In the past 10 to 15 years transportation research programs have experienced a dramatic growth in earmarking--the specification of a research project, a funding amount, and the institutional recipient via Congressional legislation. After reviewing trends in the amounts of research funding earmarked under several U.S. Department of Transportation agency programs, this article examines the rationale for earmarking and identifies the risks.Noteworthy risks identified include pushing universities' energies in thewrong direction, adversely affecting mission-oriented research, reducing accountability for the expenditure of public funds, causing disadvantages for other transportation research stakeholders, and undermining respect for science and jeopardizing academic freedom.
Abstract