The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word METALLURGY
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
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The straight part
We know that "Lead scientific study, maybe" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lead scientific study, maybe = metallurgy.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does METALLURGY mean?
METALLURGY noun- The science of metals; their extraction from ores, purification and alloying, heat treatment, and working.