ORGANIZATION OF SCIENCE 



content to sit and sift, but would itself have to search and ponder in a 

 more active way. Its basis of operation as a granting agency might 

 well be patterned upon the Office of Scientific Research and Develop- 

 ment in that it might receive applications for research funds from 

 universities, research laboratories, other government agencies, or even 

 individuals, and might enter into contracts with those it judged as 

 offering the best prospects for needed scientific advance. Like 

 O. S. R. D., it might find no need to become an operating agency with 

 plants and facilities of its own, although it should have some freedom 

 to use those methods best calculated to promote the best research. 



Much would depend upon the composition of this board. It 

 should consist of working scientists who can judge the merits of various 

 research proposals and policies, and of representatives of those fo'- 

 whose benefit the research is done and who in the end pay the bills, 

 that is, the public as represented by labor, consumers, and industry, 

 small or large. Perhaps a proportion of eight scientists and four public 

 representatives would express both the purposes and responsibilities of 

 the board; and some of the scientists should be drawn from, or be pri- 

 marily interested in the scientific work of, the government departments. 

 Since there should be no disposition on the part of such a board 

 to displace any existing research agencies, but rather to supplement and 

 aid them, its most important function might well turn out to be, 

 especially in its initial operations, that of coordinating and facilitating 

 research generally. It would undoubtedly avoid competition with 

 industrial research, and direct its first attention to "unprofitable" 

 fields such as exploration looking toward new natural resources, hous- 

 ing, public health, etc. It would probably be concerned with such 

 public services as the provision of adequate means of publication, of 

 bibliographic and library services, of abstracts and translations of foreign 

 scientific literature, and similar functions. 



Either this board or another one in the Department of Science 

 would of necessity concern itself with one of the basic questions in all 

 scientific research: how to insure an adequate supply of trained scien- 

 tists for research, for education, for industry, and for public service. 

 Its operation in this respect could well be patterned upon the fellow- 

 ship boards of the National Research Council, which at present ad- 

 ministers limited and temporary funds supplied from private sources. 



Two main criticisms of the proposal outlined above may be 



