Science Windfall Stimulates High Hopes-and Political Maneuvering

摘要

A handful of stellar researchers could be in line for grants of as much as $90 million over 5 years, thanks to a new program included in a stimulus package approved by Japan's legislature on 29 May. But some scientists worry that a political selection process could steer money toward industry-favored projects. "I'm pessimistic about [the prospects for] basic science," says Masao Ito, a neuroscientist at RIKEN, near Tokyo.