Professor Claudio Fiocchi resigned as evaluator of research projects of the Principality of Medicine after receiving strong pressure from the same project managers who would judge. The task of flakes was to remain anonymous according to what are the rules of the Principality, but this did not happen, there was a tip-off, our colleague has done well to condemn the incident and resign upon receipt pressures.
I am on the side of Flakes, though some have different ideas about and express criticism in my opinion surreal (http://occhichesannoguardare.myblog.it/archive/2009/09/24/la-dannosa- complaint-and-useless-the-prof-fiocchi.html).
one that has lived in the first flakes person appears to be an established practice in many areas within the ministerial projects Prin (Medicine in the first place). For several years, with letters and petitions have tried to bring to light the various ministers defects and flaws that affect the evaluation of scientific projects funded by the Ministry, proposing corrective measures, but little is worth (see previous post in this blog). Last year Panorama has also released an article with some colleagues had put together of anecdotes about the serious shortcomings of the system Prin, trying to raise awareness of the ministry, with poor results (http://rassegnastampa.unipi.it/rassegna/archivio / 2008/10/31SI45036.PDF).
turned his voice that some researchers had may divert their programs for charitable view reviews domesticated, but there was no evidence. This is a dishonest practice that benefits some at the expense of others, where we do not start all equal and are trampled on. This time, however, the megalomania of certain academic "crafty" has been frustrated, they never imagined having to deal with honesty and fairness of flakes. But many others, over the years left to run?
A bad history where it is possible that the guarantors are involved area of \u200b\u200bmedicine, some "mole" of the Ministry, or both. We read that will open an investigation into the incident Gelmini (Because only after the article of the Republic and not a month ago when he wrote to the Ministry Flakes?). We hope that after the first raised shields is not all covered up, according to the customs of that Berlusconi's Italy, we hope that they make the names and the guilty are proven wrong.
Today many politicians and academics rinse your mouth with words such as evaluation and merit, but unfortunately it is only the attitudes of the facade, because many of them so far have only encouraged and practiced nepotism, cronyism and familism. The allegation of flakes shows that in Italy is more and more is needed an agency that applies internationally recognized evaluation criteria. But who will guarantee that the components di questa agenzia si comporteranno correttamente? Se si vuole cambiare veramente, a mio parere la valutazione di programmi scientifici e concorsi non dovrà essere affidata ai soliti noti "esperti" caserecci, ma appaltata ad arbitri stranieri, non perchè più bravi o più belli, ma solo più indipendenti e avulsi da inciuci e malcostume delle lobbies politico-accademiche nostrane; quegli inciuci e quel malcostume denunciati da Fiocchi. Un decennio di tale pratica potrebbe contribuire a ripristinare un senso etico e di responsabilità nel mondo accademico e della ricerca.
