Reactions of government scientists

Will the above proposals achieve their purpose of providing NSF with a “positive, dynamic stance” and putting it in the forefront of science policymaking? PHYSICS TODAY asked NSF director Leland Haworth for his views. “I think that the objectives they have of trying to be helpful both to the Congress and the Executive branch in their recommendations and conclusions are all to the good,” Haworth says. “The study and report are very worthwhile and have caused a lot of soul‐searching on the part of both the subcommittee and the foundation, and forced us to think about our operations in a way we have never done before. To be sure, I don’t agree with every detailed recommendation of the report as to whether each and every one will help toward their objectives although some obviously will. My analysis of the report is that the subcommittee has decided that the foundation is a successful and worthwhile endeavor and that its usefulness can be enhanced both in the sense of engaging in new operations and in that of making existing programs more effective.”

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