Industrial Research 



195 



began, two principal sections of Government controlled 

 research had been ofTicially instituted — Le Service 

 Central do la Recherche scientifiquc and Le Centre 

 National de la Recherche scientifiquc appiiquee, which 

 dealt with fundamental and applied research, re- 

 spectively. Each body was directed by a Conseil 

 superieur, the members of which consisted of eminent 

 scientists and representatives of interested ministries. 

 An haute comite directly responsible to the Minister of 

 Education coordinated the work of the two organiza- 

 tions, which were financed both by the Government 

 and bj- levies on industry. 



Le Service Central de la Recherche scientifiquc 

 created a group of workers whose principal function 

 was research and who were assured both of advance- 

 ment by a plan similar to that in universities, and of 

 economic security. Its duties were advisory, coordi- 

 nating, and financial. It planned projects and brought 

 together resources and directors for projects. Senior 

 research workers directed the research projects. Under 

 its auspices have been established the Astro-Physics 

 Service, the Large Scale Chemistry Laboratory, the 

 Atomic Synthesis Laboratory, and the Institute for 

 Textual History. The previously created Magnetic La- 

 boratory and the Physical Institute have been 

 reorganized. 



The Centre National de la Recherche scientifique 

 appiiquee was established by decrees in 1938, one of 

 which stated its purpose as follows: 



1. To facilitate scientific researches or undertakings of interest 

 to the national defense in establishing all possible links between 

 the research services of the corresponding ministries, those of na- 

 tional education, and eventual!}', qualified private organizations. 



2. To contribute to these researches or undertakings by initiat- 

 ing, coordinating, or encouraging applied scientific research carried 

 out by the research workers in the service of the Ministry of 

 Education, or eventually, of private organizations. 



3. To carry out all justifiable researches for which cooperation 

 shall be asked by private enterprise or by individuals. 



The Centre National was composed of the following 

 20 divisions: 



Water power. 

 Mines. 



Agriculture and fisheries. 

 Metallurgy. 

 Chemical industry. 

 Utilization of fuel (boilers, 

 steam engines, motors, etc.). 

 Machinery. 



Textiles, wood, and leather. 

 Building construction. 

 Lighting and heating. 



Physical education and sport. 



Civil engineering. 



Transport. 



Communications. 



National defense. 



Printing, cinemas, etc. 



Light industry, furniture, and 



domestic engineering. 

 Hygiene. 

 Nutrition. 

 Working conditions. 



The Office National des Recherche scientifiques et 

 industrielles et des Inventions was created in 1922 as 

 successor of the Direction des Recherches scientifiques 

 et industrielles et des Inventions, to foster research 

 required by the public services, to encourage inventions. 



and to coordinate pubhc and private research in tiie 

 interests of industry. It rendered valuable services 

 until the time of disbandment recently. Its functions 

 have presumably been transferred to the newly organ- 

 ized Centre National de la Recherche scientifique 

 appiiquee. 



In the highly unified State which is France, the edu- 

 cational system is administered from a central author- 

 ity, altliough not all the State-subsidized educational 

 estabhshments are under its direction. A principal 

 group in this system arc the advanced technical schools, 

 part of wliich are fiiuinccd and regulated by the Govern- 

 ment. Among the most important of these are the 

 Grand Ecoles such as the Ecole Polytechniquc which 

 is attached to the military establishment, and the 

 Ecoles des Mines and Ecoles des Ponts et Cliauss6es, 

 which are attached to the Ministry of Public Works. 

 The Ministry of Education has charge of the 17 State 

 universities and supervises the various learned societies 

 such as the Academy of Science which is within the 

 Institute de France, the Academy of Paris, of Medi- 

 cine, of Surgery, and the Regional Academies. The 

 Ministry provides subsidies for these academies as 

 well as for other organizations under its supervision 

 or direct control. Subsidies are also provided for 

 scientific missions abroad. In addition there are a 

 limited number of privately endowed institutes, such 

 as the Institut Pasteur. The research laboratories 

 of the College de France in Paris has been conducting 

 outstanding research in physical, organic, and inorganic 

 chemistry. 



The Ministries of Public Health, Public Works, Com- 

 merce, Merchant Marine, Posts, the three defense min- 

 istries, and the Ministry of the Colonies each maintain 

 special laboratories, and in certain work make use of 

 laboratories of other departments. Certain specialized 

 technical schools, and the laboratories for the govern- 

 ment monopolies on tobacco, matches, and explosives, 

 also come under the jurisdiction of some of these 

 ministries. 



Endowed Institutes 



Several endowed or semicndowed research institutes 

 have been established in France, of which the Institut 

 Pasteur (1888) and the Fondation Curie (1912) are the 

 most famous. The former, comprising more than 35 

 laboratories, has seen the development of similar organ- 

 izations throughout the world. The latter, generally 

 known as the Institute of Radium, conducts research 

 on the physiology and therapeutic applications of 

 X-rays in the treatment of cancer, on general physics, 

 radioactivity, and radiophysiology. 



The Institut de Biologie-chimique (1938) conducts 

 research in its application to French industry and agri- 

 culture, particularly in the physicochemical sciences. 



321S:i,-i— 41- 



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