36 ORGANIZING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOR WAR 



Provisions of the Executive Order 



The Office of Scientific Research and Development was brought into 

 existence by Executive Order No. 8807 signed by President Roosevelt on 

 June 28, 1941, the text of which is printed in the Appendix. The order 

 stated that it was issued for the purpose of assuring adequate provision 

 for research on scientific and medical problems relating to national defense. 



OSRD was placed within the Office for Emergency Management of the 

 Executive Office of the President. It was to be headed by a Director ap- 

 pointed by the President, who should discharge his responsibilities and 

 perform his duties under the direction and supervision of the President. 

 Compensation of the Director was to be at a rate determined by the Presi- 

 dent; in practice, the Director served without compensation. It was made 

 the duty of OSRD, subject to such policies, regulations and directions as 

 the President might prescribe and with such advice and assistance as might 

 be necessary from other departments and agencies of the Government to: 



a. Advise the President with regard to the status of scientific and medical re- 

 search relating to national defense and the measures necessary to assure con- 

 tinued and increasing progress in this field. 



b. Serve as the center for mobilization of the scientific personnel and resources 

 of the Nation in order to assure maximum utilization of such personnel and 

 resources in developing and applying the results of scientific research to 

 defense purposes. 



c. Co-ordinate, aid, and, where desirable, supplement the experimental and 

 other scientific and medical research activities relating to national defense 

 carried on by the Departments of War and Navy and other departments 

 and agencies of the Federal Government. 



d. Develop broad and co-ordinated plans for the conduct of scientific research 

 in the defense program, in collaboration with representatives of the War 

 and Navy Departments; review existing scientific research programs formu- 

 lated by the Departments of War and Navy and other agencies of the Gov- 

 ernment, and advise them with respect to the relationship of their proposed 

 activities to the total research program. 



e. Initiate and support scientific research on the mechanisms and devices of 

 warfare with the objective of creating, developing, and improving instru- 

 mentalities, methods, and materials required for national defense. 



f. Initiate and support scientific research on medical problems affecting the 

 national defense. 



g. Initiate and support such scientific and medical research as may be requested 

 by the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital 

 to the defense of the United States under the terms of the Act of March 11, 

 1941, entitled "An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States"; and 

 serve as the central liaison office for the conduct of such scientific and medical 

 research for such countries. 



