119 



ment of a 18 member Science Policy Task Force, composed of 

 members from both political parties. The task force is involved in 

 a two-year comprehensive study of past, current, and future sci- 

 ence policy issues for the Nation. According to Congressman 

 Fuqua, the agenda for the two-year study includes: the institu- 

 tional framework for the support and conduct of scientific re- 

 search; the training and education of young scientists; research 

 funding methods; and the overall funding level for science. 



June 31, 1984: Public Law 98-373, the National Materials and Min- 

 erals Policy, Research and Development act was signed. The law 

 established a National Critical Materials Council within the Ex- 

 ecutive Office of the President. Among the Council's responsibil- 

 ities is coordination with appropriate agencies and departments 

 of the Federal Government relative to Federal materials re- 

 search and development policies and programs. The Act also es- 

 tablished a Federal program for advanced materials research and 

 technology, including basic phenomena through processing and 

 manufacturing technology, and sought to stimulate innovation 

 and technology utilization in basic, as well as advanced, materi- 

 als industries. 



August 2, 1984: Congressman Don Fuqua, Chairman of the Task 

 Force on Science Policy opened the first of many meetings and 

 hearings of the 18 member task force in its review of U.S. science 

 policy. During his opening statement Chairman Fuqua indicated 

 that, "our aim will be to review the evolution of Federal science 

 policy since the Bush report of 1945; to determine the results of 

 these policies and the current state of U.S. science; and to try to 

 determine the longer range needs of U.S. science and the adequa- 

 cy of our policies for government support of science." 



August 6, 1984: Erich Bloch was confirmed by the Senate as the 

 next director of the National Science Foundation (NSF). Mr. 

 Bloch is the first Director of NSF to come from industry, rather 

 than a university or Federal research laboratory. Mr. Bloch had 

 been vice president for operations at IBM Corporation. 



August 11, 1984: Public Law 98-377, the Education for Economic 

 Security Act provided assistance to improve elementary second- 

 ary, and postsecondary education in mathematics and science. 

 The Act also included a national policy for engineering, techni- 

 cal, and scientific personnel and provided for cost sharing by the 

 private sector for the training of such personnel. 



August 11, 1984: Public Law 98-462, the National Cooperative Re- 

 search Act of 1984 was signed into law. The law established a 

 system where joint ventures on research projects can limit poten- 

 tial legal liability for violation of antitrust laws to actual dam- 

 ages incurred by an injured party. Further, the Act allows firms 

 engaged in joint ventures to be reimbursed for their costs in de- 

 fending themselves in frivolous lawsuits brought against them 

 under the antitrust laws. 



September 27, 1984: The Chairman of the National Science Board 

 established an ad hoc Committee on Excellence in Science and 

 Engineering to study why some educational institutions are at- 

 tempting to bypass merit-based review to secure funds for re- 

 search and equipment through the legislative process. 



