biologists who are increasingly dependent on quan- 

 titative methodologies and analytical approaches in 

 their investigations. 



The research programs in the behavioral and 

 neural sciences have an unusually broad concep- 

 tual base, and at present there are no promising or 

 vital subareas of basic research that are not receiv- 

 ing some support. However, responsibilities in 

 these fields are growing coincident with the tracta- 

 bility of problems. Many pressing needs cannot be 

 met, especially those that require relatively sub- 

 stantial investments and dependence on sophisti- 

 cated instrumentation. 



Physiology, cellular, and molecular biology car- 

 ries a major role in support of basic research in the 

 plant sciences. Until the level of effort can reach 

 more nearly optimal levels, augmentation in this 

 field should continue. The molecular biology stafi" 

 is particularly receptive to instrumentation devel- 

 opment and adaptations that improve sensitivity 

 and resolution in the interest of providing refined 

 analyses of molecular structure. The efl"ort is cost- 

 ly and inadequately supported (e.g., synchrotron 

 radiation, neutron scattering, etc.). 



Organization and Management of 

 Research Activities 



Project support procedure. Basic research pro- 

 jects are commonly initiated by the principal inves- 

 tigators. However, the staffs play a vital creative 

 role by feeding back to the scientific community 

 the information on major research requirements or 

 unaddressed problems that they acquire as a result 

 of the peer review process and attendance at scien- 

 tific meetings and workshops. This feedback takes 

 the form of informal discussions with the scientific 

 community encouraging particular kinds of propos- 

 als, preparing responses to preproposals or 

 concept papers, and convening workshops or con- 

 ferences. For example, the biome projects and the 

 integrated pest management project were identified 

 as appropriate research topics at a workshop of 

 American biologists convened to consider the pos- 

 sibilities for U. S. participation in the international 

 biological program (IBP). 



Trends in .support of basic research. Biological 

 research has changed completely since World War 

 II, as a consequence of the new approaches and 



depth of understanding of biological phenomena 

 that arose in the main from combined advances in 

 biochemistry and molecular genetics. By now all 

 subdisciplines have been touched and, with rare 

 exceptions, leading research is analytic as opposed 

 to descriptive. A second salient characteristic is 

 the "fuzzing" of disciplinary boundaries — as ap- 

 proaches and methodologies from many disciplines 

 are brought to bear on the solution of a given prob- 

 lem. The challenge of research problems in 

 biological and behavioral sciences increasingly en- 

 tices scientists from the physical sciences and 

 mathematicians to these fields. 



Consequently, the cost of research in biological 

 and behavioral sciences has accelerated rapidly. In 

 addition, highly individualistic efforts that were 

 characteristic of researchers 30 years ago have 

 given way to substantial collaborative efforts on 

 complex problems. It is now most common for a 

 scientist to pursue research in association with 

 groups of students or senior colleagues. Support 

 patterns have lagged irt adjusting to the new re- 

 quirements — primarily because resources have not 

 kept pace with the advancing technology, nor with 

 the general change in style of work. 



In the social sciences. Federal support of basic 

 research in universities (excluding psychology) 

 was virtually nonexistent immediately after World 

 War II. Since the early I950's, the Foundation's 

 commitment in these areas has grown progressive- 

 ly, but the total level of support remains quite low. 

 Concomitant with the expansion of Foundation 

 support for social science research has been a 

 change in the nature of social science, especially 

 an increasing utilization of mathematical and 

 statistical methodologies in the empirical explora- 

 tion of interrelated variables. With rising levels of 

 knowledge and sophistication, access to extensive 

 data sources has become a major requirement for 

 the conduct of social science research. 



The development of adequate and quantifiable in- 

 formation often requires major investment to sup- 

 port a group of scientists, e.g., social indicators, the 

 electoral study, project LINK, etc. A second more 

 recent and growing trend is seen in the move to- 

 ward interdisciplinary approaches within the social 

 sciences. The interface areas — political economy, 

 socioeconomics, etc. — often give rise to new in- 

 sights and major advances in understanding of so- 

 cial institutions and processes. 



210 



NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 



