ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 

 ADMINISTRATION 



Submitted by James S. Kane, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Physical Researcti 



Although it resprsents a modest fraction of the 

 agency's total work, the basic research carried out 

 by the Energy Research and Development Admin- 

 istration (ERDA) is a major enterprise. It is among 

 the largest and most successful of such enterprises 

 in the world. Much of it had its origins in the 

 Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), and this histo- 

 ry affects what is being done, who is doing it, and 

 the philosophy underlying its conduct. 



Most of the basic research is carried out by the 

 ERDA national laboratories and by universities. 

 The ERDA laboratories are in many ways unique 

 in the Federal establishment. The majority are 

 operated by universities and ties with the universi- 

 ty community are close. The research traditions of 

 American universities continue to mold laboratory 

 approaches to problems and management styles. 

 In these traditions, basic research is seen as a vital 

 ingredient of the approach to solving national 

 problems. 



ERDA began its existence with the largest parts 

 of its basic research enterprise in place. Many 

 hundreds of contracts were in effect for research 

 projects at university campuses. Many thousands 

 of scientists were at work at separate institutions 

 with unexcelled facilities and strong research tradi- 

 tions. The scientists at work in their laboratories 

 represented an important national resource. The 

 factual survey here is intended as an accounting of 

 ERDA's stewardship of this resource and of the 

 steps being taken to assure its healthy evolution. 



The course of the evolution is not easy to fore- 

 see. New points of view are being introduced. The 

 urgent need for attention to rapid commercializa- 

 tion of new energy technologies brings with it 

 needs for industrial experience and approaches. 

 The associated industrial research traditions are 

 different from university traditions. Within the na- 

 tional laboratories, the intimate contact between 

 developers and basic researchers shapes and invi- 

 gorates both types of effort. On the other hand, the 

 industrial firms carrying out ERDA-funded devel- 

 opment and demonstration projects typically nei- 

 ther have nor seek funding for basic research 

 tasks. The interactions are mostly quite indirect. 

 The mechanisms for assuring the most fruitful lev- 

 el of interaction need strengthening. 



The fact remains that ERDA is making a sub- 



stantial commitment to basic research. Work of 

 this nature must and will remain an important part 

 of the functions that ERDA is carrying out. 



ERDA's Mission 



ERDA's activities are conveniently summarized 

 in its name — energy research and development. 

 The summary is generally accurate but can mean 

 different things to different people. In common 

 with other Federal departments and agencies, 

 ERDA carries out a variety of functions extending 

 beyond any obvious and simple interpretation of 

 its central role. Its activities include, for example, 

 building demonstration plants and stimulating 

 commercialization of energy technologies. These 

 are missions of the type commonly associated with 

 the phrase "mission agency." Basic research is less 

 often thought of as a mission. It seems worth ex- 

 ploring here to what extent and what types of basic 

 research should be considered an ERDA mission. 



The scope of activities for each Federal agency 

 is determined by law. For ERDA, the principal 

 laws defining its scope include the Energy Reor- 

 ganization Act of 1974, and the Atomic Energy Act 

 of 1954, as amended. Section 2 of the Energy Re- 

 organization Act states that. . . 



". . .it is necessary to establish an Energy Re- 

 search and Development Administration to bring 

 together and direct Federal activities relating to 

 research and development on the various 

 sources of energy, to increase efficiency and re- 

 liability in the use of energy, and to carry out 

 the performance of other functions, including 

 but not limited to the Atomic Energy Commis- 

 sion's military and production activities and its 

 general basic research activities." 



Section 3 of the Federal Nonnuclear Energy 

 Research and Development Act includes the fol- 

 lowing language: "The Congress declares the pur- 

 pose of this Act to be to establish and vigorously 

 conduct a comprehensive, national program of ba- 

 sic and applied research and development." Sec- 

 tion 31 of the Atomic Energy Act directs the 

 Commission (which mandate was transferred to 



162 



ENERGY RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT AOMINISTFiATION 



