ABSTRACT
A President’s personal preference will determine both the identity of the Science Adviser and the extent to which the adviser participates actively in key policy and management issues. From the scientific community’s point of view, President’s Science Advisory Committee was a political tool too, many consider the National Science Board to be also. There are six major elements in this role. These are appointments, organization, policy setting for government operations, evaluating Quality and effectiveness of federal R&D programs, objectives and priority setting and resolving internal conflicts on technical issues. The only staff organization in the Federal government that might be expected to look after such matters across the whole administration, other than Office of Science and Technology Policy, is the Office of Management and Budget. A strong base in the White House for management attention to technological issues seems particularly important in view of the fragmentation of the organizational structure of technology functions in the United States Government.
