National Science Policy

Archive Report

Federal Government and the Sciences

Calls for a government science program, to provide for more coordination and centralization and less duplication among administrative units, were voiced in this country long before launching of the first sputnik by the Soviet Union in 1957 made the United States acutely conscious of its shortcomings in scientific endeavor. Vannevar Bush, head of the wartime Office of Scientific Research and Development, wrote 15 years ago:

We have no national policy for science. The government has only begun to utilize science in the nation's welfare. There is no body within the government charged with formulating or executing national science policy. There are no standing committees of the Congress devoted to this important subject. Science has been in the wings. It should be ...

locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles