ALLEN V. ASTIN 



attract scientists who arc dedicated to the public service. Such 

 dedication should he closely related to the nonutilitarian values 

 of scientific investigation. 



I have been concerned that judgments about basic research 

 have emphasized their criticality to defense, to industry, and to 

 our standard of living. We have oversold this point and we 

 have undersold the intellectual gift of man to examine his 

 environment as an enhancement of his dignitv. Science is, 

 after all, concerned with knowledge and with our understand- 

 ing of man in nature. This concern is inherent in what we mean 

 by man. Must we continue to exaggerate in utilitarian terms 

 an activity which we are compelled to support bv our very 

 natures? Should we not begin to identify our basic research 

 activities with their very reason for being? 



Obstacles to Basic Research 



I want to talk now briefly about some of the obstacles to 

 basic research in government laboratories. Here I will be leav- 

 ing the realm of philosophy and entering the practical areas of 

 money and regulations. I should like to preface these remarks by 

 quoting from the April 1955 report by the subcommittee on 

 research activities of the Commission on the Organization of 

 the Executive Branch of the Government. Referring to basic 

 research the report says, "Very little is performed in the labora- 

 tories of the Department of Defense. Since there is, in general, 

 an inadequate environment and competence for basic research in 

 its laboratories, the placing of substantially all of this work in 

 the laboratories of the civilian economy is necessary." A situa- 

 tion which leads to such a conclusion is most unfortunate, par- 

 ticularly in view of the important responsibilities of these 

 laboratories. What now are some of these factors which impede 

 the maintenance of a suitable research environment in govern- 

 ment laboratories? 



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