RESEARCH
Decreasing Portion of Research Dollar to Basic Research
foundations in existence and able to report for all survey years shows:
RESEARCH EXPENDITURES OF 77 LARGER FOUNDATIONS
L939 L946 L953
A m o u n t Small, Significance Large Foundations have spent f e w dollars to support research but have made important discoveries X N 1953, 77 larger e n d o w e d foundations in the U. S. spent $26 million on scientific research; total expenditures t h a t year for research a n d development w e r e $ 5 billion. These figures come from the second of t h e studies the National Science Foundation is maki n g to give t h e first nationwide statistical picture of R&D. T h e first study w a s on industry's expenditures (C&EN, J a n . 2, p a g e 2 4 ) . T h e dollars spent by t h e foundations a r e not a true measure of the worth of the research supported, N S F says. Significant is the foundations' ability to channel their funds on a timely basis t o critical areas of scientific research. T h e prewar advances in nuclear a n d medical science afford an example. In 1940, t h e Rockefeller F o u n d a t i o n granted $1.1 million for a cyclotron a t t h e University of California. This research facility, augm e n t e d b y funds from t h e Markle 686
C&EN
FEB. 13,
1956
Foundation and Research Corp., 'was then one of the few of its kind available for nuclear research. Another example w a s utilization b y the military of trained medical personnel from t h e foundations to assist in producing weapons for fighting disease such as the antibiotics and insecticides. N S F says t h e strong system of medicine in the U . S. today is largely a result of the p r o g r a m of medical training initiated b y t h e foundations. • G e n e r a l Supporte In 1953, t h e 77 larger foundations—total assets over $3 b i l l i o n - s p e n t $164 million, $ 2 6 million ( 1 6 % ) of it for scientific research. Of 75 foundations itemizing their expenditures, scientific research entered t h e programs of 43. In four cases, all program funds were for research. The survey uncovered some changes of emphasis in scientific research b e tween 1939 and 1953. A look at 3 7
Millions Spent for Scientific Research $10 $11 $23
% of Total Expenditures 20.5 24.5 19.8
The Ford Foundation, however, figures in this tabulation. In the first t w o years, it was still a family foundation spending nothing for research support. By 1953 it spent over $4.5 million. Thus, without Ford, the remaining 36 foundations show a research investment of 20.9% of total expenditures i n 1939, climbing to 26.4% in 1953. This, says NSF, probably more nearly represents the trend among older foundations. ( N S F warns that in all tabulations, t h e size of the b i g three must be considered—Ford, Rockefeller Foundation, a n d Carnegie Corp. have combined assets of $1 billion and represent more t h a n 44 % of the income of the 7 7 larger foundations.) • Away from Basic· L a r g e shifts h a v e b e e n occurring in emphasis of research support through this period: O u t of greatly increased resources, t h e 77 larger foundations w e r e contributin 0 " more dollars in 1953 b u t were getting less purchasing power than in 1939. T h e percentage of basic research wTas also dropping: 1939, 96
