piner@pur-phy.UUCP (Richard Piner) (11/15/85)
Posted: Fri Oct 4, 1985 10:59 AM EDT Msg: JGIF-2083-8875
From: RPARK
To: WHATSNEW
CC: RPark
Subj: What's New
WHAT'S NEW, Friday, October 4, 1985 Washington, D.C.
1. A NATIONAL POLICY ON THE RELEASE OF SCIENTIFIC AND
TECHNICAL INFORMATION generated as a result of federally
funded fundamental research is contained in a directive from
President Reagan to the heads of executive branch departments
and agencies.
It is the policy of this Administration that, to the
maximum extent possible, the products of fundamental
research remain unrestricted. It is also the policy of
this Administration that, where the national security
requires control, the mechanism for control of infor-
mation generated during federally funded fundamental
research in science, technology and engineering at
colleges, universities and laboratories is classifi-
cation. Each federal government agency is responsible
for: (a) determining whether classification is appro-
priate prior to the award of a research grant, contract,
or cooperative agreement and, if so, controlling the
research results through standard classification
procedures; (b) periodically reviewing all research
grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements for
potential classification. No restrictions may be placed
upon the conduct or reporting of federally funded
fundamental research that has not received national
security classification, except as provided in
applicable U.S. statutes.
Our goal is to maintain the free and open exchange
of unclassified research so necessary to a free
society and an expanding economy.
The full text of the directive is not yet available, but it
is said to include the all-important definition of
"fundamental." The policy was issued in response to the
growing concern of the scientific community (What's New,
September 20). The American Physical Society has been at the
forefront of this effort.
2) A NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION AUTHORIZATION BILL (S. 801)
was passed by the Senate for the first time since 1980,
contrary to the prediction of What's New (September 13).
Authorization has been blocked by a dispute over jurisdiction
between the Commerce and Labor Committees. These committees
have agreed to share jurisdiction, a totally unprecedented
procedure. It has been said that the dispute was so bitter
because there was so little at stake. The engineering
initiative amendment was contained in the bill.
Robert L. Park
American Physical Society THAT'S ALL 10/4/85.