PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 650 



problem of applied science might be invited to found a temporan- researcli 

 scholarship at the university or other institution for the definite object of the 

 particular problem in question. The maximum period during which such a 

 scholarship would be tenable might be fixed beforehand, so that the financial 

 liability of the founder would be limited and proportionate to the importance of 

 the object in view. The holder of the scholarship might be nominated by the 

 university, or by the founder and the university jointly, and suitable conditions 

 would be drawn up to ensure the interests of the founder ; he would of course 

 liave the benefit of all the I'esults of the work, and would secure the patent 

 rights of any new invention, subject possibly to the payment of a small percentage 

 of the profits to the university and to the holder of the scholarship. During the 

 tenui'e of the scholarship, the holder, and also the founder, would have the 

 advantage of the scientific knowledge of the university ; the scholarship holder 

 would also be allowed to gain practical experience in the works, and, if successful, 

 there is little doubt but that he would have the option of working the process 

 on the large scale and of obtaining permanent employment under saiisfactory 

 conditions. After a given period the scientific results of the work would be 

 published through the usual channels in the ordinary way. 



This idea of applied research schoi"rships had taken shape in my mind when 

 I happened to come across a book recently published in the United States, called 

 ' The Chemistry of Commerce,' in which I found that a similar proposal had been 

 made by the author, R, K. Duncan, Professor of Industrial Chemistry at the 

 University of Kansas. The scheme is there worked out in some detail, and a 

 form of legal agreement to be signed by the university authorities and bv the 

 founder of the ' Industrial Fellowship' is suggested. 



Thinking it would be of interest to know how the plan had worked out in 

 practice, I wrote to Professor Duncan and received a reply a few weeks ago. 

 He very courteously informed me that five industrial fellowships had alreadv 

 been established in his laboratories, that the agreements for two additional ones 

 were being prepared, and that he might have obtained more but wished to 

 proceed conservatively ; also that he had no reason to doubt the entire 

 practicability of the scheme, and that experience had shown that the terms 

 of the agreement could be made more favourable to the university than those 

 Avhich were first drawn up. One of the new conditions is that the industrial 

 fellowship holder shall give two hours a week gratuitous instruction in the work 

 of the chemistry department — an arrangement which has proved to be of great 

 inspirational value. The fellow.ships are tenable during two years and are of 

 the value of ,^500 or /S'lOOO per annum. 



It is too soon to be able to form any opinion as to the commercial importance 

 of the work carried out under this scheme, but it is obvious that the foundation 

 of such scholarships for the study of general or special problems in applied 

 chemistry is most desirable. One of their great advantages would be that they 

 might be founded by those manufacturers who cannot afford permanently to 

 engage a research chemist. Large and successful firms like the I'nited Alkali 

 Company, Brunner, Mond, & Co., and many others which can employ a staff of 

 chemists, are of course eminently capable of managing their own affairs without 

 outside assistance or advice, and it is only for those which are less prosperous 

 that the foregoing suggftstions are made. 



The great benefits which are conferred on pure science by the open research 

 scholarships at present available aflbrd some indication of what might be done 

 for industrial chemistry by the foundation of such scholarships in applied .science. 

 There are, no doubt, scattered over the country many men who possess originality 

 and inventive talent, and who have practical experience in industrial operations, 

 but who have not been sufficiently trained in science ; if it were possible to 

 attract this dormant talent by means of open scholarships it might be directed 

 into proper channels instead of being allowed to run to waste. 



It is easy to say how money might be spent advantageously, but very difficult 

 to suggest how the funds for such open scholarships should be raised. An appeal 

 to the manufacturers by this Association or by the Society of Chemical Industry 



V V 2 



