[Editor’s note: As chairman of the human resources subcommittee of the House Committee on Government Operations, Rep. Ted Weiss (D- N.Y) has devoted considerable attention to the issue of scientific misconduct. What follows is an edited transcript of an interview on the subject, conducted July 18, by senior editor Jeffrey Mervis.]
Q You’ve held a series of hearings on issues that relate to public support of science. What are your principal concerns?
A If I hadt o sum it up in one word, it would probably be accountability. I think that it is appropriate and desirable for the federal government to provide support for scientific research. At the same time, I think that we have an obligation to monitor the complaints that may come in regarding improprieties in the, course of that research.
One of my concerns is that the NIH has in essence allowed the institutions to do the ...
