Relati<m of the Federal Government to Research 



the territory in which it operates by making grants to 

 research workers located in the hmd-grant colleges and 

 elsewhere for the purpose of inducing them to carry on 

 studies of the natural resources and social conditions 

 in the valley. These research workers do not partici- 

 pate in any way in administration. The Tennessee 

 Valley Autliority is much freer to use its funds for the 

 employment of nongovernmental agencies than are the 

 research bureaus in the departments in Wasliington. 

 The Public Health Service has established relations 

 with State boards of health and with medical schools. 

 It has in some cases supplied research personnel to 

 those agencies and in other cases has secured from non- 

 governmental sources services of importance for medi- 

 cal research. Although the Public Health Service has 

 an action program in its administration of interstate 

 quarantines, it has succeeded in maintaining a clear 

 distinction between its action program and its research 

 program. It has done so internally in its own organ- 

 ization and externally when it has secured cooperation 

 from non-Federal agencies. 



Research Sponsored by States 

 and Municipalities 



In recent years States and municipalities have em- 

 ployed educational institutions and individual research 

 workers within their territories for scientific investiga- 

 tions of many of the problems which arise within their 

 areas. This survey did not cover research in centers 

 outside the Federal Government except in those cases 

 in which Federal agencies were directly involved. 

 There is need of a survey of research in States and 

 municipalities. Such a survey could be made in coop- 

 eration with the State and regional planning boards. 

 It would probably i-eveal new possibilities of decen- 

 tralized i-esearch and would also stimulate wide recog- 

 nition of the importance of science as a source of 

 guidance in the solution of problems confronting local 

 and State governments. 



Advantages to be Gained Through 

 Decentralized Research 



Certain advantages of decentralized research which 

 may be specifically mentioned are the following: (1) 

 Research workers of ability scattered widely among 

 the people of the country create a general understand- 

 ing and appreciation of science. (2) Subjects which 

 need to be investigated are in many cases most accessi- 

 ble in localities remote from the seat of the Federal 

 Government. (3) Services other than the conduct of 

 research are made possible where competent research 

 workers are resident in institutions distributed through 

 the States. Such research workers contribute to the 

 training of young people who later participate in 

 research. 



15 



Scientific Research, Policy-making, 

 and Policy-enforcing 



Scientific research must be free to discover and re- 

 port with complete impartiality all the facts that it 

 can ascertain in any given situation. Policy-making 

 often involves choice among several possible lines of 

 action. Both research and policy-making must there- 

 fore be free to follow tiieir own courses. Wliile the 

 two are closely related, they are distinct and are never 

 to be subordinated one to the other. One of the most 

 delicate problems of governmental agencies is to main- 

 tain independence while entering into productive co- 

 operation. 



Especially is it difficult when central Federal agen- 

 cies make tlie effort to decentralize research by giving 

 support to outside institutions to avoid infringing on 

 the independence of the nongovermnental research 

 agencies. The outside agencies to which support is 

 given must be selected with careful regard to their 

 competency and independence. Fortunately, there are 

 today strong organizations of scientific workers to 

 which the Government may turn for aid with assur- 

 ance that they will maintain their independence in re- 

 search. 



Organization of National Councils of 

 Research Workers 



While governmental agencies have been reaching out 

 in various ways in order to secure the cooperation of 

 individuals and institutions in the States, a certain 

 degree of voluntary centralization has appeared among 

 research workers. Specialists in various fields of re- 

 .search found it desirable to organize societies for the 

 purpose of refining techniques of inquiry and exchang- 

 ing findings. It soon became apparent in meetings of 

 specialists that they needed, in the interests of their 

 own researches, to extend their contacts so as to learn 

 what was going on in related fields. Federations of 

 societies developed. There exist today several national 

 councils each of which includes representatives of a 

 number of organizations of specialists. 



National Councils and the 

 Government 



During the Civil War it became evident to both the 

 (ioverimient and the scientific men of the country that 

 the Govei-nmcnt needed the help of scientists who were 

 not in the governmental bureaus. The National Acad- 

 emy of Sciences was chartered for the express purpose 

 of making such help available to the Government. 

 During the World War the National Research Council 

 was organized to supplement the National Academy in 

 bringing to the Government the services of the Nation's 

 research workers in the fields of natural science, an- 



