science have benefited, during the 

 war, from an increased measure of 

 planned coordination and direction. 

 It has thus been very natural to sup- 

 pose that peacetime research would 

 benefit equally from the application 

 of similar methods. There are, of 

 course, types of scientific inquiry that 

 require planning and coordination, 

 and a large degree of control is in- 

 evitable and proper in applied re- 

 search. However, there are several 

 reasons why pure science in peace- 

 time cannot wisely or usefully adopt 

 some of the procedures that have 

 worked so well during the war. War 

 is an enterprise that lends itself al- 

 most ideally to planning and regi- 

 mentation, because immediate ends 

 are more rigidly prescribed than is 

 possible in other human activities. 

 Much of the success of science dur- 

 ing the war is an unhealthy success, 

 won by forcing applications of sci- 

 ence to the disruption or complete 

 displacement of that basic activity in 

 pure science which is essential to 

 continuing applications. Finally, and 

 perhaps most important of all, scien- 

 tists willingly suffer during war a 

 degree of direction and control which 

 they would find intolerable and stul- 

 tifying in times of peace. 



It is the belief of this committee 

 that increased support of research in 

 American universities and nonprofit 

 institutes will provide the most posi- 

 tive aid to science and technology. 

 But we do not believe that any pro- 

 gram is better than no program — - 

 that an ill-devised distribution of Fed- 

 eral funds will aid the growth of 

 science. Our concrete proposals seek 

 to augment the quality as well as the 



quantity of scientific research. We 

 believe that there are historical prece- 

 dents of Goyernment aid to research, 

 both in this country and abroad, 

 which show the possibilftv of pro- 

 viding, within the framework of 

 sound administrative practice, sus- 

 tained nonpolitical grants which 

 would operate in such a manner as 

 to call forth from existing institu- 

 tions even greater initiative, effort, 

 and accomplishment. 



The organization or instrument 

 finally set up should not attempt to 

 play the role of an all-seeing, all- 

 powerful planning board trying to 

 guide in detail the normal growth- 

 processes of science. The first and 

 most essential requirement is that the 

 groups administering a program of 

 research assistance be composed of 

 men of the highest integrity, ability, 

 and experience, with a thorough un- 

 derstanding of the problems of sci- 

 ence. The committee believes that 

 an independent Government body, 

 created by the Congress, free from 

 hampering restrictions, staffed with 

 the ablest personnel obtainable, and 

 empowered to give sustained and far- 

 sighted assistance to science with 

 assurance of continuing support, 

 would constitute the best possible 

 solution. 



It is our belief that the desired 

 purposes can best be served and the 

 possible dangers minimized by cen- 

 tering the responsibility for this pro- 

 gram in a new organization, a Na- 

 tional Research Foundation, whose 

 function should be the promotion of 

 scientific research and of the appli- 

 cations of research to enhance the 

 security and welfare of the Nation. 



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