Research in Small Colleges
1
ΙΙΟΜ',ΊΠ Ιι in Small Colleges K. K. WILLIAMS, Director oi Grants, Research Corp., New York, V V In spite of the many merits of email colleges, the deficiency in research on their campuses can only accentuate their limitations •in an age of rapidly developing science . . · Research Corp. has set Hip a $2.5 million program designed especially to fill their needs IVESEARCH CORP. was founded in 1912 upon the gift by Frederick G. Cottrell of rights under his inventions in electrical precipitation of dusts. Dr. Cottrell's purpose was to make invention endow future research. This purpose the corpo- ration has faithfully followed through the years, deriving earnings from the sale of precipitators and from manage- ment of other inventions acquired from public-spirited inventors. Its earnings are entirely devoted to the advancement of science in scores of institutions. The war disrupted academic life in many ways, diverting teachers and aca- demic researchers into industry, into the armed forces, or into military research and development projects. It also dammed up Research Corp.'s income for want of peaceful research needing sup- port. As soon as the war's end could he foreseen, the academic world began to plan for the rehabilitation of schools and to face the problems of the soldiers whose education had been interrupted by the national emergency. We, too, at Re- search Corp. began to replot our course for the postwar era. We had long been concerned about the dearth of scientific research in smaller institutions. Liberal arts colleges, grant- ing few or no advanced degrees, can not assume responsibility for research on Λ grand scale; yet. it has seemed to us important that all young minds should at an early stage be introduced to a sample of the research approach. Poten- tial scientific leaders may be reared on any farm or in a country town and fail within their narrow horizons to find their destinies. In spite of the many merits of the small colleges for cultivation of human relations, the development of character, and individualized teaching, it appears that the deficiency of research on their campuses will accentuate their limitations in our age of rapidly develop- ing science. The Frederick Gardner Cottrell Grants-in-Aid of Scientific Research an- nounced in October 1945 the contem- plated expenditure, over a five-year period, of $2.5 million as allotments to institutions for research programs in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering. Made on the basis of formal application by the staff member by whom the research is to be directed, the grants are intended to make avail- able funds for equipment, supplies, and technical assistance in the form of fel- lowships or salaries not normally a part of the institution's regular budget. The program is designed especially for the <mall college. After nearly four years about 300 of rhese grants have been made in the total amount of about $1.5 million. While f.he scope and importance of these proj- ects and the predominance of younger applicants, well in the spirit of the pro- gram, have been gratifying, the rela- tively small number of the better appli- cations stemming from small institutions «vas disappointing in the first two years While this result was readily under- standable in the light of the severe overcrowding of educational facilities tnd teaching schedules, these conditions make the establishment of academic re- search the more needful. The very num- bers of students which militate against «•onduct of adequate research programs make even more disproportionate the numbers of potential young scientists who have no opportunity to be touched by the spirit of research and to be in- terested in the exploration of new fron- tiers of scientific knowledge. As the war years have receded into the past, conditions have changed some- what. The opportunity for employment by colleges of young scientists fresh from the stimulus of war research has gone. Nevertheless, means for attract- ing bright young Ph.D.'s from the uni- versities to the colleges are as necessary as ever. Only opportunities for research to be conducted in parallel with teaching duties can keep them intellectually alert and happy through the coming years. Partly because of increased spread of knowledge of the program, a larger pro- portion of worthy applications are being received from smaller institutions as the years pass and as college situations be- come more normal. Accordingly, our faith in the worth of the program rises with experience. We have found it de- sirable to arrange for visitation to col- lege campuses on a systematic basis. W. A. Woods, with an office in Santa Mon- ica, maintains such contact with col- leges in the western and mountain states, and W. E. Thwaite, with an office in Chicago, is performing a similar service in the Midwest. C. H. Schauer and the writer from the New York office en- deavoï*to cover the eastern seaboard by «visitation, as well as handle correspond- ence and remittances' relating to