ALAN T. WATERMAN 



research in the United States is being supported out of federal 

 funds. This brings us to the reasons why the federal govern- 

 ment supports research. The principal official reason is, in 

 general, to advance the national health, security, and welfare. 

 This is formal language — the language of charters. Neverthe- 

 less, it is fundamental and enlightening. It is an admission that 

 science can "advance the national health, security, and wel- 

 fare," but the implication is that only to the extent that science 

 makes identifiable contributions to the public good should it be 

 supported by the federal government. 



Basis of Government Support 



At this point some confusion arises. The "charter" lan- 

 guage is clearly justification for federal support of directed or 

 applied research — how can it, however, justify support of basic 

 research, especially under the definition just stated? It is pres- 

 ent government policy, with which I heartily agree, that gov- 

 ernment support of basic research is indeed justified, even 

 though the primary objective of the investigator may be solely 

 a fuller understanding of the subject under study. In fact, the 

 National Science Foundation was responsible for specific policy 

 on this point, stated in an Executive Order of the President in 

 1954: 



. . . the Foundation shall be increasingly responsible for providing 

 support by the Federal Government for general-purpose basic re- 

 search through contracts and grants. The conduct and support by 

 other Federal agencies of basic research in areas which are closely 

 related to their missions is recognized as important and desirable, 

 especially in response to current national needs, and shall continue. 



The best statement in explanation of this point of view 

 that I know of is contained in a report on basic research made 

 by a Department of Defense committee, of which Warren 

 Weaver was Chairman: 



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