of Rockefeller

*\ University

 

September 14, 1981

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
President
The Rockefeller University

Dear Josh:

A group of us did some barnstorming in relation to the
work of the panel on the Future of U. S. Military Research
and Development of the Center for Strategic and International
Studies and decided that our most effective initial role would
be to focus emphasis on six or eight areas of basic research
that could be so important for our defense in the coming
decades that they should get special attention from our govern-
ment. As a step in this direction we wish to prepare a brief
report describing the nature of the areas and the promises
they hold. Each of the sections would be of the order of five
double-spaced typewritten pages.

. The purpose of this letter is to ask if you would be a
willing to take the lead on such a brief paper in the area of
Biotechnology. We trust that this would not be a significant

ordeal since the principal matters will lie at the top of your
head,

It would be our purpose to collect these early in October,
review them with a small group in that month in order to achieve
a reasonably consistent style and then review the report before

the entire panel (as well as the authors) in November at a date
yet to be chosen.

I hope you will be willing to do this. I would be glad to
discuss the entire plan in more detail with you if you wish but
in any case Bob Kupperman will be writing to the entire panel
later in the month when the lead authors of the various parts
of the report have agreed to participate.

Sincerely,

Frederick Seitz

cc: Dr. Robert Kupperman