research in 1938, while in 1943-44 

 the Office of Scientific Research and 

 Development, alone, contracted for 

 $90,000,000 of research in univer- 

 sities and colleges. 



Certain problems which should be 

 considered in planning for a national 

 postwar research program, and some 

 guidance in meeting these problems, 

 can be ascertained from a study of 

 the basic prewar trends and relation- 

 ships. Particularlv important is a 

 studv of the relative expenditures for 

 pure and applied research. Accord- 

 ing to the best available estimates, 

 industrv before the war devoted 

 about 5 percent of its research 

 budget, or $9,000,000,^ and Govern- 

 ment about 15 percent, or $7,500,- 

 000, to pure research. Colleges, uni- 

 versities, and endowed research insti- 

 tutes spent 70 percent of their re- 

 search budgets, or a total sum of 

 nearly $23,000,000 in this way. 



Total national expenditure for 

 pure science thus amounted to ap- 

 proximately $40,000,000 while that 

 for applied reached a figure of $227,- 

 000,000, a ratio of nearly 1 to 6. In 

 England, where the development of 

 industrial research is, admittedlv, 



In the year 1938. 



\'ery retarded, the corresponding ratio 

 of pure to applied research is esti- 

 mated at 1 to 1.2.- 



In the decade from 1930 to 1940 

 applied research was expanding much 

 more rapidly in the United States 

 than was pure research. During this 

 period industrial research expanded 

 by 100 percent and governmental re- 

 search by 200 percent. Research in 

 colleges and universities increased 

 bv 50 percent, and the endowed re- 

 search institutes (which were pri- 

 marilv devoted to pure research) de- 

 clined bv nearly 15 percent. It may 

 be concluded, therefore, that since 

 governmental and industrial expendi- 

 ture is growing so rapidly, relative 

 to that of the universities, generous 

 support to university research is es- 

 sential if the proportion of pure to 

 applied research is to be maintained 

 at anything like the previous relation- 

 ship. 



This support will have to include 

 substantial expenditures for capital 

 facilities. The great decline in capital 

 outlays of privately supported insti- 

 tutions is very striking. 



- Computed from research budgets listed by 

 Bernal, J. D., The Social Functio}i of Science 

 (London, Routledge, 1939). 



Annual Expenditures for Capital Outlay 



All Institutions of Higher Education 

 Millions of Dollars 



Source: Biennial Surveys of Education (Washington, U. S. Office of Education). 



87 



