123 



Two or 3 years after the Foundation started its program [he went on], we began 

 thinking about how to handle the problem of the social sciences. The initial attach- 

 ment of psychology was in the biological-medical sciences domain, where it fits 

 very closely to physiology, neurology, and the traditional physiological and med- 

 ical areas of psychology. 



The initial moves * * * were to attach a part-time person to an area of actixity 

 that was called program analysis. The purpose in bringing a sociologist on the 

 staff at that time for that particular function was that in our studies of the sup- 

 port of science by the Federal Government, we were turning up data that re- 

 flected support of the social sciences through the Census Bureau and through 

 other agencies, and we needed somebody on the staff who knew what this was 

 about and could interpret the data, so we brought Dr. Alpert over from the Bureau 

 of the Budget part time on the program analysis activities. The other jDart of his 

 time we assigned liim to the Biological Sciences Division, and we began support- 

 ing physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, archeology, and areas of social 

 science' that impinged rather closely on the biological sciences. 



In the Physical Sciences Division, we began a small effort in * * * the history 

 and philosophy of science. We had a staff member over in the Physical Sciences 

 Division who was particularly interested, so we began that over there. This went 

 on for 2 or 3 years. 



Then, we finally created an Office of Social Sciences, and supported social science 

 research per se. This, of course, came about as a result of study by the Board and 

 in further response to the action of the Board in adopting policy that allowed us to 

 support a broader range of social science research activities. Coincidentally, the 

 same kind of movement was taking place in the fellowship programs for the sup- 

 port of graduate students. After creating what was called the Office of Social 

 Sciences, we began supporting social psychology, anthropology, economics, soci- 

 ology, and the history and philosophy, of science — generally the things that were 

 * * * scientific in character. In other words, we a^Dplied scientific methods to 

 study the social phenomena. 



This went on for a few years and we eventually created a full-fledged Social 

 Sciences Division. It has not become as large a program, but it has full division 

 status. 



In the last couple of years we have broadened the program to include political 

 science * * *. For the total effort of the Foundation encompassing research and 

 facilities as well as fellowships and traineeships and other educational kinds of 

 things the figure would run about $30 million. 



In the recent past there has been * * * an increasing awareness of * * * prob- 

 lems of social import rather than social problems * * *. There has been the feeling 

 that perhaps a stronger press for work in the social sciences might lead to solutions 

 of some of these problems of social import.^^ 



Only a few grants and fellowships (in psychobiology, psychology, 

 and anthropology) were extended by NSF during its first years of 

 existence. However, in March 1953, the Foundation undertook 

 a study of the status of the "sciences of human social behavior" to 

 determine what should be its own position respecting research in this 

 field. Results of this study were reported in NSF's Fifth Annual 

 Report. The conclusion was that NSF should support a "limited 

 program of support of the social sciences" which was approved by the 

 National Science Board in August 1954. Criteria for the program 

 were four: 



(1) the criterion of science, that is, the identification within 

 the social disciplines, of those areas characterized by the applica- 

 tion of the methods, and logic of science; 



(2) the criterion of national interest, namely, the assignment 

 of highest priority to social science activities directly related 

 to the responsibilities of the Federal Government with respect to 

 national welfare and national defense; 



'8 In U.S. Congress. Senate. Committee on Government Operations. Establish a Select Senate Committee 

 on Technology and the Human Environment. Hearings before the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental 

 Relations of the * * * on S. Res. 68, to establish a Select Senate Committee^on Technology and the Human 

 Environment. Mar. 15, 16, 20, Apr. 5, 6, and 11, 1967. (Washington, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1967), 

 pp. 133-134. 



