Faculty Discusses Government Aid, Sees Trend to More General Grants

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences yesterday continued its discussion of federal aid to the University and noticed at least one encouraging sign: a trend away from federal support of specific applied research towards support of research in general. Faculty members also saw hope that this evolution would continue so that Federal grants would aid the whole university function.

According to President Pusey, who presided at the regular meeting yesterday, the Faculty also felt that decisions from Washington on federal research projects were "well made." Most are made by the professors' peers from other universities, and thus the United States avoids the pitfalls of having decisions on federal research operations made by bureaucrats, Pusey said.

Discussion, inspired by last fall's Hoover Report on "Harvard and the federal Government," was introduced by Harvey Brooks, Dean of Engineering and Applied Physics, who "disputed the motion that federal aid had created an imbalance in the universities among cultural sciences, humanities, and social sciences."

Gerald Holton, professor of Physics, pointed out, however, that last year in federal funds went to the average individual in the sciences, compared to $20,000 to each social scientist and $10,000 to each humanist. He attributed this to the difference in expense for equipment in each of the areas.

Dr. George P. Berry, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Dr. John C. Snyder, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health, reported on the impact of federal funds on their schools, before Pusey opened discussion, which lasted about an hour.

Fred L. Whipple, professor of Astronomy, then advocated creation of a central research institute at the University to process and manage all federal research grants. The current Office for Research Contracts at the University merely examines the legality of grants and contracts and leaves judgement on their acceptance and later operation to the departments, the Dean of the faculty involved, and the Administrative vice-President.

Energetic opposition to Whipple's suggestion came from several colleagues--notably Berry, Brooks, George B. Kistiakowsky, Abbott and James Lawrence, Professor of Chemistry, and Garrett Birkhoff, professor of Pure and Applied Mathematics.

They argued that such a plan would further the split between teaching and research at the graduate level.

Dr. George P. Berry, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and Dr. John C. Snyder, Dean of the Faculty of Public Health, reported on the impact of federal funds on their schools, before Pusey opened discussion, which lasted about an hour.

Fred L. Whipple, professor of Astronomy, then advocated creation of a central research institute at the University to process and manage all federal research grants. The current Office for Research Contracts at the University merely examines the legality of grants and contracts and leaves judgement on their acceptance and later operation to the departments, the Dean of the faculty involved, and the Administrative vice-President.

Energetic opposition to Whipple's suggestion came from several colleagues--notably Berry, Brooks, George B. Kistiakowsky, Abbott and James Lawrence, Professor of Chemistry, and Garrett Birkhoff, professor of Pure and Applied Mathematics.

They argued that such a plan would further the split between teaching and research at the graduate level.