Relation of t?ie Federal Government to Research 



183 



area, to act as a clearing house of information on 

 common problems, and to aid in promoting coopera- 

 tion and in preventing useless duplication. 



The Bureau of Standards. — The Bureau of Stand- 

 ards, since its establishment, has been devoted almost 

 entirely' to research and has a large number of dis- 

 tinguished men on its scientific and technical staff 

 of over 000. The Bureau has maintained a very hos- 

 pitable altitude toward scientists in the universities 

 and in uidustry. From GO to 100 representatives of 

 industries are woi'king as research associates on prob- 

 lems of interest to their employers, supported by their 

 employers but as guests of the Bureau, where they re- 

 ceive ail possible aid. For example, the Poitland 

 Cement Association maintains a staff of six men 

 working under Dr. P. H. Bates in tlie Bureau on 

 fundamental research on the atomic structure of ce- 

 ment. This work has proved highly valuable to the 

 association. 



The Tennessee Valley Authority. — The Tennessee 

 Valley Authority has called together representatives 

 of the land-grant institutions in its area and presented 

 to them problems of the area that needed solution. 

 Numerous cooperative researches are growing out of 

 these conferences. 



Other Methods of Aiding Research 



In astronomy, more perhaps than in any other field 

 of knowledge, the research work is organized, coor- 

 dinated, and unified. There are only 10 or 12 im- 

 portant research centers and the total number of re- 

 search workers is relatively small. The character of 

 the work and of the equipment used encourages 

 cooperation. There seems to be no embarrassment to 

 these scientists in the fidl knowledge by their associates 

 of the nature of the research they are carrying on. 

 It would seem that their policies of division of the field 

 and coordination of effort could be copied with ad- 

 vantage in other fields of knowledge. 



In an increasing number of institutions which rec- 

 ognize their financial inability to maintain many 

 sti-ong research departments or departments adequately 

 manned to carry on research in all recognized fields 

 within departments, research staffs and efforts are be- 

 ing limited to restricted areas where it is possible for 

 them to do outstanding work with the resources avail- 

 able. It would seem that all but the greatest univer- 

 sities would do well to follow this lead. 



Conclusion 



From tlie foregoing survey it appears that the aid 

 to research has taken four chief forms: (1) Providing 

 financial assistance from some central fund whei-e it 

 will apparently yield good returns in research results; 

 (2) arranging useful cooperation between departments. 



institutions, or agencies in prosecuting research; (3) 

 canvassing the progress in research in a field, as is 

 done by committees of several councils, publishing 

 periodically treatises summarizing the work in the 

 field and planning and outlining new problems that 

 call for solution; (4) aiding in tlie development of per- 

 sonnel through fellowships. 



Efforts Needed to Stimulate 

 and Advance Research 



In the present-day world research is one of man's 

 necessities. While politically there are divisions, the 

 world is largely one intellectually, and leadership in 

 this intellectual world toward peace, prosperity, and 

 happiness is increasingly a matter of research — research 

 to find new materials, methods, and operations and 

 research better to utilize knowledge developed in the 

 United States or in other countries for the good of 

 the people of America. 



If research is of significant imj^ortance to the welfai'e 

 of the people it must be of serious concern to the Gov- 

 ernment, and it becomes the Government's function and 

 the citizen's duty to promote and advance research in 

 all fields, everywhere — in the Government itself, in 

 industry and business, and in the universities and re- 

 search foundations. The following suggestions as to 

 the efforts needed to advance research have been gleaned 

 from various sources. Some seem more significant and 

 practicable than others, but all have a place. More 

 study and counsel is needed to develop sound pro- 

 cedures by which research can be promoted. 



Integration of Research Work 



Integration of the research work of the Nation may 

 be too large and unwieldy a job, impossible of accom- 

 plishment, yet it does seem very desirable that there 

 be more information available about what is under 

 way in research in the Nation as a whole. This need is 

 illustrated by the general ignorance among university 

 men of the vast amount of research in progress in the 

 Federal Government, and also by the seeming lack of 

 appreciation of the significance of the place the Gov- 

 ernment occupies relative to all social science research. 

 In a different way it is illustrated by the lack of appre- 

 ciation by great numbers of college executives in vari- 

 ous positions of the importance of research in the life 

 of today and of the true responsibility of the colleges 

 relative to this work and to the preparation of personnel 

 for it. 



No unification or organization of research is sug- 

 gested, but further study might develop some way 

 through the research councils or some Government 

 agency by which a clearer picture might be had of 

 research in the Nation, and which would show more 



