GRANT FOR SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH REDUCED THIS YEAR

Alterations in the terms of the Rock seller Foundation grant supporting the Committee on Research in the Social Sciences, representing a slight decrease over the previous two years, were announced yesterday by John D. Black, professor of Economics and chairman of the committee.

At the same time Professor Black announced the election of William Scott Ferguson, professor of History, Edwin F. Gay, professor of Economic History, Arthur N. Holcombe '04, professor of Government, and Pitrim A. Sorokin, professor of Sociology, as members of the executive committee to administer the social science research program this year. Professor Black is a member exofficio.

The new grant, which will be in effect for the next five years, provides for an outright bequest of $200,000, and beyond this a maximum of $100,000 to be matched by the Rockefeller Fund against whatever the committee receives through gifts, the government, or other sources.

Under the terms of the old grant, which has been in operation since the committee was founded on April 13, 1932, $50,000 a year was given unconditionally, and a maximum of $25,000 a year was added on the dollar-for-dollar basis.

Last year the committee received $49,850.91 out of the unconditional Rockefeller grant. In addition $19,812.92. was gathered from outside sources, and that amount was doubled by the conditional grant, making a total of nearly $90,000. The expense last year amounted to about $80,000. $59,000 went directly to research work, while the rest went for publications, upkeep of the laboratory, and administration.

Projects carried out with these funds last year included studies of the psychology of radio, the distribution of the United States national income, official "New Deal" publicity, price-quantity fluctuations in the business cycle, the outlook for American cotton, the federal power commission, slums and hous- ing policy in New York City, and street traffic control.

For the present year allotments totaling $52,081 have been made to 43 Harvard scholars for research in many fields, including the New York bond market, religious problems in Germany, United States milk markets, standards of living, compulsory automobile insurance, and institutional control of the medical profession.

Of the work of the year Professor Black says:

"It is of interest to note that applications for joint research projects have begun to increase. One substantial project for the study of Public Opinion, involving cooperation between the members of the departments of Psychology, Government, and Education, was financed by the committee this past year. Other joint applications were presented to the committee and approved for the next fiscal year. It is apparent that interest in joint research in the social sciences is growing and that the committee may expect such projects to form a growing proportion of its budget in future years."

This trend is in line with the policy enunciated by President Conant of encouraging more cooperative research between the departments of the university