The committee recommended further: That the Council be composed of leading American investigators and engineers, representing the Army, Navy, Smithsonian Institution, and various scientific Bureaus of the Government; educational institutions and research endowments; and the research divisions of industrial and manufacturing establishments. By the creation of this auxiliary body, a means was found whereby the services of men who had the most to contribute to the preparedness effort could be used, regardless of whether or not they were eminent enough to merit election to the Academy. That the Council succeeded in its objectives was confirmed by the commendation contained in an Executive order of May 11, 1918 in which the President requested the Academy to perpetuate the Council, and enumerated its duties: The work accomplished by the Council in organizing research and in securing cooperation of military and civilian agencies in the solution of military problems demonstrates its capacity for larger service. The National Academy of Sciences is therefore requested to perpetuate the National Research Council the duties of which shall be as follows: 1. In general, to stimulate research in the mathematical, physical and biological sciences, and in the application of these sciences to engineering, agriculture, medicine and other useful arts, with the object of increasing knowledge, of strengthening the national defense, and of contributing in other ways to the public welfare. 2. To survey the larger possibilities of science, to formulate comprehensive projects of research, and to develop effective means of utilizing the scientific and technical resources of the country for dealing with these projects of research, and to develop effective means of utilizing the scientific and technical resources of the country for dealing with these projects. 3. To promote cooperation in research, at home and abroad in order to secure concentration of effort, minimize duplication, and stimulate progress; but in all cooperative undertakings to give encouragement to individual initiative, as fundamentally important to the advancement of science. 4. To serve as a means of bringing American and foreign investigators into active cooperation with the scientific and technical services of the War and Navy Departments and with those of the civil branches of the Government. 5. To direct the attention of scientific and technical investigators to the present importance of military and industrial problems in connection with the war, and to aid in the solution of these problems by organizing specific researches. 6. To gather and collate scientific and technical information, at home and abroad, in cooperation with governmental and other agencies, and to render such information available to duly accredited persons. Effective prosecution of the Council's work requires the cordial collaboration of the scientific and technical branches of the Government, both military and civil. To this end representatives of the Government, upon the nomination of THE ACADEMY AND THE COUNCIL SINCE WORLD WAR I During the next quarter of a century, both the Academy and the Research Council were devoted almost exclusively to civilian purposes. The coming of the Second World War again brought about fundamental changes in the functions of both the Academy and the Council. The following excerpts from an Academy report summarize developments during the war years-1939-47: Practically the entire 8-year interval was covered by activities concerned with preparation for war; the war years; and the early postwar period. While many of the normal functions of both the Academy and Council continued, they were subordinate to the functions imposed by the Academy's act of incorporation which constitutes it as the official adviser to Government in matters of science and technology. During most of the time few papers of a scientific or technical character were available or, if available, could be presented. To a large extent the Academy ceased to function as a learned society in the traditional sense. While the regular two meetings a year were held, they were devoted mainly to the dispatch of routine business. Such scientific sessions as were possible were closed to the public and were confined to the presentation of confidential reports to the members on war research. In part these were reports by members and in part by high-ranking officers of the military establishments. The first impact of war preparedness on the Academy and Research Council came in the form of urgent requests from various branches of the Military Establishment-notably the offices of the Surgeons General-for aid in organizing civilian science for war research and development work in fields recognized as certain to be of major importance to the military. * * * For a time it appeared that the Academy, although willing and anxious to undertake the work, might not be able to comply with the requests. * While the Academy was willing to undertake the work and the requesting departments were willing to pay the cost of it, the Academy, under the ruling of the Comptroller General, was required to supply the working capital. As the Academy had no such funds at its disposal nor, because of its character, the ability to make commercial loans, it appeared for a time that it would have to default on its statutory obligation. Fortunately a number of the foundations took the position that the Academy could not in the national interest be permitted to be placed in this position. As a result, during the years 1939-41 they made grants of many hundred thousand dollars to the Academy and so enabled it to comply with all requests. When, therefore, the military and civilian departments of Government were finally implemented properly, much of the preliminary work was already done; further work adequately organized; and much valuable time saved. Two of the most important but least known war services of the Academy were those concerned with the development of the atomic bomb and defense against possible biological warfare, both top-secret matters. At the outset of considerations of atomic fission as a possible effective weapon, the Academy was formally requested to examine and report on the matter; also as to the probable time elements involved in a successful solution if one appeared possible. A select committee of the most distinguished scientists was appointed, and on the authority of its report all the great undertaking which led finally to Hiroshima and Nagasaki was based. * ** In the case of defense against possible biological warfare, the request to the Academy for advice came in a personal secret letter from the Secretary of War. Again a select committee of the most distinguished scientists *** was appointed to review and report. The findings of this committee after the most exhaustive and critical study of biological warfare in all its possible aspects ever undertaken was so conclusive that the War Department immediately organized secret research and development work on a huge scale. As