SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



Submitted by David Challinor, Assistant Secretary for Science 



Smithsonian Mission 



The Smithsonian Institution was created by an 

 Act of Congress in 1846 to carry out the terms of 

 the will of James Smithson of England, who had 

 bequeathed his entire estate to the United States of 

 America "to found at Washington, under the name 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment 

 for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among 

 men." 



The Smithsonian of today is both a leading re- 

 search center and a vast museum complex. The 

 Smithsonian operates eight major research/mu- 

 seum facilities which include the National Museum 

 of Natural History and National Museum of Man, 

 the National Air and Space Museum, National 

 Zoological Park, the Smithsonian Astrophysical 

 Observatory (Cambridge, Massachusetts), Smith- 

 sonian Tropical Research Institute (Canal Zone), 

 the Radiation Biology Laboratory (Rockville, 

 Maryland), and the Chesapeake Bay Center for 

 Environmental Studies (Edgewater, Maryland). In 

 addition, the Smithsonian operates a number of 

 units primarily to service the scientific community, 

 the foremost being the Smithsonian Science Infor- 

 mation Exchange, Incorporated. 



The unique nature of the Smithsonian, with a 

 specific and unambiguous charter for the conduct 

 of basic research, sets it apart from almost all oth- 

 er scholarly organizations in the United States. 

 Unlike universities in this country, the Smithsoni- 

 an can continue long-term studies that may not 

 otherwise be economically viable. By the same 

 token, the Smithsonian is able to pursue areas of 

 research that mission agencies may find in the 

 short term unprofitable or that may be restricted 

 by their mandate. 



Definition of Basic Research 



The Smithsonian of late has reexamined the va- 

 lidity and usefulness of the distinction between 

 basic and applied research. In general, these kinds 

 of research are defined in terms of the end prod- 



226 SMITMSONIAN INSTmjTION 



uct. For basic research, the end product is com- 

 monly thought of as investigation for the advance- 

 ment of scientific knowledge in general. The goal 

 of applied research is usually described as the dis- 

 covery of new scientific knowledge with a specific 

 objective in mind. This reexamination of the dis- 

 tinction between types of research has led the 

 Smithsonian to think of its scientific pursuits as 

 "original research" — research that provides the 

 baseline data essential for policy planners in mis- 

 sion-oriented agencies. 



Role of Basic Research 



The Smithsonian of today might be aptly called 

 the Nation's environmental bureau of standards. 

 Our many bureaus have consistently been involved 

 in the assembly and exploration of basic informa- 

 tion and measurements about the earth's environ- 

 ment (and the various associated observations 

 emanating from the universe) which affect our 

 biosphere, cultural development, and indeed the 

 way we live. Additionally, our anthropological 

 collections document man's influence on the envi- 

 ronment. For more than a century and a quarter, 

 the Smithsonian has been looked to by its scientific 

 colleagues and laymen to maintain, augment, and 

 improve upon one of the major data banks in exist- 

 ence dealing with natural phenomena. The collec- 

 tions of the Smithsonian are central to the 

 scientific process for they provide continuity and a 

 source which a scientist may return to time and 

 time again for information. As technology im- 

 proves, even more data can be gleaned from one 

 single object. 



While all the Smithsonian research bureaus are 

 involved today, those most heavily engaged histor- 

 ically in this census or inventorying process have 

 been the National Museum of Man. with its var- 

 ious collections; the Astrophysical Observatory; 

 and the Radiation Biology Laboratory. 



Basic research has always been at the center of 

 the Smithsonian's existence since its founding. 



