Main trends of research in the social and human ... - unesdoc - Unesco

716 Eric Trist
Private sources of research support
39. A unique source of research support outside the Federal Government is
provided by the internal funds of universities. State universities, even when large
and prominent such as the University of California, are badly placed in this re-
spect compared with older private universities. Through endowments, gifts,
alumni subscriptions, the patronage of founders and ownership of land as well
as overheads claimed on contract work (especially from the Government), the
more eminent of these institutions have built up through the years considerable
funds which enable them to take independent initiatives in social research,
among their many fields of interest. The largest proportion of these funds
provides ‘enabling conditions’ - buildings, equipment, computer time, research
assistants and secretaries. They permit additional faculty appointments includ-
ing research chairs. They support doctoral candidates. Internal funds are
also used to foster exploratory work and sometimes to launch a substantial
endeavour in a new field. Whatever is ‘separately budgeted’ amounted to $47 M.
for social research in 1967.23 But adding the conventional ‘113’ from ordinary
departmental expenditures including faculty time, then $200 M. or even $300 M.
might rather represent the combined value of direct and indirect contributions.
40. Business enterprises belonging to the science-based industries support
social research on a considerable scale, estimated at $289 M. for 1967.23 Apart
from in-house facilities they commission projects with independent institutes
and universities. Most of these tend to be of the specifically applied kind but
some endeavours have been broadly innovative. A great deal of the work in
organizational development which has changed the face of organization theory
has been initiated by pioneer firms in collaboration with behavioural scientists
in business schools. Long-range planning as a field of study has been developed
in the United States at the prompting of business. The broad social philosophy
spreading among leading enterprises as their activities become increasingly
enmeshed with the other sectors of society and with other countries is inclining
them to regard many fields of social research other than the economic as
pertinent to their interests.
41. Private foundations represent another independent influence in American
education, welfare, science and culture. As the first table on p. 717 shows,
science comes towards the lower end of the list which describes their fields of
interest. Nevertheless, the relation of foundations to social research is complex.
All their major fields of interest touch upon it. Their influence is greater than
their financial contribution ($24 M. for 196723).
42. Within their scientific list, as the next table indicates, the life sciences
come first, because of a persisting concern with medical research. The social
sciences come second. The physical sciences receive little support, the belief
being current that their needs are met from other sources. Among the social
sciences the order of preference is different from either the university or the
federal order. The emphasis on law and government is recent. It represents an
effort to foster work in neglected fields.
43. American foundations have played a critical role in promoting social
research outside the United States, in Europe and in the developing world.