From Bruce Denness
Donald Braben recognises that a key obstacle to creative research is the use of peer review as the gold standard for deciding what gets funded (12 September, p 24). Peer review does achieve mediocrity more efficiently.
Most of us could identify one or more scientific mavericks, not all of them academics. I suggest they should be invited to nominate contenders for an award. A panel could then select the recipients. That would circumvent the stultifying grip of peers.
Whitwell, Isle of Wight, UK
