basic legislative organic act of 1901 has been up- 

 dated and amended from time to time, the original 

 functions have not been altered; however, there 

 has been a growing tendency in recent years for 

 Congress and the executive branch to assign spe- 

 cific responsibilities to NBS in areas of urgent na- 

 tional concern. For example, in response to re- 

 cent congressional acts, the Bureau has estab- 

 lished a Fire Research Center, developed technol- 

 ogy to determine the safety of consumer prod- 

 ucts, evaluated new nonnuclear inventions for 

 energy conservation or production, and developed 

 standards for reclamation of used oils. In re- 

 sponse to executive directives, programs have 

 been established to explore the impact of Govern- 

 ment policy on technological innovation in the 

 civilian sector and to develop and disseminate 

 technical information of use to consumers. 



In performing its mission, the Bureau has de- 

 veloped a staff with high scientific and technical 

 credentials and has become a national resource 

 with far-reaching impact. It has catalyzed the ap- 

 plication of technology and scientific methods to 

 societal problems, has been a technical arm to 

 other Government agencies, and has been a 

 spawning ground for new scientific or technologi- 

 cal services within the Government. 



The contributions the Bureau must make to ful- 

 fill its mission are credible only to the extent that 

 they are based on the best scientific and technical 

 judgment available. Thus, management and con- 

 gressional oversight have recognized that the fun- 

 damental triad of standards, measurements, and 

 data that are needed by U.S. scientists and engi- 

 neers can only be addressed in the context of an 

 institution steeped in the scientific disciplines, 

 with a staff actively participating in forefront re- 

 search in those disciplines. In addition, basic re- 

 search enables it to respond to future demands for 

 services in real time. 



The "people dimension"" in this matter is cru- 

 cial. NBS staff members of the intellectual stature 

 capable of carrying on basic research are essential 

 for maintaining the vigor of the institution. NBS, 

 like any vital scientific laboratory, must be per- 

 meated by an intellectual spirit of inquiry that 

 only basic researchers of high caliber at the cut- 

 ting edge of science can provide. 



Definition of Basic Research 



NBS therefore not only feels a commitment to 

 provide services to those who do basic research 

 but must itself be involved in this research in or- 

 der to perform its mission. In this context, the 

 National Science Foundation (NSF) definition of 



basic research as an activity unrelated to the goals 

 of the organization is too severe for our use. For 

 us, then, basic research is that generally goal-ori- 

 ented forefront disciplinary research, which has 

 long-term significance and which has intrinsic sci- 

 entific value beyond the limits of the specific mis- 

 sion and goals of the organization. The general 

 areas of such research will be viewed by manage- 

 ment as supportive of the mission and by the indi- 

 vidual researcher and his peers in its scientific 

 context. 



Much of the justification given above is equiva- 

 lent to that for basic research in any high technol- 

 ogy or scientific institution with long life expect- 

 ancy. However, the unique NBS mission gives its 

 research a special flavor, because the Bureau has 

 the institutional responsibility for making availa- 

 ble to the public the best values of the basic phys- 

 ical constants of nature. Although pursuit of accu- 

 racy and precision in physical measurements may 

 not always be forefront conceptual science, such 

 pursuits are often closely associated with fore- 

 front science for two reasons: (I) Improved accu- 

 racy and precision in experimental science are 

 part and parcel of the process of improving the 

 tools of science, and they improve the determina- 

 tion of the physical constants underlying that 

 conceptual framework; and (2) absolute precision 

 measurements often have direct impact on con- 

 ceptual science. The history of science provides 

 numerous examples: Argon was discovered by 

 measuring the atomic mass of deoxygenated air 

 accurately. The relationship of the velocity of 

 light to static current and electrical measurements 

 as predicted by Maxwell was confirmed by mea- 

 surement; and vacuum polarization was confirmed 

 through precise measurement of the fine structure 

 constant in hydrogen. 



Role of Basic Research 



Because of the Bureau's deep involvement in 

 science over the years, it has become a cross- 

 roads for science. This tradition is typified by the 

 role NBS played till the I950"s as host for annual 

 meetings of the American Physical Society in 

 Washington. During this period, before the society 

 outgrew NBS" physical plant, the technical ses- 

 sions of the society were held on the premises of 

 the old Bureau site on Van Ness Street. NBS still 

 plays a crossroads role for science and technology 

 through its national symposia, weekly colloquia, 

 and workshops, thereby hosting some 14,000 sci- 

 entists and engineers each year. 



Basic research at NBS has come under a varie- 



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