8o ORGANIZING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOR WAR 



General Organization 



The reorganization of NDRC which took place in December 1942 has 

 already been described. That reorganization became effective as of Decem- 

 ber 9, 1942, for most of the divisions and for the remainder shortly there- 

 after. Nineteen divisions and two panels were formed as a result of the 

 reorganization and several special committees operating outside the divi- 

 sional framework were created as the need for them appeared. 



The Division Chief was the administrative and executive head of a 

 division, responsible for its organization and operation, a task which 

 experience showed to require full time in most cases. Initially he recom- 

 mended the establishment of sections within the division and nominated 

 members of the division, section chiefs, and members of sections. In 

 administering the division he was instructed to take into account the 

 general policies laid down by the Director and the NDRC, the scope of 

 particular contracts and the general guidance of and any special emphasis 

 recommended by the division members. At least one member of each 

 division handling matters calling for engineering skill in a prominent 

 manner was required to be an engineer familiar with the engineering and 

 production problems in the division's field of operation. Those divisions 

 requiring extensive mathematical investigations, computing, or statistical 

 work included in their membership at least one person, nominated in 

 consultation with the Chief of the Mathematics Panel, who also served 

 as a member of that panel. 



Cross membership between divisions concerned with common or closely 

 related problems was permitted; but the rule of compartmentalization of 

 information applied, and persons who were members of more than one 

 division were instructed to divulge only pertinent and necessary informa- 

 tion on the work of one division to the members and workers in another 

 division. Where joint division action seemed advisable, arrangements for it 

 were made through the Chairman's Office. 



The position of a Panel Chief was comparable to that of a Division 

 Chief. An important function of the panels was to provide expert con- 

 sulting service to the divisions. In addition, they carried out such studies 

 in various fields, including the performance of equipment in service, as 

 were authorized through appropriate projects. 



It will be recalled that projects could be initiated by the Army, the 

 Navy, a lend-lease government or by OSRD itself. Regardless of how a 

 project was initiated, the divisions and sections were responsible for 

 formulating a program for its prosecution, proposing suitable contractors 

 and determining the approximate cost and duration of the work. Every 

 contract was required to be recommended by a section with the approval 



