BASIC RESEARCH IN THE UNITED STATES 



technological revolution that has had vast impact on our daily 

 lives, profoundly influenced relationships among nations, and 

 now bids fair literally to take us out of this world in pursuit 

 of new and exciting objectives. The lack of financial support 

 from private sources for basic research, particularly in the 

 nation's universities, has forced the government to fill the gap. 

 The government finds itself in the role of both performer and 

 supporter of basic research, and many agencies conduct and 

 support basic research related to their over-all missions. Such 

 agencies include, principally, the Department of Defense, 

 Atomic Energy Commission, the National Aeronautics and 

 Space Administration, National Institutes of Health, Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Departments of Commerce and Interior. 



Until a few years ago, the federal funds available for the 

 support of uncommitted research in the universities were small 

 indeed. It was to meet this need that the National Science 

 Foundation was established in 1950 to support and encourage 

 basic research and education in the sciences. The new agency 

 was also directed to "develop and encourage the pursuit of a 

 national policy for the promotion of basic research and educa- 

 tion in the sciences." 



The Foundation has deliberately continued the policy 

 initiated by the Office of Naval Research and observed gener- 

 ally throughout the government of providing support to the 

 basic research that is regarded as most promising and significant 

 by the scientists in their respective fields. With the collabora- 

 tion of the country's scientists, a national program* has been 

 developed that is directed primarily and simply toward progress 

 in science. In principle, such a program, developed as it is in 

 consultation with the leading research specialists of the country, 



* One exception to this form of extramural support is the long-estab- 

 lished program of the Department of Agriculture, which provides 

 matching funds for state agricultural research. 



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