Basic Research m the 

 UNITED STATES 



ALAN T. WATERMAN 



National Science Foundation 



1 ME TOPIC that has been assigned to me, 

 "Basic Research in the United States/' is generous, indeed, in 

 its scope. It is reminiscent of a communication from an early 

 correspondent of the National Science Foundation, who 

 dropped us a postcard requesting simply: "Please send me 

 everything you have on science." Since we planned that this 

 symposium be devoted to a detailed discussion of the various 

 aspects of basic research in this country, I have viewed my own 

 role as being primarily one of establishing a general framework 

 within which this topic will be discussed. I propose, therefore, 

 to describe rather briefly our aims in basic research as I see 

 them, the manner in which such research is carried on, the 

 sources from which it derives support, and the role of the 

 federal government in relation to what is now clearly a major 

 national resource. 



Early Basic Research 



To speak of research in the United States raises the im- 

 mediate question: What are its distinguishing characteristics? 

 In what respects, if any, is it different from research being 

 carried on in other parts of the world? Are there any essential 



17 



