Student Scholarship

Document Type

Research Paper

Abstract

This paper examines the evolution and challenges of coordinating scientific research and development within the United States federal government following World War II. By 1956, federal expenditures for research had grown from a 1940 level of twenty-nine million dollars to over two billion dollars, driven largely by the pressures of the global political situation and military necessity. This rapid expansion created a complex landscape where over twenty different agencies administered research funds, leading to concerns regarding efficiency, duplication of effort, and the need for a unified national science policy. 

The document analyzes key historical milestones in the drive for coordination, beginning with the 1945 Bush report, Science, the Endless Frontier, and the subsequent 1947 Steelman Report. These reports highlighted the inadequacy of existing agencies like the Bureau of the Budget and the National Academy of Sciences in providing positive program coordination. The Steelman Report specifically recommended the establishment of the National Science Foundation and the Interdepartmental Committee on Scientific Research and Development to determine broad policy, allocate functions, and foster systematic liaison between operating units. 

Despite the eventual establishment of these bodies, the author notes significant friction between administrative desires for super-planned efficiency and the scientific community's insistence on intellectual freedom. Critics from within the scientific field argued that centralized control could stifle the ingenuity and fearless quest for truth essential to scientific progress. The paper concludes that while mechanisms like the National Science Foundation and the Interdepartmental Committee exist, they have largely functioned as advisory panels or information exchanges rather than authoritative coordinators. Ultimately, the document suggests that the unique nature of scientific inquiry makes standard bureaucratic procedures difficult to apply, leaving the question of the ideal degree of federal coordination unresolved.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: Federal scientific research and development coordination is hindered by vague definitions of "coordination," overlapping agency missions, and a lack of centralized direction or policy within the executive branch. 

  • The Method: This 1956 survey analyzes federal research administration through literature reviews of the Steelman Report and Vannevar Bush's proposals, legislative histories of the National Science Foundation, and interviews with agency officials. 

  • Quantitative Finding: Total annual U.S. research spending exceeded 4.5 billion dollars in 1955; the federal government's share was 2.2 billion dollars, representing a 14% increase over 1954; 93% of federal funds supported applied research while 7% supported basic research; federal research expenditures in 1940 were approximately 29 million dollars. 

  • Qualitative Finding: Scientists resist centralized coordination due to fears of "super-planning" and loss of intellectual freedom; existing mechanisms like the ICSRD and NSF are perceived as relatively inactive in direct coordination; information exchange is viewed as desirable for sharing equipment, recruiting talent, and avoiding unintended duplication.

Publication Date

1-1956

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