Factors Affecting the Quality of Basic 

 Research Projects 



Regardless of where the work is performed, the 

 vision and leadership of the senior officials who 

 plan and direct the research are among the most 

 important factors affecting the quality of basic 

 research projects. Among the most important 

 characteristics necessary for effective leadership, 

 the agencies cited the willingness and capacity of 

 research directors to understand what researchers 

 do; to recognize research ability; to select person- 

 nel who are creative, productive, and compatible; 

 and to provide encouragement. The military serv- 

 ices, together with agencies such as NASA, Agri- 

 culture, Interior, and ERDA, also emphasized the 

 need for the research manager to recognize pro- 

 ductive research results. To this end, effective 

 communication must be developed between the 

 performer of the research, the research director, 

 and the staff. The Navy summarized this view by 

 pointing to the need to create a research environ- 

 ment around the staff. 



Another factor affecting the quality of basic 

 research is a personnel system that insures a 

 productive staff. Incentives of various kinds are 

 required. The majority of agencies reported the 

 need for pay scales comparable to those of non- 

 government organizations, a fair retirement sys- 

 tem that provides security, opportunities for pro- 

 motion and personal improvement, and incentive 

 awards. In addition. NIH, the Navy, and ERDA 

 reported the need for a free-thinking atmosphere 

 with opportunities to exchange ideas and with 

 sufficient competition to encourage good results. 



Several agencies (ONR, NOAA. ERDA, Agri- 

 culture, NIH, and NBS) point to the success of 

 their programs that bring their research staff in 

 contact with researchers from universities. At 

 NBS, visitor programs bring together staff mem- 

 bers and scholars for considerable periods of 

 time. At Agriculture, arrangements are made for 

 staff members to join one of the agency's agricul- 

 tural research institutes at a university, where 

 they can improve and develop research ideas in 

 perhaps more hospitable surroundings. 



A majority of the agencies agreed that adequate 

 facilities, including space and scientific equip- 

 ment, are essential to the efficient use of research- 

 ers' time. To this end. a continuing program of 

 updating and replacing obsolete equipment is es- 

 sential; the agencies agree that more funds are 

 necessary for this purpose. Facilities such as li- 

 braries and other sources of information also en- 

 courage the staff, increase their output, and pro- 

 mote the exchange of ideas. 



Agency commitment to basic research is ex- 

 pressed in many ways, e.g., funding, facilities, 



272 AGENCY SUPPORT OF BASIC RESEARCH BY FIELD OF SCIENCE 



visionary leadership, personnel policies, and per- 

 sonal contact. No small part of this commitment 

 is the need to establish a meaningful program role 

 for the organization. When Congress established 

 the Office of Naval Research (ONR). it approved 

 a management style that for 30 years has promot- 

 ed the advancement of science and insured that 

 basic research was supported while the special 

 needs of the Navy were met. The management of 

 ONR has identified three program roles for the 

 Navy: (1) funding basic research; (2) insuring 

 payoff by selective encouragement of research in 

 specially selected disciplines; and (3) insuring that 

 research results are manifest in mission improve- 

 ments and. wherever feasible, are made available 

 for direct use by other agencies or civilian serv- 

 ices. 



The process by which projects are selected for 

 support is itself the primary determinant of the 

 quality of research. The criteria by which NIH 

 reviews research proposals summarize the factors 

 many agencies feel affect the quality of research. 

 NIH selects its projects based on: 



• The likelihood that the project, if successful, 

 will contribute new knowledge to the particu- 

 lar research area; 



• The soundness of the rationale for the ap- 

 proach to be used and the project methodolo- 

 gy, 



• The capability of the investigator, based 

 upon prior training and research productivity, 

 to carry through the project; 



• The appropriateness of the period of per- 

 formance planned for the project, and the 

 projected budget; and 



• The adequacy of environmental facilities and 

 resources for the project. "• 



Impact of Security Classification 



The agencies have few problems with security 

 and secrecy. Only the Defense agencies. NOAA, 

 ERDA, and NASA cite any problems at all, the 

 latter three indicating they are bothered only oc- 

 casionally when some information obtained may 

 have a minor impact on security or may limit 

 some of the activities they might otherwise under- 

 take. The Navy points out that most basic re- 

 search done under budget category 6.1 (research) 

 is unclassified and is so treated. The Army and 

 the Air Force have some problems transferring 

 some types of information to other agencies, and 

 free publication may be limited in certain areas. 



■•Private conimunic;ition from Dr. Ann Kaufman, NIH. to 

 NSB st;iff. 



