from researching multiple problems that may require a broad range of expertise that is usually not available in individual firms but does exist at NBS. The Planning Office selects research areas targeted to meeting national needs (such as advanced energy technologies). In addition to the Planning Office's work, a number of mechanisms exist at NBS that provide information and feedback regarding NBS research. For example, a research associate program brings private sector scientists and engineers to NBS for discrete periods of time. This inflow of working personnel provides another means of exposure to industry's needs and interests. Appendix VI contains a listing of recent corporate participants in this program. POTENTIAL NEW ROLES MUST BE CAREFULLY ASSESSED Proposals for additional contributions that NBS can make to help increase productivity and enhance innovation can be grouped into two categories: (1) marginal adjustments to current activity levels and (2) significant program departures. These proposals should be examined for their possible impact on the credibility and effectiveness of NBS--how will these proposals affect NBS' responsiveness as an organization, its technical competence, its third-party objectivity, and its capacity for strategic assessment? The following discussion focuses on the five most frequently proposed new roles and lists some of the advantages and disadvantages of adopting them. Sources of these proposals are people in industry, academia, and other Federal agencies, as well as NBS personnel. Marginal adjustments Formal designation of technology transfer agents Officially designating selected NBS personnel as technology transfer agents to specific industries would be one way of enhancing NBS' sensitivity to the problems of applied engineering science. These technology transfer agents would represent NBS in the industrial environment by transferring NBS technology to the private sector and by bringing industry problems into NBS. Although numerous informal relationships exist between NBS professionals and their industrial peers, there is no formal institutional focal point to which industry can transmit its problems. In order to maintain neutrality, the formal designation of technology transfer agents would have to be implemented in a way that would allow NBS' work to remain targeted at industry-wide needs and not the problems of a single firm. The existence of a more formal technology transfer mechanism could be designed to enhance both NBS' ability to communicate effectively with industry and its own research in engineering science. Targeted exploratory research Increasing NBS' long-term exploratory research would be another marginal adjustment for NBS. Industry is generally receptive to the idea of NBS undertaking applied research which is not aimed at designing a specific product but which lays the groundwork for future technologies. For example, NBS research on corrosion-resistant coatings should provide information necessary to develop improved coatings. Targeted exploratory research should pose no threat to industry and would fulfill NBS' traditional role of supporting the scientific infrastructure. For example, while NBS' competency program undertakes long-term exploratory research in the interest of NBS' institutional health (see ch. 5), the competency program also generates technical knowledge of use to industry. Operating a limited engineering A consensus exists within the research community associated with NBS that additional grant activity focused on engineering or applied research would stimulate the development of new technologies. An expanded grants program equal to 10 to 15 percent of NBS' funds, aimed at profit and nonprofit laboratories, could be initiated to have outside organizations perform more research. This issue was addressed in chapter 2. Significant program departures Biotechnology as a legitimate With NBS' movement into a new disciplinary area could result in a substantial change in its research direction. Biotechnology--use of data and techniques to study living organisms--has traditionally been ignored at NBS in favor of physics, chemistry, engineering, and other disciplines historically related to standards and measurement work. the emergence of biotechnology as the basis of a viable and important industry, NBS is beginning to reassess life sciences as a legitimate area of concern. Deliberations on potential NBS contributions to biotechnology are still in a preliminary phase, and according to NBS, no policy actions will probably be forthcoming before late 1981 or early 1982. NBS expects that if it does choose to become involved in biotechnology, it will apply its expertise to meet traditional needs for standards, testing procedures, and measurement instrumentation. The need for such services may force NBS to undertake this work either on a self-initiated basis or through the pressure of other agencies that either set regulations or conduct research in this area (such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Agriculture). Support for embryonic, high- A second suggestion made by those whom we interviewed which could significantly modify current NBS policies was that NBS play a "nursery" role for new technologies and organizations. Under this proposal NBS would provide a supportive environment in which technological concepts could develop into viable products and/or in which embryonic organizations could form to propagate those products. We question whether NBS could consciously