Research Applied to National Needs

NSF. 1976. Behavior of hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere and its effects on vegetation. Report to the National Science Foundation, Research Applied to National Needs, Washington, DC, by Thompson RC, California University, Statewide Air Pollution Research Center, Riverside, CA. Report no. NSF/RA-760398. NTIS publication no. PB-262733. 

This project was supported by the Research Applied to National Needs program of the National Science Foundation (grant number ENV-75-13069). 

Chiou, C.T., Freed, V.H. (1977) Chemodynamic Studies on Bench Mark Industrial Chemicals. NSF/RA-770286 prepared for Research Applied to National Needs, National Science Foundation, Washington DC. 

We are grateful to R. N. Caron for laboratory work to S. T. Free, M. W. Zacharias, and J. M. Lopez for modeling calculations and to Inland Steel Research Laboratories for petrographic analyses. We are also grateful for financial support provided by the National Science Foundation, Research Applied to National Needs (RANN), under Contract AER 75-13673 by the United States Department of Energy, University Affairs Section of the Division of Materials and Exploratory Research, under Contract No. EX-76-A-01-2295, T.O. No. 26 by the Mobil Research Foundation, Inc. and by the National Science Foundation, through an Energy Traineeship to E.M.S. 

This work, a joint project of the Department of Chemistry of Boston University and the Solar Energy Conversion Unit of Exxon Research and Engineering Co., was supported by the National Science Foundation Research Applied to National Needs Program under Grant No. SE/AER/ 72-03579. Some of the research on solution kinetics was supported by Energy Research and Development Administration Contract No. EY-76-S-02-2889. Many valuable discussions of various aspects of this work have been held with Morton Z. HoflFman. 

Within the scope of the RANN program (Research Applied to National Needs—Grant Number GI-29942), the opening up of energy sources in the outer continental shelf of the U.S. was investigated. The results were published under the title Energy under the Oceans A Technology Assessment of Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Operations, 1973 [9-11], [9-12],... 

Next I accepted a position in a new NSF postdoctoral program Research Applied to National Needs (RANN) at the University of Maryland. Consistent with the applied nature of the program, I developed a new instrument for using fluorescence spectroscopy to monitor air quality in real time. That work resulted in my first publication in Science, a highly prestigious broad-interest journal. The experience also encouraged me to think deeply about directions I wanted to pursue in my independent career. 

Bernard, B.B., 1982. Geochemical prospecting for petroleum and natural gases. In Workshop Repiort on Basic Research in Organic Geochemistry Applied to National Energy Needs, 1980. National Technical Information Service Report. CONF-801249, pp. B7-B33. 

To realize the potential of biomonitoring, investment in research is needed to address the critical knowledge gaps that hinder the ability to use biomonitoring data and interpret what they mean with respect to risks to public health. The committee s research recommendations focus not on specific chemicals but rather on methods that can be applied to a broad array of chemicals. Implementation of the research recommendations by federal and state agencies and universities will benefit from an improvement in some parts of our nation s research infrastructure. 

Laboratory Techniques. In addition to the previous research programs which address the personnel and management information needs of forensic science laboratories, the National Institute is funding research to improve instrumentation and analytical techniques applied to the analysis of physical evidence. The Aerospace Corporation of El Segundo, California, and the Law Enforcement Standards Laboratory of the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) have served as prime contractors to the Institute in the laboratory technique area. Although space does not permit a complete discussion of all projects underway at Aerospace and NBS, I will describe two project areas which are of great interest to forensic science practitioners and researchers. 

It is imperative that the federal government diminish its role in R D activity not directly related to national defense. The concepts of free enterprise apply to science and technology as much as to other aspects of the economy. When the government controls such a major portion of the R D effort, it also controls the decisions, the priorities, and the people. In order for the United States to resume its position as the world leader in Science and technology, government must allow private concerns to explore whatever areas of science they feel are appropriate and worthwhile. Each individual sponsor of research should be able to determine priorities in accord with future needs and consumer demand. 

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