16 



National Resources Committee 



thropology, and psychology. The other national coun- 

 cils which can be thought of as serving in somewhat 

 the same way to contribute the results of scientific 

 research to the Government are the Social Science Re- 

 search Council, the American Council of Learned So- 

 cities, and the American Council on Education. 



Before the two movements, the decentralizing of re- 

 search activities by governmental agencies and the cen- 

 tralizing of research workers through the organization 

 of national councils, can become fully effective in co- 

 oi-dinating research within and without the Goveric- 

 ment, there are certain adjustments which must be 

 made. 



Latitude in the Use of 

 Research Funds 



The first adjustment is that governmental agencies 

 must be allowed more latitude than they now have in 

 the use of research funds. In all the cases described 

 in earlier paragi-aphs where governmental agencies have 

 been able to secure the cooperation of outside workers 

 latitude in the use of lesearch funds has been permitted. 

 The Congress has given power to some responsible offi- 

 cial or research agency to employ competent research 

 workers wherever they are to be found. 



It is not at all necessary for the Congress to sur- 

 render jurisdiction over research in order to allow lati- 

 tude to research agencies. "'S^^len a particular line of 

 research is approved as worthy of support, a small per- 

 centage of the funds appropriated, from 5 to 10 per- 

 cent, might be made available for contracts with non- 

 governmental agencies. The contracts here suggested 

 should follow the pattern already established in the 

 cases cited. Definite projects should be agreed upon 

 between governmental agencies and responsible national 

 organizations of research workers. If one of the cen- 

 tral councils were made the responsible party under the 

 auspices of which a contract is to be executed, govern- 

 mental expenditures would be amply safeguarded. 



Cooperation Through Contracts 

 With the National Councils 



A single illustration of successful cooperation be- 

 tween a governmental agency and a national council 

 may be cited. The Bureau of Public Roads has a con- 

 tract with the National Research Council under whicli 

 the Council receives a grant of $20,000 for researches 

 on road-making and road-making materials. This 

 grant is supplemented by funds received by the Coun- 

 cil from other sources, chiefly from interested industrial 

 concerns. The Council has organized a series of investi- 

 gations. It has assembled a conference of the people 

 from all parts of the country who are studying the prob- 

 lems of road construction. In short, it is serving the 



Government, as a central scientific agency should, by 

 bringing together the scientific agencies of the country 

 for the solution of an important national problem. 



A byjiroduct of governmental cooperation with the 

 national councils would be a fuller realization by these 

 councils of the purposes for which they were originally 

 organized, namely, the coordination of the efforts of 

 the institutions and individuals who are engaged in re- 

 search. The national councils are operatmg at the pres- 

 ent time with wholly inadequate funds. The funds 

 which the Government would invest in the activities of 

 the councils by making contracts with them to sponsor 

 specific research projects would enliven the whole pro- 

 gram of activities of the councils and would put them 

 in a position to stimulate scientific work in all parts of 

 the country. 



Advantages of Latitude in the 

 Use of Research Funds 



A further advantage to research which would result 

 from latitude in the use of funds is the possibility of 

 following the unforeseen leads which research itself 

 reveals. Research is alwaj's something of an adventure ; 

 and the more freedom it enjoys, the more likely it is to 

 achieve important results. 



It is recognized in many of the recent appropriations 

 made by the Congress to research agencies that they 

 flourish and are most productive when they are fi-ee 

 to initiate and carry on fundamental research. Strik- 

 ing examples of the results of fi-ee research can be 

 taken from the history of the Smithsonian Institution. 

 This Institution has an income from endowment which 

 it can use on any project which its Board of Trustees 

 approves. It has been able to pioneer in research with 

 results of the highest importance. A single illustration 

 must suffice. Before there was a Weather Btireau or 

 any general recognition of the value to the public of 

 scientific studies of the weather, a wise director of the 

 Smithsonian Institution began to secure data on the 

 meteorological conditions in different parts of the coun- 

 try. The Government was ultimately persuaded to 

 take over the scientific enterprise which the Smith- 

 sonian Institution had developed. 



Another example of comparatively free funds de- 

 voted to the gejieral aid of research is to be found in 

 the support received by the Library of Congress. The 

 great collection of books and other documentary ma- 

 terials housed in the Library and the facilities which 

 are there made available to scholars represent not re- 

 stricted resources definitely limited in their use to the 

 pursuit of a single research project but aids to workers 

 in various lines. 



There can be no doubt that in the future the Gov- 

 ernment will for its own sake and for the sake of the 



