What is the National Research Council?

The National Research Council is the working arm of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, carrying out most of the studies done in their names. The Research Council is not a membership organization. It was organized in 1916 in response to the increased need for scientific and technical services caused by World War I. The Research Council is administered jointly by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine, and its work is overseen by a Governing Board and an Executive Committee. The president of the National Academy of Sciences is the chair of both the Governing Board and Executive Committee; the president of the National Academy of Engineering is vice chair.

As indicated on the Program Organizational Diagram, the National Research Council consists of the following units, which direct most of its programs:

• Division on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
• Division on Earth and Life Studies
• Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences
• Policy and Global Affairs division
• Transportation Research Board

What is the basic mission of the National Research Council?

The basic mission of the National Research Council is to provide most of the services to governmental agencies and the Congress that are undertaken by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in their role as advisers to the federal government. The Research Council does this primarily through its committee structure, calling upon a wide cross section of the nation's leading scientists, engineers, and other professionals, who serve on its committees without pay. Work addressing issues related to public health is conducted by the Institute of Medicine, using National Research Council procedures.

Who requests and supports the work of the National Research Council?

Most of the requests for Research Council studies come from governmental agencies or from the Congress; some are initiated internally; and a few are proposed by other external sources. About 85 percent of the funding comes from the federal government through contracts and grants from agencies and 15 percent from state governments, private foundations, industrial organizations, and funds provided by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine for internally generated projects of a critical nature. Given the extent to which projects are externally funded, it is important to emphasize that the Research Council's work is performed independently; sponsors enable but do not influence our work.

Does the Research Council originate and fund any of its work on its own?

Yes, although only limited resources are available for self-initiated work. The Academics and the Institute of Medicine have devoted much effort in recent years to building up their endowments in order to be able to expand the capacity to pursue self-initiated activities. However, such undertakings always will remain a small part of the institution's overall operations.

Does the Research Council solicit funds or accept donations?

Yes, it does solicit funds and accept donations from non-governmental sources. However, all funds, regardless of their source, are accepted by the Research Council with very stringent conditions in order to ensure that the acceptance of any funds does not influence the objectivity, scope, method of study, or membership of a study group.

What is the Research Council's tax status?

The National Research Council functions under the National Academy of Sciences, which is a nonprofit organization. The National Academy of Sciences is exempt from federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

How many active Research Council and Institute of Medicine committees are there?

In a typical year, there are a total of more than 1,000 committees with approximately 10,000 professionals volunteering their time to serve on them.

Does the Research Council do research? Fund research?

The Research Council has no research laboratories. Rather than conducting its own research, it generally evaluates and compiles research done by others. However, in a few cases and increasingly so in recent years, the institution has been funding research in areas such as transportation, medical care, highways, and international scientific and technical programs in developing countries.

What kind of projects do the Research Council and the Institute of Medicine undertake?

For the federal government, the Research Council examines scientific and technological questions in any of the scientific and engineering disciplines referred to it by government agencies. However, discussions with an agency are sometimes necessary in order to ensure that questions are formulated in such a way that they can be answered as clearly and unequivocally as possible.

The Institute of Medicine, operating through procedures of the National Research Council, responds to questions relating to public health policy, care, research, and education.

Proposals received from non-federal sources to investigate scientific and technological questions are considered on their merits and in light of their application to national concerns. All new projects from all sources are considered first by the Research Council commission, office, or board, or Institute of Medicine unit under whose aegis they would be undertaken before they are referred either to the Research Council's Executive Committee or Governing Board for review and approval.

Who selects topics for Research Council and Institute of Medicine projects?

Suggestions of topics are received from many different sources: Congress, governmental agencies, state agencies, foundations, universities, industry, Academy and Institute members, and units in the National Academies.

As noted above, topics are evaluated initially by the Research Council commission, office, or board, or Institute of Medicine unit that would be responsible for them. If found acceptable, proposals for these projects are presented to the Research Council's Executive Committee or Governing Board for review and approval.

Can private organizations, including foundations and corporations, sponsor Research Council studies?

Yes, they can, but as noted previously, industry sponsors cannot provide more than 50 percent of the support for a project. As with all studies, the subject first must be evaluated by the major unit of the Research Council that would undertake it and then be approved by the Research Council's Executive Committee or Governing Board. Funding contributed for such a study is accepted with the same stringent conditions placed on the acceptance of all funds, namely, that acceptance does not influence the study in any way.

Does the institution confine its activities to domestic issues or does it undertake international assignments?

Although most of its activities have been related to domestic issues, the institution's interests now encompass a broad range of international concerns such as scientific cooperation and exchanges, the impact of international competition on U.S. industries, the reduction of friction among industrialized nations, and scientific and technical programs in developing countries.