THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES - NATIONAL 



RESEARCH COUNCIL 



The National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council 

 is a private non-profit organization of scientists, dedicated to the fur- 

 therance of science and to its use for the general welfare. 



The Academy itself was established in 1863 under a Congressional 

 charter signed by President Lincoln. Empowered to provide for all 

 activities appropriate to academies of science, it was also required by 

 its charter to act as an adviser to the Federal Government in scientific 

 matters. This provision accounts for the close ties that have always 

 existed between the Academy and the Government, although the Academy 

 is not a governmental agency. 



The National Research Council was established by the Academy 

 in 1916, at the request of President Wilson, to enable scientists generally 

 to associate their efforts with those of the limited membership of the 

 Academy in service to the nation, to society, and to science at home 

 and abroad. Members of the National Research Council receive their 

 appointments from the President of the Academy. They include repre- 

 sentatives nominated by the major scientific and technical societies, 

 representatives of the Federal Government, and a number of members - 

 at-large. More than 3000 of the foremost scientists of the country co- 

 operate in the work of the Academy-Research Council through service 

 on its many boards and committees in the various fields of the natural 

 sciences, including physics, astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, geol- 

 ogy, engineering, biology, agriculture, the medical sciences, psychology, 

 and anthropology. 



Receiving funds from both public and private sources by contribu- 

 tion, grant, or contract, the Academy and its Research Council thus 

 work to stimulate research and its applications, to survey the broad 

 possibilities of science, to promote effective utilization of the scientific 

 and technical resources of the country, to serve the Government, and 

 to further the general interests of science. 



