An adventure in applied science - IRRI books - International Rice ...

148 History of the International Rice Research InstituteAmounts and sources of funds (in thousands of dollars) for core budget and for special projects,1960-71.YearRockefellerFordAll other bFoundation Foundation USAID sourcesCore Special Core Special Core a Special Specialbudget projects budget projects budget projects projects1960 160- 1601961 2291962 405 750 c- 229- 1,1551963 51532 5471964 6251965 635 635 800 360 c 61 68634 2,4641966 690 69081 1,4611967 715 50 715 430 8 62 1,9801968 772 168 772 268 104 115 2,1991969 890 169 890 120 120 277 56 2,7351970 750 15 750 384 424 243 72 2,6381971 750 52 750 609 872 290 564 3,887Total 7,136 454 5,202 3,574 1,416 1,282 1,077 20,141a The USAID figures represent amounts actually received by IRRI. Appropriations were larger. b There were nogrants to core budget from other sources. c 3-year grants.Totalneeds plus a 7% annual increase. At that time, Harrar and Hill told the trusteesof their respective foundations that they expected the annual contribution foreach organization to reach a figure of $750,000. There were discussions to theeffect that a ceiling of that amount should be established and that every effortshould be made to find other donors to share the funding.The Rockefeller Foundation preferred to make annual grants to IRRI ratherthan a lump sum contribution for a 7-year period. The effect was the same forthey kept on schedule and made the funds available promptly after eachappropriation was made.IRRI’s international program was boosted powerfully by two 3-year grantsfrom the Ford Foundation, one for $750,000 in 1962 and the second for $800,000in 1965. The funds were used for training, for foreign travel of the IRRI staff,for IRRI symposia, and for cooperative research with national programs.By 1967, Ford began appropriating funds to IRRI for the foundation’s ricedevelopment programs. This accounts for the substantial sums recordedunder special projects from 1967 to 1971. From those grants, IRRI hired andpaid the salaries and supporting costs of field staff such as Mueller in Pakistan(and, later, in Indonesia) and Walker in Bangladesh.The $750,000 ceiling that the foundations placed on their yearly contributionsto IRRI was exceeded only twice — in 1968 and in 1969. The first instanceresulted from the addition to the operating costs of an item of $69,000 forspecial equipment and for some remodeling of buildings. (If the $69,000 hadbeen designated for a special project, the contributions of the two foundationsthat year would have been just about $750,000.)The reason for the $890,000 each foundation granted in 1969 is quitedifferent and demonstrates how internal politics influence governmental