• The Air Force research program, while re- 

 taining its integrity and independence, should 

 be knowledgeable of and cooperate with the 

 research programs of the other DOD and 

 governmental agencies. 



Comparative Analysis and Historical Trends 



Prior to 1975, Air Force basic research was 

 concentrated mainly in four organizations: the Air 

 Force Cambridge Research Laboratories 

 (AFCRL), the Aerospace Research Laboratory 

 (ARL), the AFOSR, and the small Frank J. Seiler 

 Research Laboratory (FJSRL) located at the Air 

 Force Academy. AFCRL worked mainly in envi- 

 ronmental and electronic sciences; ARL concen- 

 trated on mechanics, chemistry, and solid state 

 sciences; and AFOSR managed most of the Air 

 Force extramural research program. 



On January 1, 1975, AFOSR became the single 

 manager of Air Force basic research. On June 30, 

 1975, ARL was abolished. In January 1976, 

 AFCRL was abolished. The electronics laborato- 

 ries came under the operational control of the 

 Rome Air Development Center. The environmen- 

 tal laboratories were organized as the Air Force 

 Geophysics Laboratory and reoriented toward 

 primarily exploratory development (National Sci- 

 ence Foundation [NSF] "applied research"). As 

 part of the realignment of the Air Force research 

 program, the remaining Air Force laboratories, 

 most of which until this time had no basic re- 

 search responsibility, were required to initiate 

 small research programs. This laboratory readjust- 

 ment became effective in fiscal year 1977. 



The Air Force laboratories devote approximate- 

 ly 7 percent of their manpower to basic research. 

 Of the total Air Force research budget, approxi- 

 mately 30 percent is devoted to in-house research 

 in 11 laboratories. The remaining 70 percent is 

 spent on extramural research, with the majority 

 of these funds managed directly by AFOSR. 



One of the reasons for the realignment of the 

 Air Force research program was to reverse the 

 trend of increasing in-house work and decreasing 

 extramural research. The Air Force research 

 budget over a 12-year period is shown below: 



Basic Research in Agency Laboratories and 

 in Federal Research Centers 



Air Force agencies conducting or managing re- 

 search, their main areas of interest, and their 

 funding in FY 1977 are shown in Table I. The Air 

 Force research program spends very little money 

 in the Federal Contract Research Centers 

 (FCRC's). The cooperation and interchange be- 

 tween the Air Force research community and the 

 FCRC's are good, as is information exchange, but 

 the funding and management structure of the 

 FCRC/Air Force relationship allows little expendi- 

 ture of research funds by the FCRC. 



Agency Support of Basic Research in Industry 



Approximately 8 to 10 percent of the Air Force 

 research budget is contracted to industrial con- 

 cerns. Actual amounts vary with industry interest 

 in the Air Force program and Air Force interest in 

 the expertise available. 



Agency Support of Basic Research in 

 Universities 



University-funded research sponsored by the 

 Air Force declined from $42 million in FY 1969 to 

 $25 million in FY 1975. This trend is now being 

 reversed. In FY 1975, approximately 55 percent 

 of Air Force research was conducted in Air Force 

 laboratories. In FY 1977 and for the future, only 

 30 percent of Air Force research will be conduct- 

 ed in-house. Approximately 10 percent will be 

 conducted in industrial establishments, and 50 

 percent in colleges and universities. Most Air 

 Force research contracts and grants are managed 

 directly by AFOSR, but Air Force laboratories 

 are encouraged to increase their participation in 

 research with the academic community. 



University-Air Force personnel interaction pro- 

 grams already developed will continue in their 

 present mode: 



• The major program in which university pro- 

 fessors work in Air Force laboratories for 10 

 weeks during the summer will be maintained 

 at about 55 people. There will be a one-year 

 follow-on minigrant of $10,0(K), available for 



