Notes on Science the Endless Frontier

Chapter 1: Introduction

• Scientific Progress is Essential: Continued flow of new knowledge is the basis for health, jobs, higher living standards, and national security.
• Science is a Proper Concern of Government: Government should foster new frontiers in science to benefit health, welfare, and security.
• Freedom of Inquiry Must Be Preserved: Long-term scientific advancement depends on academic freedom and untrammeled investigation.
• Government Relations to Science - Past and Future: Government has a history of supporting science but needs a coordinated, forward-looking policy; science should be centered in national policy while preserving institutional autonomy.

Chapter 2: The War Against Disease

• In War: War-time science reduced death rates; advances in penicillin, sulfa drugs, vaccines, DDT, vaccines, and better hygiene; malaria controlled; radar and other technologies supported wartime needs.
• In Peace: Life expectancy rose from $49$ to $65$ years; infant/child mortality declined; ongoing need for basic medical research funded by public sources as private funding wanes.
• Unsolved Problems: Cardiovascular disease, renal disease, cancer, mental illness; need for broader, fundamental knowledge across disciplines.
• Broad and Basic Studies Needed: Discoveries often come from basic science; medical progress relies on chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry, etc.
• Coordinated Attack on Special Problems: Government-led, cross-institution coordination accelerates development of critical therapies (e.g., penicillin, malaria drugs).
• Action is Necessary: Medical schools/universities must remain the primary locus of medical research; government should support basic medical research with grants and fellowships.

Chapter 3: Science and the Public Welfare

• Relation to National Security: Scientific research is essential to national defense; peacetime military research should be sustained through civilian-controlled structures with direct Congress funding.
• Science and Jobs: A flow of new scientific knowledge underpins new products, industries, and employment; full employment requires robust science investment.
• The Importance of Basic Research: Basic research creates scientific capital and enables broad, long-term technological progress; applied research alone cannot sustain long-term advancement.
• Centers of Basic Research: Colleges, universities, and endowed institutes are primary sources of basic research; they must be strong, well-funded, and able to attract top talent.
• Research Within the Government: Government research should be coordinated, expanded where needed, and protected from overbearing bureaucratic constraints; attention to recruiting, classification, and compensation is needed to attract top talent.
• Industrial Research: Government should support basic research to spur industrial innovation; tax policy and patent policy affect the pace of industrial research.
• International Exchange of Scientific Information: Government should promote international scientific exchange and information flow; translation and fellowships can help maintain global leadership.
• The Special Need for Federal Support: Private funding alone cannot sustain basic research; public funds are necessary to maintain and expand frontiers of knowledge.
• The Cost of a Program: An adequate federal program would start around $10$ million and may rise to about $50$ million annually as it matures (illustrative total across divisions will increase over time).

Chapter 4: Renewal of Our Scientific Talent

• Nature of the Problem: Creation of new knowledge rests on a relatively small cadre of highly trained scientists; need to nurture more talent through scholarships and fellowships.
• A Note of Warning: Do not crowd out social sciences and humanities or create harmful imbalances by funneling too many resources into science; national welfare requires a balanced approach.
• The Wartime Deficit: War reduced the number of scientists in training; deficits in science/engineering graduates and advanced degrees are anticipated unless corrective actions are taken.
• Improve the Quality: Broad base of high-ability youth should be developed; opportunity should be extended widely, not just to a privileged few.
• Remove the Barriers: Access to higher education should not be limited by family wealth; funding for scholarships/fellowships should be provided to broaden participation.
• The Generation in Uniform Must Not be Lost: Salvage scientific talent from the military; train active-duty personnel and returnees for science, and ensure overseas study benefits are preserved.
• A Program: Propose substantial undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships, integrated with national service in a National Science Reserve to be available for national emergencies.

Chapter 5: A Problem of Scientific Reconversion

• Effects of Mobilization of Science for War: War redirected scientists to weapon-focused work; much basic research was sidelined but valuable knowledge accrued for future use.
• Security Restrictions Should be Lifted Promptly: Publish and disseminate wartime findings where possible; release classified information when it no longer endangers security.
• Need for Coordination: Various agencies and institutions generated overlapping findings; coordinate dissemination and international sharing.
• A Board to Control Release: Establish a board (scientists and military) to determine declassification and publication of wartime science information.
• Publication Should be Encouraged: Prepare and publish results promptly and economically to accelerate civilian use and education.

Chapter 6: The Means to the End

• New Responsibilities for Government: Government must promote new knowledge and talent; provide stable funding; coordinate national science policy.
• The Mechanism: Create a single, independent agency to manage basic research funding, talent development, and long-range science policy; coordinate with existing agencies without dissolving them.
• Five Fundamentals: Core guiding principles for the new framework:
  • $1.$ There must be stability of funds over multi-year periods to enable long-range planning.
  • $2.$ The administrative body should be composed of citizens chosen for expertise and public-spirited purpose, not government insiders.
  • $3.$ The agency should fund external organizations (contracts/grants) and not operate laboratories itself.
  • $4.$ Basic research funding must leave policy, personnel, and methodology with the institutions receiving support.
  • $5.$ The Foundation must be independent yet responsible to the President and Congress; appropriate audits and budgeting apply.
• Military Research: A civilian-controlled, permanent military-research capability is needed, with close service liaison and direct congressional funding; civilian agencies should handle long-range military research while services handle current weapons development.
• National Research Foundation (NRF): Proposed national structure to oversee basic research, talent development, and national defense research; composed of nine Members; several professional Divisions; responsible to the President and Congress; annual budgets allocated by the Members.
• I. Purposes: NRF aims to promote national science policy, support basic research in nonprofit settings, fund science scholarships, and support long-range military research.
• II. Members: Nine Members; 4-year terms; independent from government; elect a chairman; a full-time director leads the Foundation.
• III. Organization: Five Divisions (Medical Research; Natural Sciences; National Defense; Scientific Personnel and Education; Publications & Scientific Collaboration); each Division led by a chairman and supported by members; recommendations coordinated with the National Academy of Sciences.
• IV. Functions: Formulate policy; issue grants/contracts; establish offices; coordinate with other agencies; administer scholarships; fund defense-related research; promote dissemination of knowledge; support international scientific collaboration.
• V. Patent Policy: Royalty-free government license for government purposes; no mandatory government ownership of discoveries; policy remains adaptable to public interest; manage patent rights to encourage dissemination.
• VI. Special Authority: Legislation should allow Foundation Members to engage in private work without conflicting with contracts; allow research contracts without mandatory bid advertising; relax GAO voucher rules to avoid stifling research efficiency.
• VII. Budget: First-year vs. fifth-year rough funding estimates by Division (in $millions$):
  • Division of Medical Research: $5.0 o 20.0$
  • Division of Natural Sciences: $10.0 o 50.0$
  • Division of National Defense: $10.0 o 20.0$
  • Division of Scientific Personnel and Education: $7.0 o 29.0$
  • Division of Publications & Scientific Collaboration: $0.5 o 1.0$
  • Administration: $1.0 o 2.5$
  • NRF total in first year: $33.5$ million; in five years: $122.5$ million.
• Action by Congress: Legislation is needed to create the National Research Foundation; action should align with the Five Fundamentals; early action is imperative to meet the challenges of science in the coming years.

Notes:

• Where numbers appear, the figures are provided in the original plan and exemplify the scale of the proposed program. Dollar figures are given in millions for readability, e.g., $10$ million, $50$ million, etc.