CONTENTS Report of the National Research Council... Introduction.... Organization and methods.......... Relations to the National Academy of Sciences. Officers for 1926-1927... Headquarters of the Academy and Research Council_ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences – Publications.. Bulletins___ Page 1 1 2 4 4 4 5 6 6 7 istry, and Technology. Finances_ Research fellowships.......... International Critical Tables of Numerical Data of Physics, Chem Special organizations affiliated with the council. Activities of divisions and committees. Division of Federal relations... Division of foreign relations _ . Division of States relations.. Division of educational relations_ Division of engineering and industrial research.. Division of medical sciences__ Division of biology and agriculture... Division of anthropology and psychology. Research information service. Annual report of the treasurer. Receipts. Disbursements.. Assets.... 8 9 10 11 12 12 12 15 17 19 21 25 27 31 35 39 43 45 48 Report of the auditing committee.. Appendices.. 1. Executive order of the President of the United States, May Report of the National Research Council-Continued. 4. Divisions of the council_ Division of Federal relations.. Division of foreign relations.. Division of States relations. Division of educational relations.. Division of physical sciences_ Division of engineering and industrial research_ Division of geology and geography...... Division of medical sciences.... Division of biology and agriculture. Division of anthropology and psychology 5. National Research Council fellowships. Medical sciences.. Biological sciences. Seed germination fellowships.. National Livestock and Meat Board fellowships. 6. Crop Protection Institute fellowships... 7. Members of the National Research Council Page 69 69 70 73 74 76 78 82 85 87 90 93 95 95 96 97 98 99 99 99 100 REPORT OF THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR JULY 1, 1925, TO JUNE 30, 1926 (Prepared by Vernon Kellogg, permanent secretary, with the assistance of the chairmen of divisions) INTRODUCTION The National Research Council, on completing the ninth year of its existence, takes satisfaction in presenting a report of results accomplished and new work set under way during the past year. At the same time it realizes the limitations put on its achievement by the limits of the funds and service available to it. The council is an organization primarily devoted to the promotion and cooperative coordination of scientific research rather than to the actual conduct of research under its direction, although it has not hesitated to assume the responsibility of carrying on a number of important specific projects of investigation. The council's lines of work and methods involve the maintenance of a wide contact by it with the scientific organizations and workers of this country and of various foreign countries representing both fundamental science and its applications. The actual membership of the council, appointed by the president of the National Academy of Sciences, is chiefly composed of accredited representatives of about 75 national scientific and technical societies, nominated directly by these societies. Constant and stimulating contact with the colleges and universities of the country is maintained, as also with the Government's various scientific bureaus. Relations with foreign scientific workers and organizations are closely maintained through the International Research Council and its affiliated international unions representing different special fields of science. The council is the official representative in this country of the International Research Council, and several of its parts act as the accredited American sections of the various affiliated international scientific unions. The council has been intrusted during the year with the responsibility of expending considerable sums of money appropriated by various foundations, industrial concerns, and individuals for the support of various special undertakings, in the way of promotion, organization, and carrying out of scientific work and research. It has had also funds for its general administrative expenses. Later in this report there is presented a statement in summary form of the actual expenditures during the year, and in the attached treasurer's report a detailed account of assets, income, and disbursements. ORGANIZATION AND METHODS OF THE COUNCIL For the benefit of those who may see for the first time in this annual report any statement concerning the organization and activities of the National Research Council, I reproduce here, with few changes, certain paragraphs first printed in the annual report of the National Research Council for the year 1920. These paragraphs relate to the general organization and methods of the research council. The National Research Council is a cooperative organization of the scientific men of America, including also a representation of men of affairs and business men interested in industry and engineering and in the fundamental or "pure" science on which the "applied" science used in these activities depend. Its members are appointed by the president of the National Academy of Sciences. The research council enjoys the formal recognition and active cooperation of most of the major scientific and technical societies of the country, being composed in large part of representatives of these societies. Its essential purpose is the promotion of research in the physical and biological sciences and the encouragement of the application and dissemination of scientific knowledge for the benefit of the Nation. The research council is composed of a series of major divisions, one group of seven divisions of science and technology representing, respectively, physics, mathematics, and astronomy; chemistry and chemical technology; anthropology and psychology; geology and geography; biology and agriculture; the medical sciences; and engineering and industrial research; and another group of four divisions of general relations, representing foreign relations, Federal relations, States relations, and educational relations. There is also a special research information service. As subordinate or affiliated lesser groups, each of these divisions comprises a larger or smaller series of committees, each with its special problem or subject of attention. There are certain other committees, administrative and technical, which affiliate directly with the executive board of the council. Its general administrative officers are a chairman, four vice chairmen, permanent secretary, treasurer, and a chairman of each of the various divisions. All of these except the permanent secretary and treasurer are elected annually by the executive board or by the members of the divisions with the approval of the executive board. The research council is neither a large operating scientific laboratory nor a repository of large funds to be given away to scattered scientific workers or institutions. It is rather an organization which, while clearly recognizing the unique value of individual work, hopes especially to help bring together scattered work and workers and to assist in coordinating in some measure scientific attack in America on large problems in any and all lines of scientific activity, especially, perhaps, on those problems which depend for successful solution on the cooperation of several or many workers and laboratories, either within the realm of a single science or representing different realms in which various parts of a single problem may lie. It particularly intends not to duplicate or in the slightest degree to interfere with work already under way; to such work it only hopes to offer encouragement and support where needed and possible to be given. It hopes to help maintain the morale of devoted isolated investigators and to stimulate renewed effort among groups willing but halted by obstacles. It will try to encourage the interest of universities and colleges in research work and the training of research workers, so that the inspiration and fitting of American youth for scientific work may never fall so low as to threaten to interrupt the constantly needed output of well-trained and devoted scientific talent in the land. With any serious interruption in the output of American science and scientific workers, the strength of the Nation will be immediately threatened. The methods of contributing practical assistance to American science in harmony with the general point of view and policy outlined above which the research council has so far adopted are various. One is the establishment of special committees of carefully chosen experts for specific scientific subjects or problems urgently needing consideration, which plan modes of attack and undertake to find men and means (with the assistance of the general administrative offices of the research council) for carrying out the plan. Another is the bringing together of industrial concerns interested in the development of the scientific basis of their processes and inducing them to support the establishment of special scientific investigations under the advice of experts representing the research council. Another is the stimulation of larger industrial organizations, which may be in the situation to maintain their own independent laboratories, to see the advantage of contributing to the support of pure science for the sake of increasing the fundamental scientific knowledge on which future progress in applied science absolutely depends. Other methods are the direct maintenance of university research fellowships; the publication of valuable scientific papers; the preparation of bibliographies and abstracts of current scientific literature; the collection and distribution of information on current research, university and industrial research laboratories and facilities, research personnel, etc.; and the dissemination of popular and authentic scientific news and information for the sake of increasing the public interest in and support of productive scientific work. Still other forms of activities might be listed, but those given illustrate the research council's methods. |