancedda published in Darwin, January 2008 (or read the English translation)