Army Labs Cut Back Basic Research

Editor's note: The U.S. armed services operate a network of in-house laboratories to pursue basic research that fits the mission of each service. In the months to come The Scientist will offer a glimpse of these little-known but well-respected facilities and the challenges they face. The first two articles in the series deal with the Army's labs. ADELPHI, MD.—"As Bell Labs is to AT&T, the laboratory command is to the Army Materiel Command," says Ira Marcus, associate director for engineer

Written byDaniel Charles

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But all is not well between the labs and the Army's top leadership. This spring, during a monthly teleconference that linked the directors of the service's seven laboratories, the conversation turned to a familiar topic: how to persuade top Army officials to back their own research priorities with dollars.

The Army's R&D budget foresees an increasing scarcity of money for basic research. The Army proposes to spend just under $200 million next year on its 6.1 budget category, which funds the most basic research. That figure compares with $250 million in 1986 and $216 mlllion in the current year.

Funds for its 6.2 budget category, called advanced technology development, are also expected to decline slightly, from $635 million this year to $625 mllion in fiscal 1988. Even more distressing to lab officials are the Army's five-year projections, which show a steady decline in basic research funds.

The Navy and Air ...

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