Industrial Research 



203 



A beginning towards the symposium plan has been 

 made in this country. 



In most of the sciences Germany has pubhcations of 

 world-wide reputation. Its Chemischcs Zcntralblatt, 

 abstract periodical for chemistry and related sciences, 

 can be compared only with our own Chemical Ab- 

 stracts and the British Chemical Abstracts. 



Research in Great Britain 



Industrial research in Great Britain differs from that 

 in most important industrial nations in several re- 

 spects — some favorable and some unfavorable by 

 comparison. The outstanding featm-e in Great Britain 

 is the active Govermnent participation in and subsidy 

 of research through the trade association system, the 

 special boards and committees representing numerous 

 industries, and the Government's own research labora- 

 tories. Less obvious are the contributions which 

 British scientists in applied fields have made through 

 systematic publication of critical survej^s of technical 

 knowledge. 



British industry has been slow in recognizing the 

 importance of industrial research, but the First World 

 War caused significant advances to be made in the 



application of science to industry. Research in uni- 

 versities has overcome to a considerable extent the 

 stigma which once attached to work in applied fields. 

 Lack of social and employer recognition of the profes- 

 sional status of research workers in industry has like- 

 wise been overcome to a marked degree. The former 

 absence of cooperation between universities and indus- 

 tries has been replaced by a growing frequency with 

 which professors serve as consultants to industry and 

 by industry's grants to universities for fellowships. 



Government research in science is directed mainly 

 by three bodies which are directly responsible to Com- 

 mittees of the Department of Scientific and Industrial 

 Research (1915), the Medical Research Council (1920), 

 and the Agricultural Research Council (1931). The 

 Roj'al Society also assists in making the research 

 resources of the nation available to the Government. 

 The University Grants Committee of the Treasury 

 makes large grants to universities, the research activ- 

 ities of which share in the benefits. 



Several of the Dominions maintain research organi- 

 zations similar to those in England, cooperation with 

 which is afforded thi'ough the executive council of the 

 Imperial Agricultural College (1929) which is composed 



Figure 60. — The \\ ellcome Research Institution, London, England 