grant* throughout the country. The obstacle to establishment of re- search which we encounter most fre- quently in the smaller schools is an ex- cessively heavy teaching load on the faculty, leaving little or no time for re- search. Often we are besought for fund? to supplement teachers* salaries, but we are not prepared to make such contribu- tions to the regular budgets. Many smaller institutions appear to expect faculty members to supplement their in- comes by some form of summer work unrelated to their teaching. This is a defect which urgently needs repair but one which we can not finance. With proper pay adjustments the summer offers some opportunity for research or· almost any campus. From the standpoint of our program, the offering of master's degrees by col- leges is a distinct advantage, for it means an increased availability of ma- ture students as research assistants. It is our earnest wish to render the fullest assistance in our power to the solution of this problem. In the course of the past three years we have seen brilliant examples of the effect of a young and enthusiastic newcomer to the staff of a college; his spirit and work have vitalized his department and spread throughout the institution a new feeling for science. We have had the opportunity to observe these example? because of the participation of the indi- viduals and their schools in our pro- gram. We know that such men do noi just "happen" to an institution, and we know that their projects are inspired through careful planning by the men and by the administrators of their insti- tutions. We know that, given the man and proper surroundings, a plan for stimulating investigations will arise. We know that aid from Research Corp which will allow that plan to become an actuality will be effective far beyond it? dollar value. We wish to offer our experience to the administrators of small colleges and uni- versities wherein research has not beeL· in progress recently, or where the man with ideas and some free time is avail- able but lacks funds to start an effective program. In the former cases we may be able to suggest some of the consid- erations basic to the advanced planning which may have to precede by some time the realization of conditions suitable for Mich a development. In the latter cases we will be most happy to entertain ap- plication for funds which may make the work possible. In any case, we believe it will be con- structive and inspiring to correspond with, or arrange to talk with, college and university officials with whom we share a deep concern over the training of fu- ture investigators into knowledge cur- rently beyond human ken. 2546 CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS
Transcript of Research in Small Colleges
ΙΙΟΜ',ΊΠ Ιι in Small Colleges K. K. W I L L I A M S , Director oi G r a n t s , Research Corp . , New York, V V
In spi te o f the many merits of emai l c o l l e g e s , the def ic iency in research o n their campuses can o n l y a c c e n t u a t e the ir l imi ta t ions •in a n age of rapidly d e v e l o p i n g sc i ence . . · R e s e a r c h C o r p . h a s set Hip a $ 2 . 5 mi l l ion program d e s i g n e d espec ia l ly to fill the ir n e e d s
IVESEARCH CORP. was founded in 1912 upon the gift by Frederick G. Cottrell of rights under his inventions in electrical precipitation of dusts. Dr. Cottrell 's purpose was to make invention endow future research. This purpose the corporation has faithfully followed through the years, deriving earnings from the sale of precipitators and from management of other inventions acquired from public-spirited inventors. Its earnings are entirely devoted to the advancement of science in scores of institutions.
The war disrupted academic life in many ways, diverting teachers and academic researchers into industry, into the armed forces, or into military research and development projects. It also dammed up Research Corp.'s income for want of peaceful research needing support. As soon as the war's end could he foreseen, the academic world began to plan for the rehabilitation of schools and to face the problems of the soldiers whose education had been interrupted by the national emergency. We, too, at Research Corp. began to replot our course for the postwar era.
We had long been concerned about the dearth of scientific research in smaller institutions. Liberal ar ts colleges, granting few or no advanced degrees, can not assume responsibility for research on Λ grand scale; yet . it has seemed to us important that all young minds should a t a n early stage be introduced to a sample of the research approach. Potential scientific leaders may be reared on any farm or in a country town and fail within their narrow horizons t o find their destinies. I n spite of the many merits of the small colleges for cultivation of human relations, the development of character, and individualized teaching, it appears tha t the deficiency of research on their campuses will accentuate their l imitations in our age of rapidly developing science.
