1. Top scientists are forced to become administrative salespersons begging for grants from people they've barely met. This is an imbecilic waste of time for our

1. Top scientists are forced to become administrative salespersons begging for grants from people they've barely met. This is an imbecilic waste of time for our best talents. 2. Safe proposals are generally rewarded, risky ones less so...but not based on scientific merit. We know which institutions conduct science (i.e. accredited research institutions). NIH NSF should provide block grants to Universities, which would provide that to Departments, which would then fund the Department's scientists. This would: 1. ...create more heterogeneously funded science because you Departments judge on personal interactions with individual scientists, who will have more intimate knowledge of their research and strengths. 2. ...risky science is more likely to be funded, and less politically adept science can get funded. 3. departmental/university applications for funding are much less work than traditional NIH NFS applications...because the University has a vested interest in not wasting their scientist's time.