If this new knowledge and an adequate supply of trained men are pro- 

 vided, it is our opinion that the ordinary course of industrial activity can be 

 relied upon to convert to practical application in industry most of the 

 advances made in research. However, we believe that in certain instances 

 measures can and should be devised to expedite the transition from scientific 

 discovery to technological application. To this end we recommend that 

 procedures be devised for supplying research information to small companies 

 and stimulating them in the application of the latest technology. 



In the international sphere the lack of any official Federal support for 

 scientific meetings or experimental programs organized on an international 

 scale has been a frequent source of embarrassment and difficulty. By pro- 

 viding official recognition and financial support to such undertakings the 

 Government could do much to facilitate scientific interchange and promote 

 international good will. 



A National Research Foundation 



We believe that our national and international needs and responsibilities 

 in the field of science require the creation of a new Federal instrumentaHty. 

 We therefore recommend that a National Research Foundation be created 

 for the promotion of scientific research and of the applications of research 

 to enhance the security and welfare of the Nation. 



The control of the Foundation should be in the hands of a board of 

 trustees. This board should be appointed by the President of the United 

 States from a panel nominated by the National Academy of Sciences. 



The Foundation shall be empowered, among other things, to: 



1. Distribute funds in support of scientific research in educational 

 and nonprofit research institutions, such research to be wholly under 

 the control of such institutions. 



2. Initiate and finance, in appropriate agencies, research projects for 

 which existing facilities are unavailable or inadequate. 



3. Establish scholarships and fellowships in the natural sciences. 



4. Promote dissemination of scientific and technical information. 



5. Support international cooperation in science by providing finan- 

 cial aid for international congresses, worldwide associations of scientific 

 societies and scientific research programs organized on an international 

 basis. 



6. Devise methods of improving the transition between pure research 

 and its practical applications in industry. 



Research Carried on by the Federal Government 



Research carried on directly by the Federal Government represents an 

 important part of our total research activity and needs to be strengthened 

 and expanded after the war. Expansion, however, should be limited to fields 

 of inquirv and service which are of public importance and are not ade- 

 quatelv carried on bv private enterprise. 



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