welcome to NCAR

Since 1947, the National Conference on the Advancement of Research (NCAR) has developed a character based on four main features: informality, talks by eminent speakers, interactive discussions including group sessions, and balanced representation from industry, academia, government, and non-profit organizations.

The nature of the NCAR meeting attracts senior leaders from the R&D enterprise in the United States as well as abroad. They include vice presidents of research, major laboratory directors, policymakers, and other persons who have the power to shape the direction and performance of our nation's research enterprise.

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a brief history of NCAR

Following World War II, government interest and money transformed the scientific and research communities of the United States. Wartime agencies, the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) and its successor, the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), created many new laboratories and research organizations, drawing numerous academics into the government/defense community. The success of significant war-related research projects convinced many in the government and much of the public of the benefits produced by research and development (R&D), and therefore, the need for continuing large-scale scientific efforts.

After the war, research efforts continued, and the R&D community searched for structures and processes that would effectively manage resources and personnel. During wartime, managers and administrators working in Boston-area laboratories held meetings to discuss problems encountered at labs such as the Radio Research Lab, the Harvard Underwater Sound Lab, and various labs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As the United States settled back into times of peace, several in the group sought a way to continue sharing with and learning from others, and they planned a conference to be held at Pennsylvania State College.

In October 1947, 170 people attended the historic Conference on Administration of Research. Speakers from Bell Telephone Laboratories, Brookhaven National Laboratories, and Gulf Research and Development Company were just a few of the prestigious representatives in attendance. The first conference set the tone and character for succeeding meetings, annual events that came to be called the National Conference on the Advancement of Research, or NCAR.

Information on this page was taken from the publication, NCAR 50th Year