News and Views... ACS Washington News Bureau By AL· L E G G I N , Associate
I1ENEWED interest o n the part of the *■** lower House in a program of federal aid for scientific research and education i s evidenced b y the introduction on M a y 15 of H.R. 6448 by Representative Mills (D., Ark.). H.R. 6448, a more detailed ver sion of the dormant H.R. 3852, introduced by Mr. Mills o n July 19, 1945, is now in the House (. .nittee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Supporters of t h e measure express confidence that this proposal t o establish a national science foundation will meet with the approval of the committee, and will pass the House before the summer recess is taken, if several other bills and other matters are not given priority of hearings in t h e com mittee. The broad principles of H.R. 6448 are similar to those of S. 1850, better known as the Magnuson-Kilgore Bill. T h e latter proposal has been reported out favorably b y the Senate's Committee o n Military Affairs. Many controversial administrative d e tails, such as the creation of a central scientific agency, patent restrictions, and distribution of funds, are modified in H.R. 6448 to such an extent that they are likely to meet with approval from those scientists, societies, and organizations which have criticized the treatment of these questions in S. 1850. Instead of creating a n independent, in line scientific agency of the Federal Government, the Mills measure would e s tablish an agency in the Executive Branch of the Government under the supervision of a board and a director, responsible t o them, who would be the principal execu tive officer of the foundation. Many have questioned the desirability or feasibility of including stringent patent clauses in legislation designed to provide federal support for fundamental research and education of future scientists and e n gineers. A t least it has been felt b y many that the question of patents should be considered at a later date when t h e foundation is in operation and consider able experience has been obtained con cerning ways and means of dealing with patent matters in connection with the a d ministration of the foundation. Provi sions of Ή . R . 6448 are broad o n patent matters and would, not necessitate a n y serious revisions in the present patent system. Research and development contracts would contain patent provisions to pro
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tect both the public interest and the equities of the organization or individual involved. H.R. 6448 provides for making patents available t o the public where the foundation completely finances basic or fundamental research projects. On the other hand, where t h e foundation partially finances applied research projects, provi sion i s made for the issuance of an irrevoc able nonexclusive royalty-free license to the United States Government. T h e distribution of funds for research and development activities would not in H.R. 6448 be apportioned on a basis to specific areas or localities, but would be based on the following principles: 1. Work to be performed by organiza tions or individuals best qualified to achieve the results desired. 2. Strengthening the research staffs of organizations, particularly nonprofit or ganizations. One of the most controversial issues among scientists is the inclusion of the social sciences in the National Founda tion Act. H.R. 6448 would provide for five divisions t o be established within the foundation—namely, Division of Medi cal Research, Division of Mathematics, Physical, and Engineering Sciences, Divi sion of Biological Sciences, Division of National Defense, and Division of Scient ific Personnel and Education. The board under the provisions set up in H.R. 6448 may create three additional divisions. A social science division m a y be included in t h e additional divisions as indicated in the proposed measure. Furthermore, un til such time as t h e foundation decides to include a Social Science Division it may support studies designed to review the impact of scientific discovery on the general welfare. Several Congressmen interviewed ex press the opinion that H . R . 6448 more closely represents the type of legislation originally recommended in the Bush Report than does S. 1850. Furthermore, there is renewed hope that the Senate will take up S. 1850 and the House H.R. 6448 before summer recess and that some form of support for federal aid to research and education, possibly a compromise be tween t h e Senate and House Bills, will be enacted in the very near future. Naval
Research
Following the recent announcement, by t h e Army, of formation of a new gen eral staff section for research and de
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velopment, the House continued to indi cate its enthusiasm for science legisla tion, by passing H . R. 5911, a bill to es tablish a n office of naval research in the Navy Department. Phis bill provides a single office in the Navy to encourage and coordinate scien tific research as related t o the mainte nance of future naval power and make available to all bureaus of the N a v y world wide scientific information and necessary services for conducting specialized and imaginative research. Following the plan of other science legislation in utilizing civilian scientific advisers, a N a v a l R e search Advisory Committee, of not more than 15 civilians prominent in the fields of science, research, and development work, is also established t o consult with and advise the Chief of N a v a l Research. T h e bill is now in the Senate Committee on N a v a l Affairs and should b e reported out of t h e committee t o the Senate in the near future. Veterans Administration I n keeping with the trend of progres sive technical expansion, the Veterans Administration has recently established a new hospital clinical and technical pro gram to keep the hospitals abreast of the complexity of laboratory work and to introduce modern clinical techniques. Present* plans will require, initially, 47 experienced biochemists and 20 bacteriolo gists for supervision of laboratory an alytical work. These specialists, under this expansion program, will also have the opportunity t o engage in individual and cooperative research projects. Appli cants, who desire appointments in their own areas, should apply at Veterans Ad ministration branch offices. Civil Service Another measure which reveals the attitude of Congressmen regarding the important role science will play in the future of this country is S. 2183, introduced in t h e Senate b y Mr. Tydings ( D . , Md.). This bill provides that leaves of absence during regular working hours may be granted, without loss of pay, t o scientific and. technical employees of government agencies to carry on advanced research and. study in approved institutions of higher learning. Measures such as this may encourage young scientists, technolo gists, and technicians t o accept posi tions i n the government bureaus which are direly in need of trained personnel.
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