A National Research Foundation 



Part Eight 



As a means to implement the rec- 

 ommendations of this report, it is 

 proposed that the Congress should 

 create a National Research Founda- 

 tion. The function of this new Fed- 

 eral agency should be to assist and 

 encourage research in the public in- 

 terest by disbursement of funds allo- 

 cated by the Congress for that pur- 

 pose. Its board of trustees should be 

 eminent men who are cognizant of 

 the needs of science, and experienced 

 in administration. The members of 

 this board should be appointed bv the 

 President of the United States from 

 a panel nominated bv the National 

 Academy of Sciences. 



It is proposed that the Foundation 

 be given an original nonearning capi- 

 talization of $500,000,000, to be 

 called and expended, with the ap- 

 proval of Congress, over not less than 

 10 years. As has been discussed ear- 

 lier in this report, scientists and edu- 

 cators emphasize the cardinal impor- 

 tance of creating a board which (1) 

 can budget its expenditures over a 

 considerable period of time; (2) will 

 not be subject to review in detail by 

 the legislature, and (3) will be able 

 to withstand political pressures. The 

 British University Grants Committee, 

 which has been operating successfully 

 for many years with funds supplied 

 by Parliament and whose postwar 

 role is undergoing great expansion, 

 serves as one of many examples cor- 

 roborating the desirabilit\' of the 

 above features. It should be clearly 

 understood, however, that the present 

 committee does not recommend any 

 instrumentality which would not be 



accountable to the President, the 

 Congress, and the public for its 

 operations. 



A. Organization 



The board of trustees should com- 

 prise about 15 members, each serving 

 on a part-time basis, with remunera- 

 tion at the rate of $50 per diem when 

 on official duty, plus necessary travel 

 and subsistence expenses. The term 

 of office should normally be for 5 

 years and no retiring member should 

 be eligible for reappointment until 

 after a lapse of 2 additional years. 

 In order to insure continuity, there 

 should be a staggering of the terms 

 of office of the various members. Ir 

 is suggested, therefore, that at the 

 outset the first appointments be for 

 \'arying periods of time. Because the 

 progress of science depends in great 

 measure on the vigorous and progres- 

 sive abilities of younger men, the 

 Committee suggests that in making 

 appointments to the board and in its 

 policies on retirements an effort be 

 made to keep the age distribution 

 such as to assure dynamic leadership. 



The board should have the power 

 to appoint an executive director of 

 recognized ability who would be a 

 full-time officer, receiving a salary 

 commensurate with the dignity and 

 importance of his position and respon- 

 sibilities. The details of the internal 

 administrative organization of the 

 Foundation cannot profitably be dis- 

 cussed here. The executive staff of 

 the Foundation and its board of di- 

 rectors would no doubt wish to 



115 



