Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1958 - 1965 (Creation)
Level of description
Series
Extent and medium
172 PDF
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The AC/137 chronological series contains the records of the Science Committee. The Science Committee’s terms of reference were defined at the Council meeting on 29 January 1958 (see C-R(58)6) and presented in document AC/137-D/1. The Committee provided advice on scientific and technical issues of interest to the Atlantic Alliance. It also made recommendations on the actions that needed to be taken to develop NATO’s scientific and technical resources as well as co-operation between the countries, and recommendations regarding the support to be provided to the other international organizations.The Committee set up ad hoc working groups to formulate proposals for future scientific work. They include the following groups, under separate reference: the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Defence Aspects of Psychology (AC/137(DP)), the Defence Research Directors (AC/137(DR)), the Advisory Panel on NATO Science Research Grants (AC/137(RG)), the Working Group on Scholarships (AC/137(S)), the Advisory Group on Space Research (AC/137(SR)), the Study Group on the Von Karman Institute (AC/137(VKI)) and the Ad Hoc Working Party on the Western Science Foundation (AC/137(WF).The experts participating in those groups were appointed by the Science Committee. The work of the various groups was funded by national or international budgets in accordance with the research grant programme, or by special funds set up by NATO for that purpose. The first meeting took place on 26–28 March 1958, with the countries represented by prominent scientists. Thereafter the Science Committee met three times a year.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Documents in the AC/137 chronological series address the various fields of scientific research. The series includes documents on research training opportunities (research grants being awarded, student exchanges within NATO) and scientific cooperation among NATO nations,
in particular through the exchange of scientific intelligence and the coordination of civil and military research. The fields studied are oceanography, meteorology, defence psychology, radio astronomy, astronomy, operational research and theoretical chemistry. The scientific situation in the USSR was also one of the Science Committee’s concerns. Finally, the Committee was interested in the scientific potential of the West and of the NATO countries.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
The documents are arranged by type - Document (D), Decision Sheet (DS), Note (N), Record/Summary Record (R), Working Paper (WP) - and then by number.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
NATO publicly disclosed information is available for research and education purposes. Any commercial use requires the written permission of NATO. Please credit the NATO Archives should any documents be used for publication. Guidelines for the proper citation of NATO publicly disclosed information can be found on the NATO Archives website (http://www.nato.int/archives).
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
The records were circulated in NATO’s two official languages, English and French.