At the meeting of Heads of NATO Governments in December, 1957 there was created a Science Committee responsible, in particular, for making specific recommendations to the Council for action on various proposals for increasing the potential of the North Atlantic Alliance in the field of science.

At the second meeting of the NATO Science Committee in July, 1958 three specific proposals were put forward involving financial contributions towards the support and development of scientific research in NATO countries. These proposals were:

1. a NATO Science Fellowship programme,

2. a NATO programme for Advanced Studies Institutes,

3. a NATO programme of grants in aid of Fundamental Research.

Of these projects only the first two commanded general support in the Science Committee. Further consideration of the third was put off to its next meeting scheduled for January, 1959.

NATO Council has now received and agreed in principle to the Science Committee's recommendations regarding the Fellowships and the Studies Institutes programmes. Consideration of the financial aspects of these programmes will take place in Council early in October.

The total cost of the programmes will be as follows:

Fellowships: $1,000,000 in the first year increasing by this amount in each of the next three years.

Studies Institutes: $150,000 in the first year increasing by $50,000 per year until a figure of $500,000 is reached.

Financial implications of these programmes for Canada are as follows:

* In subsequent years the United States contributions can be expected to decrease progressively from 50%, now pledged for the first four years, to a more normal NATO assessment and Canadian contributions will correspondingly rise.

These programmes are the first concrete steps towards the achievement of the goals set at the meeting of the NATO Council at which the Science Committee was established. They constitute (initially at least) a small but important increase in the support for scientific endeavour. They also represent a significant example of common NATO action.

I therefore recommend:⁷⁸

1. that Canada participate in the NATO Science Fellowships programme and the NATO Advanced Studies Institutes programme;

2. that Canada's contribution to these programmes be provided from a special appropriation to be contained in the budget of the National Research Council.

J.G. DIEFENBAKER

⁷⁸ Approuvé par le Cabinet le 8 octobre 1958./Approved by Cabinet on October8, 1958.