At a time when scientific and technological competence is vital to the nation's future, the weak performance of U.S. students in science reflects the uneven quality of current science education. Although young children come to school with innate curiosity and intuitive ideas about the world around them, science classes rarely tap this potential.…

The nature of research in the field of intellectual disability is discussed, categories of basic research from published articles are analyzed, and issues are identified. Strongly recommended is the establishment of a national foundation in Australia to identify research priorities and coordinate research efforts. (DB)

The chairman of the Committee on Labs and Centers, National Council on Educational Research, policymaking body for the National Institute of Education (NIE), states that education issues cannot be separated from questions of philosophy. Shared values represent an appropriate and useful utilization of taxpayer money at NIE. (MLF)

The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory presents a primer for making educational decisions more systematic, containing a collection of (1) prescriptive guides for clarifying problems and objectives, (2) suggestions for identifying possible solutions, (3) criteria for judging solutions, (4) methods for measuring values, and (5) strategies for…

Describes personal experiences with university research and development. Criticizes university research as ineffective and inwardly focused, resulting in a concept of scientific research that negates the notion of economic development. Complains that the focus of study no longer contributes to an increase in consumable wealth. Urges that…

Reviews the status of high energy physics and the contributions resulting from research with particle accelerators. Supports the value of supercolliders and discusses its potential impact on scientific research. Also reviews and analyzes the basic components of the Standard Model. (ML)

Argues that a United States built and operated Superconducting Supercollider (SSC) could strain the infrastructure of scientific research. Identifies the areas which would be adversely affected by the funding of the SSC. Advocates construction of the collider as an international enterprise. (ML)

This article examines the relationship between research and service provision to persons with severe mental retardation, notes frequent methodological deficiencies in current research, and proposes establishment of Australian research centers to coordinate research efforts and link research to service delivery. (DB)

The need to ensure that the United States would become more economically competitive and would effectively translate scientific leadership into technological innovations is addressed in this report of a 3-day series of hearings on strategies for exploiting American inventiveness in the world marketplace. Testimonies are offered from…

This chapter examines, from four perspectives, the ways in which educational research, development, and evaluation activities in the United States are organized, controlled, and supported, and considers whether research can be properly used to shape educational policy and practice. First, the size and historical development of the research and…

This paper examines the development of service policy for people with intellectual disabilities in Australia, noting the minor role of research and empirical enquiry. Research's significant role in monitoring policy during the implementation phase is, however, acknowledged. A coordinated research program contributing to both policy development and…

Focusing on the elements of the federal budget process involved in setting policies and priorities for resource allocations that affect the science and engineering base, this report serves to help facilitate a dialogue within the congressional and executive branches of the United States government on science policy. Emphasis is directed to the…

This book contains four papers commissioned by the National Center on Employment Policy to review programs conducted by the Office of Policy, Evaluation, and Research in the Labor Department's Employment and Training Administration. The Council's policy statement entitled "Appraising Employment and Training Research" appears first. In…

American science policy as related to the role and operation of museum research is examined in this report of the hearings of the Congressional Committee on Science and Technology. Focus is given to how museums fit into the overall picture of United States research activity and to the composition of and future requirements for financial support.…

This report consists of two parts. Part 1 provides an inventory of past and present funding instruments in support of university research. It lists types of grants used for research-related purposes and gives information about their provisions and uses. Part 2 provides an assessment conducted by the General Accounting Office of the comparative…