ABSTRACT

When RANN was created in 1971, it was viewed within the federal government as the applied research branch of the National Science Foundation. One of its major functions, there­ fore, was to provide for the present technical needs of federal agencies and to anticipate future needs. Presumably, this office was placed within the National Science Foundation so it would encourage academic researchers to become involved with “ap­ plied issues,” to anticipate issues that would be relevant in the future, and to provide knowledge about them —w ithout compet-

ing with the responsibilities of line agencies. Because RANN was intended to fund applied research, all applicants for grants had to submit a utilization plan with their grant application; this utilization plan was to identify federal, state, and local officials who expressed an interest in the results of the proposed re­ search.