generate such spinoff organizations and, perhaps more importantly, whether a publicly funded organization should attempt to perform such a function. Attempts to use NBS as a "staging area" for new technologies and/or organizations, particularly ones oriented to the private sector, could jeopardize many of NBS' fundamental institutional characteristics, such as its noncompetitive relationship with the private sector and its neutrality in providing standards. Spinoffs should therefore be accepted as fortuitous events without conscious attempts to plan institutional mechanisms to duplicate those events. AUTHORITY FOR NEW ROLES The broad wording of NBS' statutory functions covers an enormous range of undertakings, probably including some new initiatives relative to productivity and innovation. However, the organic act provides no explicit basis for defining the relationship of NBS' statutory mission to productivity and innovation initiatives. None of the broadly worded purposes, functions, and objectives specified in the organic act provide details of the arrangements NBS may undertake with private industry to accomplish NBS' mission. For example, whether the proposal that NBS support embryonic, high-technology organizations falls within the scope of the organic act is exceedingly unclear. CONCLUSIONS The National Bureau of Standards serves as the Nation's technical reference laboratory. To fulfill this role as an arbitrator of issues involving scientific standards, NBS must maintain the respect of the scientific community in both the Government and the private sector. NBS' credibility depends on its recognition as both a scientifically competent research organization and a neutral ground where technical issues can be resolved. Lacking both enforcement responsibilities and a particular industry focus, NES is in a uniquely noncompetitive relationship with other Federal agencies and industry. This noncompetitive position, combined with NBS' technical competence, enables NBS to effectively perform its role as the Nation's technical reference laboratory. NBS' work affects productivity and innovation both indirectly and directly. NBS research that supports the science and technology infrastructure, such as providing standards and developing testing and measurement procedures, affects productivity and innovation indirectly by assisting private industry with quality control and with worker health and safety. Research with more directly observable impacts on productivity and innovation is underway in automation, chemical engineering, and electronics. NBS expects to double its research expenditures in these latter areas from about $24 million to $50 million by 1985. Internally, NBS has generated a significant capacity to assess its current and future research roles. This capacity is based primarily on its multistep planning process and its numerous channels of communication with outside observers. MATTER FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE New roles or functions for NBS should be adopted only after carefully considering how added responsibilities will affect NBS' current performance as the Nation's technical reference laboratory. Changing socioeconomic and political needs may require NBS to adopt new roles such as those identified in this chapter. However, if new responsibilities are added to NBS, additional funding and staff should also be provided to avoid a deterioration of the vital technical services it already supplies. Before any new roles are adopted, NBS must ensure that the roles fall within its broad legislative authority. CHAPTER 4 NBS' JOINT INSTITUTE FOR LABORATORY ASTROPHYSICS The Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics represents a concept which may be worthy of expansion. Scientists from the National Academy of Sciences who served on panels that evaluated JILA operations rated JILA good to excellent in many respects. However, we believe a more precise statement of mission and goals and research planning is needed for future joint institutes to ensure relevance to NBS' mission. Also, questions should be answered concerning (1) who will manage the research, (2) scientists' tenure, and (3) how the research quality can be evaluated. JILA: We were asked to examine --how JILA fits into NBS operations, --the amount and application of NBS funds provided --how JILA contributes to the overall NBS mission, and --whether NBS should expand the "joint institute" A FEDERAL/ACADEMIC RESEARCH FACILITY JILA, established in 1962 by memorandum of understanding between NBS and the University of Colorado, is an independent research institute on the university campus. Primarily, its work concerns atomic and molecular physics, geophysical measurements, advanced laser measurement techniques, and astrophysics. 1/ JILA is basically an academic institute supported mainly by the Federal Covernment. NBS alone will provide about 36 percent, or $1.7 million, of JILA's fiscal year 1980 funds. NBS provides an additional 11 percent ($0.5 million) through contracts with other Federal agencies. JILA's funding is discussed in detail on page 42. Both NBS and the university provide JILA permanent positions to be filled by senior scientists. Also, through a grant to the university, NBS provides a Visiting Fellows Program under which about 10 distinguished visiting scientists can be brought to JILA for up to a year. In addition, NBS 1/The science of the physical properties and phenomena of the stars, planets, and all other heavenly bodies. |