a part of this undertaking, the Secretary of War insisted that the Academy continue to exercise top supervision of the entire undertaking. * * * In quite another but equally important sector the Council played a dominant role. Through its committee on the Quartermaster's Department it operated throughout the war as the top research and development agency for that vast sector of the Army. * * * Two other outgrowths of the Academy's war activity of major importance might be mentioned; viz, the request to it to give top scientific advice to the occupation forces in Japan on the plans to reorganize the scientific and technical structure of that country along peaceful lines and the request that the Academy set up and operate a continuing survey of the aftereffects on the survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The sending of the mission was made possible through the generosity of the Rockefeller Foundation. The second request was made to the Academy directly by the President of the United States and is supported finan cially by funds appropriated by the Atomic Energy Commis- *** While the main activities of the Academy and Council *** have been concerned with war matters, they have not been to the complete exclusion of new long-range activities in civil science. Among these new things might be mentioned the fact (1) that the NRC has undertaken to act as the research agency of the Cancer Society in the administration of some millions of dollars annually in this sector of medicine; (2) that at the request of the United States Chamber of Commerce it has undertaken to do comprehensive building research with funds provided by the chamber from industry; (3) that at the request of a number of societies in the field of biology it has undertaken to set up an Institute of Biology; and (4) that it has constituted a Committee on Agriculture in response to urgent requests for scientific leadership in that field.14 Annual reports of the Academy and the Council for subsequent years contain reports of continued activity of the two organs both in private and in governmental research. During the fiscal year 1951-52 (the last year for which a published annual report is available) 15 the Government provided $3,928,000 for activities of the Academy while more than $1,221,000 was received from private foundations, individuals and corporations. The following table is a classification of income of the Academy and Research Council by source and of expenses by purpose for the year ended June 30, 1952: 16 Classification of income by source for year ended June 30, 1952 Source Amount Percent U. S. Government, under contracts for specifically requested services.. Foundations, industrial concerns, and other private sources for studies, projects and other restricted purposes.. $3,457, 313. 46 1,411, 478.90 Interest and dividends on general funds investments, dues of members, sales of publications, and other sources for general purposes. 708, 480. 41 Total... 5,577, 272. 77 100 སྱུ རྨའ།ཎྜ 62 25 13 Classification of expenses by purpose for year ended June 30, 1952 Purpose Amount Percent Performance of work required by contracts with the U. S. Government. Studies, projects, and other services pursuant to private grants and other arrangements exclusive of work for the U. S. Government. General administration, including operation and maintenance of the physical plant... Total.. It may be helpful at this point to include the following excerpt from the report of the Academy for the year 1950-51 in which the 14 Report of the National Academy of Sciences, fiscal year 1946-47. Washington: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1948, 192 pp. At p. 1-5. 15 Reports of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council for the fiscal years ended June 30, 1953, and June 30, 1954, were submitted to the Congress and referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration on May 10, 1956. As of December 1957 these reports were not available for public distribution in published form. 18 Report of the Treasurer for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1952, in Report of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, fiscal year 1951-52, at p. 94. Academy-Research Council relationship was clarified and redefined by Academy President Detlev W. Bronk: There has long been lack of understanding of the relations between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council; there has been no clear definition of their relative functions and objectives. There have been times when these ill-defined relations have fostered friction and dissent. Constitutionally these relations are well defined: the Research Council is a constituent agency of the Academy; the Research Council enlists the talents of many who are not members of the Academy. The Academy formed the Research Council as a council of representatives of various specialized scientific societies in order to achieve a synthesis of fragmented scientific effort and knowledge necessary to the wholesome development of science and its uses. Accordingly, it is meaningless to say that the National Research Council is an active, effective agency whereas the Academy does little but elect new members. I repeat, the Research Council is a part of the Academy, and the officers and Council of the Academy are responsible for the conduct of all the affairs of the Academy including those carried out under the aegis of committees of divisions of the Research Council. THE ADMINISTRATION OF FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS BY THE ACADEMYRESEARCH COUNCIL One of the most important activities of the National Research Council directed toward the furtherance of research is the fellowship program. Originating in 1919, with the establishment of postdoctoral fellowship programs in physics, chemistry, and mathematics financed by grants from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Council's activities in the administration of fellowships have increased sharply, particularly in the period since the Second World War. The following programs are now being administered by the Academy-Research Council: National Research Council natural sciences fellowships Merck fellowships in the natural sciences RCA fellowships in electronics Fulbright scholarship program National Science Foundation fellowships Lilly fellowships in the natural sciences The fellowship programs are in general under the direction of groups organized by the Office of Scientific Personnel of the Research Council who are assisted by the eight science divisions, viz, anthropology and psychology; biology and agriculture; chemistry and chemical technology; earth sciences; engineering and industrial research; mathematics; medical sciences and physical sciences. Brief surveys of the major fellowship programs being administered by the Academy-Research Council are included below. A description of the fellowship program of the Atomic Energy Commission is included although it is no longer administered by the AcademyResearch Council. |