THE AIR FORCE ORGANIZATION FOR BASIC RESEARCH 1945-1970: A STUDY IN CHANGE

After World War II, a number of federal agencies established organizations devoted to scientific research. These actions had a profound effect on postwar federal science policy. The development of an organization devoted to scientific research in one federal agency, the United States Air Force, has been traced. This case study describes the establishment and evolution of that organization and addresses the implications of that development. The Air Force organization for basic research developed in an evolutionary manner through the processes of differentiation, adaptive upgrading, inclusion and generalization. Starting with two small laboratories, the major developments in the research organization were closely correlated with significant events occurring outside the Air Force. The research organization was initially established during an era of general public support for science because certain Air Force leaders saw the need for scientific developments in the development of weapons and because many non-Air Force scientists wanted to maintain a close government-science relationship. The launching of Sputnik caused an increased public emphasis on science and created an environment which encouraged the federal government to increase its support of scientific research. The Air Force responded by creating a major organization devoted to scientific research. This organization existed until public disenchantment with both science and the military occurred. At that time, the headquarters portion of the research organization was abolished and its operating components were merged into a large systems development organization. A final reorganization within that systems development organization again centralized authority over all research efforts as a general national re-emphasis on science was emerging. As the research organization grew, the various changes provided an increased capacity for obtaining scientific knowledge. While it existed, the central research organization was able to tailor its management practices and policies to create a favorable environment for research. Its subordinate organizations became more productive through increased specialization although there were some negative effects. From its inception until the present time, the research organization was the object of numerous studies. It appears that the results of these studies were based more on the preconceived views of the people doing the study than on any formal evaluation of the organization. As a result, a variety of recommendations have been proposed and no coherent view of the "proper" organization for research has emerged from the studies. The action by the Air Force to establish a research organization helped insure the pluralistic nature of federal science activities after World War II. The substantial use of contracts to support research programs conducted outside the Air Force reinforced the government's role as a sponsor of science. However, because the Air Force generally saw itself as a user of the products of research, its role in maintaining the overall health and balance of national scientific activities was somewhat confused. At the present time, the Air Force organization for research has found itself an insulated niche in which it operates relatively undisturbed. Destruction of the organization or absorption into a larger system seems unlikely as long as the external scientific community retains some political power because the current organization and its management philosophies guarantees a substantial flow of federal resources to the nation's scientific organizations.