Memoranda

February 15, 1951

MEMORANDUM FOR THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

For the past several months, Mr. William Golden has been working for the White House Office and the Bureau of the Budget on a number of matters involving scientific research and development activities. During the course of this work he has had a number of discussions with persons both in and out of government concerning matters which are closely related to the possible work of the Science Foundation.

Mr. Golden has prepared the attached memorandum which summarizes his views concerning a possible approach to the development of a program by the National Science Foundation We are transmitting them to you with the thought that they may be of interest and help as you are considering this matter. We feel it would be inappropriate for the Bureau of the Budget officially to endorse this paper since we do not want to be in the position, or have you feel that we are in the position, of having prejudged your actions.

We will of course be available and anxious to discuss your plans for organization and programs as soon as you desire to do so.

(signed) F.J. Lawton
Director

Attachment

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(Sent to Members of the NSF Board)

This letter is being sent to you for your information at the request of President J.B. Conant.

(signed) Harold E. Benson
Acting Administrative Officer

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Memorandum on Program for the National Science Foundation

It is well to reiterate the pre-eminent need, from a long-term viewpoint, for advancing basic scientific knowledge. To promote such studies is the primary purpose of the National Science Foundation. To this end provision is being made for a representative of the National Science Foundation to be a member of the newly created Advisory Committee on Defense Scientific Research. This latter Committee, located within the Office of Defense Mobilization and reporting to the Defense Mobilizer and to the President, will serve as a focus in the mobilization program for a representation of the scientific community and further will serve as the central point for knowledge of the efforts of the Government as a whole in scientific research and development of military significance. Membership on the Committee will consist of ex officio representatives of the appropriate Government agencies plus a representative selection of distinguished scientists at large.

Substantial effort is already directed to basic research within the United States, being supported by universities, private industry and the Government. Government funds being expended for basic research in FY 1951 are of the order of $100 million according to Bureau of the Budget figures, though much depends on the definition of "basic". It will be recalled that beginning around 1939 basic scientific study in the United States was severely cut back by the necessary diversion of effort to applied research and development incident to World War II. Several distinguished scientists have recently reiterated that basic studies, particularly in the physical sciences, have not yet recovered from this interruption. It is clear that for the long-term future of the United states, in peace and in war, there can be no better investment than the replenishment and increase of this seed corn of basic scientific knowledge.

Under conditions of mobilization now confronting us, with the primary necessity of increasing the military strength of the United States with maximum speed, very large increases are being made in the Federal budget for military expenditures. Federal funds for research and development of all kinds within the Department of Defense alone, which originally approximated $500 million for FY 1950, are expected to be in the neighborhood of $1,250,000,000 for FY 1952. Thus there will be a very large demand on scientific manpower of the country for military purposes to meet the immediate threat.

Consequently, it appears that under present conditions there can be no substantial diversion of effort from the near-term needs for applied military research to permit an immediate increase in the quantity of basic research. Nevertheless it is important that current basic research be continued, despite the heavy pressures which will be put on manpower and facilities to shift their emphasis to scientific activities having greater promise of prompt results. And as soon as our expanding military research and development programs are more clearly defined and stabilized it should be possible to divert some effort to increase the attention paid to basic research. This is vital to broaden the foundation of knowledge for our military and industrial strength and the public welfare over the longer term.

In the interim however there is every reason to encourage the transfer of existing basic research projects, or equivalent supporting funds, from the present active agencies (such as the Office of Naval Research and the Atomic Energy Commission) to the National Science Foundation. A gradual transition of this sort should afford an excellent method for the National Science Foundation to begin its supervisory operations.

A Program for the National Science Foundation

It may be worth repeating that in accordance with the spirit of the Act, as well as the judgment of substantially all scientists with whom I have discussed the question, the National Science Foundation should confine its activities to furthering basic scientific studies and that it should not dilute its effectiveness by supporting studies of directly military or other applied character. To do so would seriously impair the long-term mission of the National Science Foundation without materially contributing to the war effort, since such work can better be done by other agencies. In the long run, of course, additions to basic scientific knowledge will contribute, as previously indicated, to both the wartime and peacetime strength of the country; but short-term results are not to be looked for.

The question of appropriations to the National Science Foundation is important but will not become a matter for immediate consideration until the Board itself analyzes its undertakings and prepares a recommended program for the near-term and long-term future. As a matter of interest the Act as passed authorized direct appropriations not to exceed $500,000 for the FY ending June 30, 1951, and not to exceed $15 million for each FY thereafter.