T h e Frederick Gardner Cottrell Grants-in-Aid of Scientific Research announced in October 1945 the contemplated expenditure, over a five-year period, of $2.5 million as al lotments to insti tutions for research programs in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and engineering. Made on the basis of formal application b y the staff member by whom the research is to be directed, the grants are intended to make available funds for equipment , supplies, and
technical assistance in the form of fellowships or salaries not normally a par t of the insti tution's regular budget . T h e program is designed especially for the <mall college.
After nearly four years about 300 of rhese grants have been made in the total amount of about $1.5 million. While f.he scope and importance of these proj ects and the predominance of younger applicants, well in the spirit of the program, have been gratifying, the relatively small number of the bet ter applications s temming from small inst i tut ions «vas disappointing in the first two years While this result was readily understandable in the light of the severe overcrowding of educational facilities tnd teaching schedules, these conditions make the establishment of academic research the more needful. The very numbers of s tudents which mili tate against «•onduct of adequate research programs make even more disproport ionate the numbers of potential young scientists who have no oppor tuni ty to be touched by the spirit of research and to be interested in the exploration of new frontiers of scientific knowledge.
As the war years have receded into the past, conditions have changed somewhat. T h e oppor tuni ty for employment by colleges of young scientists fresh from the stimulus of war research has gone. Nevertheless, means for a t t ract ing bright young Ph.D. 's from the universities to the colleges are as necessary as ever. Only opportunit ies for research to be conducted in parallel with teaching duties can keep them intellectually alert and happy through the coming years.
Par t ly because of increased spread of knowledge of the program, a larger proportion of worthy applications are being received from smaller inst i tut ions as the years pass and as college si tuations become more normal . Accordingly, our faith in the worth of the program rises with experience. W e have found it desirable t o arrange for visitation to college campuses on a systematic basis. W. A. Woods, with an office in Santa Monica, maintains such contact with colleges in the western and mounta in states, and W. E. Thwai te , with an office in Chicago, is performing a similar service in the Midwest. C. H . Schauer and the writer from the New York office en-deavoï*to cover the eastern seaboard by
«visitation, as well as handle correspond
ence and remittances' relating to grant* throughout the country.
T h e obstacle to establishment of research which we encounter most frequent ly in the smaller schools is an excessively heavy teaching load on t h e faculty, leaving little or no t ime for research. Often we are besought for fund? to supplement teachers* salaries, b u t we are not prepared to make such contr ibutions to the regular budgets . Many smaller inst i tut ions appear t o expect faculty members to supplement their incomes by some form of summer work unrelated to their teaching. Th i s is a defect which urgently needs repair but one which we can not finance. With proper pay adjustments the summer offers some opportuni ty for research or· almost any campus.
F rom the standpoint of our program, the offering of master 's degrees by colleges is a distinct advantage, for it means an increased availabili ty of mature s tudents as research assistants.
It is our earnest wish to render the fullest assistance in our power to the solution of this problem. In the course of the past three years we have seen brilliant examples of the effect of a young and enthusiastic newcomer to the staff of a college; his spirit and work have vitalized his depa r tmen t and spread throughout the inst i tut ion a new feeling for science. We have had the opportuni ty to observe these example? because of the part icipation of the individuals and their schools in our program. We know tha t such men do noi just "happen" to an insti tution, and we know tha t their projects are inspired through careful planning by the men and by the administrators of their institutions. We know that , given the man and proper surroundings, a plan for st imulating investigations will arise. We know tha t aid from Research Corp which will allow tha t plan to become an actuali ty will be effective far beyond it? dollar value.
We wish to offer our experience to the administrators of small colleges and universities wherein research has not beeL· in progress recently, or where the man with ideas and some free t ime is available bu t lacks funds to s tar t an effective program. In the former cases we may be able to suggest some of the considerations basic to the advanced planning which may have to precede b y some t ime the realization of conditions suitable for Mich a development . I n the lat ter cases we will be most happy to enter ta in application for funds which m a y m a k e the work possible.
In any case, we believe it will be constructive and inspiring t o correspond with, or arrange t o talk with, college and university officials with whom we share a deep concern over the t ra ining of future investigators into knowledge currently beyond human ken.
2546 C H E M I C A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G N E W S
