These doubters deem such actions as needlessly manipulating a process that should take only the merit of ideas into account. They simply deny the existence of “unconscious bias” (demonstrated repeatedly as part of the human condition) and pretend that the social dimension of reviewing is imaginary or immaterial. They see any organizational adjustment as groundless deference to a minority that correspondingly disadvantages the current dominant group. In other words, the “have-nots” have earned their disadvantaged status and the funding agency has no obligation to assist them in becoming “haves.”

No system can remain credible if those with credentials compete and fail to win scarce rewards on the basis of measures unrelated to merit, or what NIH rates as components of “impact”—notably, project significance, innovation and approach. As sociologists have long known, and the NIH authors and commentators finally recognize, disadvantages accumulate just as do advantages. Without interventions, the gap widens and the playing field continues to tilt toward the haves. Yet any hint of recognition that systems can be fine-tuned strikes too many as preferential, politically correct, and legally assailable.  

Kudos to NIH for answering the “wake-up call” (Director Francis Collins’ words) with transparency and trying to do something about a disparity unexplained. We should watch now with great curiosity instead of suspicion or rancor. This is much ado about something—but not what skeptics suggest. 

Dr. Daryl E. Chubin is the Director of the Center for Advancing Science & Engineering Capacity at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.