ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON ENGINEERING 193 



revealed is that of a direct transformation of the potential energy of 

 oxidizable substances into electric energy. 



The field of research is too extensive to be described minutely, and 

 the work in progress too varied and widely distributed to be indicated 

 except in the most general way. For present purposes, however, 

 it may be said that every important institution of higher learning, 

 every professional school of engineering, a large and increasing num- 

 ber of business concerns, and several departments of government — 

 general, state, and even sometimes municipal — are more or less well 

 outfitted for such work and are engaged more or less extensively in 

 its prosecution. The various technical associations and engineering 

 societies are encouraging and stimulating research by affording op- 

 portunity to ascertain the immediately pressing questions to be thus* 

 solved, and by giving opportunity for the presentation and discussion 

 with experts of the results obtained. 



Even in the direction of finding men of geiiius, all these institutions 

 and organizations are doing something and contributing, in some 

 degree, toward providing time and opportunity for the display of 

 scientific learning and of genius in research, discovery, and inven- 

 tion. But neither the universities nor the governments, even of the 

 most advanced nations, are as yet finding ways to systematically 

 identify the great investigators and men of genius in ihis work and 

 provide them their opportunities. 



Every school or college of engineering today includes in its cur- 

 riculum far more extended courses of study and of laboratory work 

 in chemistry, physics, and engineering science than is or ever was 

 provided in any other department of instruction. Research in engi- 

 neering is thus distinctly recognized as a fundamental element of 

 progress. It is for these reasons that the work of the Carnegie In- 

 stitution must probably find place very largely in connection with 

 engineering and applied sciences which are its special basis. Both 

 the attractions and. the opportunities are large in this field, perhaps 

 larger than in any other known department of human knowledge. 



The fellowships to be instituted under the provisions of the deed 

 of trust and all similar aids to individuals must evidently be care- 

 fully guarded against degeneration into the form of fellowships sus- 

 tained by our institutions of learning, where the purpose is to aid 

 education. Here the aim is research, and every appointee of the 

 Institution must obviously be competent to make full return in fruits 

 of scientific research for the assistance thus rendered. This neces- 



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