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National Resources Planning Board 



tion, since certain individuals engaged in fundamental 

 research report to supervisors who also have responsi- 

 bility for pioneering applied research. This has proved 

 quite satisfactory and ensures fraternity among the 

 applied and fundamental groups. Any appearance of 

 having set up an aristocracy of fundamental research 

 is carefull}- avoided. All research is considered to be 

 equally important to the company's welfare; similarly 

 there is no inequality of status as between an employee 

 engaged in an abstract study of the cellulose molecule 

 and one trying to make better photographic film from 

 that same cellulose. 



The fundamental research staff of the company now 

 comprises about 45 men, including the full-time group 

 leaders and other supervisory personnel. 



Cost of Research 



In this same company, the investment in research 

 facilities is approximately $10,000 for each scientifically 

 trained worker, whether engaged in fundamental 

 research or in applied research. This includes all 

 capital facilities, such as land, buildings, and equip- 

 ment. The operating expense is approximately $7,000 

 to $8,000 for each scientifically trained worker. This 

 includes the worker's salary and his overhead — such 

 items as rent (or the equivalent of rent), heat, light, 

 power, supplies, insurance, clerical, and mechanical 

 services, administration, and travel. 



Conditions for Successful 

 Fundamental Research 



Everyone experienced in fundamental research knows 

 it should be undertaken only as a long-range effort. 

 Accordingly, a management should understand that, in 

 all probability, significant results will not be forth- 

 coming in a year's program. Fundamental research 

 should be underwritten for a term of years, rather than 

 on a year-to-year basis. One program in the writer's 

 experience was underwritten initially for a term of 5 

 years, and when this term ended, the results were suf- 

 ficiently tangible to warrant continued appropriations. 



A second factor is the lines of work to be imdertaken. 

 "Lines of work" rather than "problems" are specified, 

 because problems were not specified when the program 

 was initiated. In one company, for example, there 

 are a number of major lines of manufacture, and under- 

 lying these are cellulose chemistry, catalytic reactions, 

 a group of organic syntheses, a group of inorganic 

 sjmtheses, also certain physical phenomena, as for 

 example, those related to paint manufacture. 



Clearly, it is good policy to try unceasingly to improve 

 existing products tlxrough applied research and to 

 develop new products through pioneering applied 

 research. Having organized applied research to the 



best advantage, the possible additional benefits to be 

 secured by fundamental research should then be con- 

 sidered. Finally, if fundamental research is conducted 

 on the broad lines underlying the various industries, 

 facts that sooner or later will be valuable are most likely 

 to be discovered. 



A third factor is personnel. Individual ability is 

 even more important in fundamental research than in 

 applied research. Reaching a clearly defined objective 

 in applied research is not difficult if proper supervision 

 is provided. If this were not true, applied research 

 would not have achieved virtually universal acceptance 

 as an everyday business tool. Of course, someone has 

 to supervise fundamental research. However, the 

 supervisor's principal task is to contribute suggestions 

 and constructive criticism, to see that working condi- 

 tions are favorable, to inspire his men, and to maintain 

 close touch with the progress of each group member. 

 The success of the work is largely dependent upon 

 securing for fundamental research the highest grade of 

 men obtainable for each of the principal lines of work 

 and then affording them a wide latitude. 



It is desirable to compensate these men so generously 

 that they will regard themselves as "career men" with 

 a company. Once a man has demonstrated his ability 

 for work in fimdamental research, security of employ- 

 ment and fair compensation ought to be assured inso- 

 far as possible. 



The foregoing considerations indicate at once why 

 fundamental research in industry virtually is limited 

 to companies of considerable size, seasoned experienced, 

 sound financial condition, and demonstrated faith in 

 research generally. To put it another way, no com- 

 pany should undertake fundamental research unless it 

 is both willing and able to sustain it indefinitely, 

 through depression as well as prosperity. In this con- 

 nection, it should be pointed out that the lapse of lime 

 between the conception of an idea in fundamental 

 research and its eventual emergence as an industrial 

 process or product is rarely less than 6 to 10 years. 



Results Achieved 



Fundamental research is not new in industry. It 

 has been practiced with marked success by the chem- 

 ical industry on organic syntheses, catalysis, and poly- 

 merization ; by the electrical industry on acoustics, sur- 

 face films, and atom smashing; by the iron and steel 

 industry on creep; by the paper industry on the prop- 

 erties of lignin. Even a gasket company has carried 

 out basic research on the laws affecting leakage without 

 having in mind specific commercial problems. 



Indicative of the range of fundamental research in 

 industry, the following examples are cited. These ex- 

 amples were contributed especially for inclusion in this 

 report, as a result of the author's contact with a num- 