In my judgment, and in accordance with the Act, the Foundation, promptly after the appointment of a Director, might proceed to the following principal undertakings:

1. Prepare a comprehensive review detailing the significant areas of basic science which are now being studied within the United States, showing these separately for research supported by universities, by industry and by the Government. To the extent practicable the pattern should also indicate work in process in friendly foreign countries. No complete mosaic is possible since the range of basic knowledge (and the awareness of the lack of knowledge) may be expected to expand without limit; but such a study, divided by the major sciences including the social sciences, will create a useful frame of reference. Such a factual framework will assist in the direction of emphasis for new undertakings and will also be helpful (particularly with respect to the foreign portion) in the avoidance of unintentional duplication of effort and in promotion of joint efforts on an international scale in these unclassified areas.
   
   
2. Prepare a comparable survey detailing the existing support of graduate and undergraduate education in the sciences by the many public and private agencies so engaged. Here, too, a clear understanding of the existing situation is a condition precedent to an effective fellowship and scholarship program by the National Science Foundation. Existing supports in large measure, like Topsy, "just growed". A comprehensive survey of the facts would be invaluable for the guidance of private as well as public assistance. It is evident that this relates to the broader field of Government support of education as a whole and it should aid in the determination of comprehensive policy and program. This review should also evaluate the indirect support of education in the sciences afforded by Government research and development contracts with universities.
   
   The initiation of a fellowship and scholarship program need not await the completion of the survey but the major long-term program should of course be based on the synoptic view it will provide. In the interim, strong efforts should be made to obtain funds for immediate pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships, although it is not clear how this can be done within the limitations of the Act, prior to the beginning of the FY 1952, other than through transfers of funds from existing agencies such as the Atomic Energy Commissions. It is not the purpose of this memorandum to go into detail. However, to indicate the order of magnitude of such an initial fellowship program consideration might be given to a post-doctoral program consisting of two or three fellowships at each of say twelve universities in a number of major fields such as Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Engineering, making say a total of 150 such fellowships at something approaching $4,000 each. This would involve perhaps $600,000 per annum and something approaching twice that sum if provision were made for two-year fellowships. The number of pre-doctoral fellowships should be higher. In view of the disruption of the educational process inherent in the mobilization effort it would be unwise not to undertake some such fellowship program in order to insure the continuing production of scientific leaders over the longer term. We must not, in preparing for the threat of immediate war, overlook preparedness for a war which may come five years or more in the future. The continuing production of scientific leaders is essential to that end. The cost of such a fellowship program is very small in relation to its potential value and to the total cost of Government's scientific research programs.
   
   
3. Study the scientific manpower resources of the United States: a) as specifically called for in the Act, by taking over, completing, and keeping current the detailed National Scientific Register; and b) by preparing quantitative analytical studies of available and prospective scientific and technical manpower. The categories would include scientific and technical specialties as well as degrees of proficiency, years of experience, age brackets and the like. These latter studies would be based in part on judgment and statistical analyses of available data rather than just on head counts. Dependable data of this sort is badly need in mobilization planning and would influence Selective Service policies and decisions as to educational emphasis and support by Government and private agencies.
   
   
4. Review basic research activities of other Government agencies and in cooperation with them develop proposals for transferring appropriate portions of these programs to the National Science Foundation. In this connection, and to provide background for its work, the Board might wish to invite other Government agencies engaged in or supporting basic research activities to make descriptive presentations of their programs to the Board. The length of such presentations would in large measure depend upon the amount of time which the Board wished to devote to receiving briefings of this kind. The Bureau of the Budget could be very helpful in making these arrangements because of its experience and its close working arrangements with all Government agencies.

Preparation of studies of the aforementioned character are primarily tasks for the staff under the Director but the members of the 24-man Board, through their Divisional Committees and Special Commissions, are particularly well qualified to plan and determine their undertakings and to give guidance to the staff in the areas of their specialties. It is also evident that the National Academy of Sciences and other existing public and private groups can be very helpful.

Based on the reviews described above the National Science Foundation can prepare its own program for the future and will put itself in a position to provide invaluable advice to the President and the Congress, in guiding emphasis on governmental basic research programs. Reports of the above reviews, particularly the first and second, would, of course, be unclassified and it is hoped that they would be published and made generally available. They would not only provide justification for the granting of Federal appropriations but would be invaluable as well for the intelligent placement and integration of private funds. They should, therefore, become documents of widespread public interest.

February 13, 1951
William T. Golden