Special Message to the Congress Transmitting Reorganization Plan 2 of 1962

To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit herewith Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1962, prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Reorganization Act of 1949, as amended, and providing for certain reorganizations in the field of science and technology.

Part I of the reorganization plan establishes the Office of Science and Technology as a new unit within the Executive Office of the President; places at the head thereof a Director appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and makes provision for a Deputy Director similarly appointed; and transfers to the Director certain functions of the National Science Foundation under sections 3(a)(1) and 3(a)(6) of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950.

The new arrangements incorporated in Part I of the reorganization plan will constitute an important development in executive branch organization for science and technology. Under those arrangements the President will have permanent staff resources capable of advising and assisting him on matters of national policy affected by or pertaining to science and technology. Considering the rapid growth and far-reaching scope of Federal activities in science and technology, it is imperative that the President have adequate staff support in developing policies and evaluating programs in order to assure that science and technology are used most effectively in the interests of national security and general welfare.

To this end it is contemplated that the Director will assist the President in discharging the responsibility of the President for the proper coordination of Federal science and technology functions. More particularly, it is expected that he will advise and assist the President as the President may request with respect to:

(1) Major policies, plans and programs of science and technology of the various agencies of the Federal Government, giving appropriate emphasis to the relationship of science and technology to national security and foreign policy, and measures for furthering science and technology in the Nation.

(2) Assessment of selected scientific and technical developments and programs in relation to their impact on national policies.

(3) Review, integration, and coordination of major Federal activities in science and technology, giving due consideration to the effects of such activities on non-Federal resources and institutions.

(4) Assuring that good and close relations exist with the Nation's scientific and engineering communities so as to further in every appropriate way their participation in strengthening science and technology in the United States and the free World.

(5) Such other matters consonant with law as may be assigned by the President to the Office.

The ever-growing significance and complexity of Federal programs in science and technology have in recent years necessitated the taking of several steps for improving the organizational arrangements of the executive branch in relation to science and technology:

(1) The National Science foundation was established in 1950. The foundation was created to meet a widely recognized need for an organization to develop and encourage a national policy for the promotion of basic research and education in the sciences, to support basic research, to evaluate research programs undertaken by Federal agencies, and to perform related functions.

(2) The Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology was established in 1957. The Special Assistant serves as Chairman of both the President's Science Advisory Committee and the Federal Council for Science and Technology, mentioned below.

(3) At the same time, the Science Advisory Committee, composed of eminent non-Government scientists and engineers, and located within the Office of Defense Mobilization, was reconstituted in the White House Office as the President's Science Advisory Committee.

(4) The Federal Council for Science and Technology, composed of policy officials of the principal agencies engaged in scientific and technical activities, was established in 1959.

The National Science foundation has proved to be an effective instrument for administering sizable programs in support of basic research and education in the sciences and has set an example for other agencies through the administration of its own programs. However, the foundation, being at the same organizational level as other agencies, cannot satisfactorily coordinate Federal science policies or evaluate programs of other agencies. Science policies, transcending agency lines, need to be coordinated and shaped at the level of the Executive Office of the President drawing upon many resources both within and outside Of Government. Similarly, staff efforts at that higher level are required for the evaluation of Government programs in science and technology.

Thus, the further steps contained in Part I of the reorganization plan are now needed in order to meet most effectively new and expanding requirements brought about by the rapid and far-reaching growth of the Government's research and development programs. These requirements call for the further strengthening of science organization at the Presidential level and for the adjustment of the foundation's role to reflect changed conditions. The foundation will continue to originate policy proposals and recommendations concerning the support of basic research and education in the sciences, and the new Office will look to the foundation to provide studies and information on which sound national policies in science and technology can be based.

Part I of the reorganization plan will permit some strengthening of the staff and consultant resources now available to the President in respect of scientific and technical factors affecting executive branch policies and will also facilitate communication with the Congress.

Part II of the reorganization plan provides for certain reorganizations within the National Science foundation which will strengthen the capability of the Director of the foundation to exert leadership and otherwise further the effectiveness of administration of the foundation. Specifically:

(1) There is established a new office of Director of the National Science foundation and that Director, ex officio, is made a member of the National Science Board on a basis coordinate with that of other Board members.

(2) There is substituted for the now-existing Executive Committee of the National Science Board a new Executive Committee composed of the Director of the National Science foundation, ex officio, as a voting member and chairman of the Committee, and of four other members elected by the National Science Board from among its appointive members.

(3) Committees advisory to each of the divisions of the foundation will make their recommendations to the Director only rather than to both the Director and the National Science Board.

After investigation I have found and hereby declare that each reorganization included in Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1962 is necessary to accomplish one or more of the purposes set forth in section 2(a) of the Reorganization Act of 1949, as amended.

I have found and hereby declare that it is necessary to include in the reorganization plan, by. reason of reorganizations made thereby, provisions for the appointment and compensation of the Director and Deputy Director of the Office of Science and Technology and of the Director of the National Science foundation. The rate of compensation fixed for each of these officers is that which I have found to prevail in respect of comparable officers in the executive branch of the Government.

The functions abolished by the provisions of section 23(b) of the reorganization plan are provided for in sections 4(a), 5(a), 6(a), 6(b), and 8(d) of the National Science foundation Act of 1950.

The taking effect of the reorganizations included in the reorganization plan will provide sound organizational arrangements and will make possible more effective and efficient administration of Government programs in science and technology. It is, however, impracticable to itemize at his time the reductions in expenditures which it is probable will be brought about by such taking effect.

I recommend that the Congress allow the reorganization plan to become effective.

JOHN F. KENNEDY