(3) List the 10 most significant projects in- 

 volving basic research (intramural and/or 

 extramural) which your agency has carried 

 out in the last 10 years. It would be most 

 helpful, in answering this question, if you 

 would also list the most significant re- 

 search papers published during the last 10 

 years by scientists in your agency, togeth- 

 er with supporting data from the citation 

 index as evidence of their importance. 



(4) List the five most interesting agency pro- 

 jects involving basic research which are 

 currently in progress. 



(5) What are your research priorities for the 

 next 3 years? For the next 10 years? 



(6) What promising or vital areas of research, 

 not now supported but involving basic 

 research, warrant increased emphasis and 

 support by your agency? 



(7) What is the management structure for ini- 

 tiation, review, and evaluation of agency- 

 supported research? 



(8) How are decisions made for (a) initiation 

 and conduct of research in agency labora- 

 tories and/or (b) support of research by 

 grant or outside contract in industry, in 

 universities, and in nonprofit institutions? 



(9) How can support of basic research be ex- 

 plicitly recognized and incorporated into 

 mission agency programs to enable the 

 agency best to accomplish its objectives? 

 For example, what are the mechanisms for 

 initiation and termination of basic research 

 projects? What criteria are used to deter- 

 mine level of support during initial and 

 subsequent phases of a basic research proj- 

 ect? How are priorities established for 

 allocation of funds to basic research proj- 

 ects in competition with research and/or 

 development projects? How does your 

 agency prevent near-term programs which 

 are in financial trouble from siphoning 

 funds from the basic research program in 

 order to hail them out? 



Primnrily with reference to Chapters 3-11 (1-9 

 in printed report): 



(1) Outline the significant trends in conduct 

 and support of basic research in your 

 agency since World War II. 



(2) What criteria are used when making a 

 decision to conduct a research project in 

 an agency laboratory rather than to sup- 

 port the project in industry, a university 

 or a nonprofit institution? Do the same 

 criteria apply if the research project is 

 identified as being basic research? 



(3) What are the most important factors 

 affecting the quality of the basic research 

 carried on in your laboratories? Assum- 

 ing that people, money, and facilities are 

 important factors, how does your agency 

 select and/or replenish the people who do 

 your basic research? Do salary levels and 

 Federal regulations enhance t>r inhibit 

 your ability to select the best people for 

 your basic research projects? Is there a 

 system of incentives and rewards in your 

 agency which is specifically designed to 

 recognize outstanding accomplishments 

 by scientists engaged in basic research? 

 Is obsolescence of equipment and/or fa- 

 cilities an important factor with respect 

 to conduct of basic research in your labo- 

 ratories? 



(4) What are the most important factors 

 affecting the quality of the basic research 

 projects supported by your agency under 

 grant or contract with industry, universi- 

 ties, and nonprofit institutions? How 

 important is the institutional commitment 

 to basic research? 



(5) What mechanisms exist for the mainte- 

 nance of quality standards for the re- 

 search which is supported by your agen- 

 cy? Does your agency have external re- 

 view committees to help in the evaluation 

 of the quality of your basic research pro- 

 grams? Are the reports of these external 

 review committees published regularly? 



(6) What legislation in the past 8 to 10 years 

 has had a significant impact on your 

 agency support of basic research? 



(7) What Federal regulations and policies, if 

 any, impede the conduct and/or support 

 of basic research by your agency? 



(8) What changes in Federal regulations and 

 policies would facilitate conduct or sup- 

 port of basic research by your agency? 



(9) What barriers exist to optimum support 

 of basic research by your agency? 



(10) Does security classification of research 

 projects have a significant impact on the 

 conduct of basic research in your agency 

 laboratories? 



(11) What mechanisms exist for interagency 

 consultation and coordination of effort on 

 research projects of mutual interest to 

 your agency and one or more other agen- 

 cies? Do the same mechanisms apply for 

 basic research projects? 



(12) Does the "lead agency" concept work 

 effectively for research projects which 

 are vital to your own ongoing programs 

 as well as to those of other agencies? 



376 APPENDIX C 



