| Description | Present at the meeting: Sir Nevill Mott, Chairman; Professor C C Butler; Professor N Kurti; Dr F G Mann; Professor G Porter; Professor S K Runcorn
Matters discussed
1. ' Minutes of the meeting held on 3 June 1965 (previously circulated to members of the committee as PSR/4(65) were confirmed.
2. Opinions by correspondence
Records of opinions obtained by correspondence since 3 June 1965 (previously circulated as PSR/2(68) were confirmed.
3. Research Reports
it was noted that reports on his research for the years ended 30 September 1966 and 30 September 1967 by Dr P E Baker, Mackinnon Research Student, were circulated to members of the Physical Sciences Research Ccommittee on 19 January 1967 and 9 January 1968 respectively.
4. Membership
The membership of the Physical Sciences Research Committee from 1 January 1968 was noted as follows; Sir Nevill Nott (Chairman); The Treasurer, The Physical Secretary, Professor G K Batchelor, Professor C C Butler, Dr S C Curran, Professor N Kurti, Dr F G Mann, Professor G Porter, and Professor S K Runcorn.
5. Deductions from stipends
It was noted that Council at its meeting on 13 October 1967 had confirmed decisions made by the Treasurer and the Biological Secretary relating to deductions made from stipends of holders of Royal Society research appointments, especially when a holder also held a college fellowship at Oxford or Cambridge, and had agreed that the current practice of deducting two-thirds of the value of a college stipend from the Royal Society research appointment annual stipend be discontinued, and that instead holders of research appointments be permitted to retain up to £200 per annum of any outside emoluments (whether from college stipends, housing allowances, or teaching or demonstrating fees, etc) and that, if such emoluments in any case ever exceeded £200 per annum, each case be considered on its merits.
6. Increase in scales of stipend
It was reported that Council at its meeting on 31 March 1966 had decided to increase the scales of stipend for holders of Royal Society research appointments with effect from 1 April 1966 in the light of the 5 per cent increase from the same date in university salaries as follows;
Category A £3570 - £4990 per annum
Category B £3015 x £100 to £3415 per annum
Category C £2275 x £100 to £2675 per annum
Category D £1370 x £100 to £1570 and exceptionally to £1770 per annum
Council had authorised the Treasurer, in consultation with the chairmen of the appropriate Royal Society standing committees, to make appropriate adjustments to stipends of holders of research appointments, and Sir Nevill Mott, as Chairman of the Physical Sciences Research Committee, had agreed to the proposals made by the Treasurer that the stipend of Dr P E Baker, Mackinnon Reserch Student, be raised to £1470 per annum from 1 April 1966 and consequently £1570 per annum from 1 October 1966.
7. Dr P E Baker - Mackinnon Reserch Student
The committee considered an application from Dr P E Baker for a renewal of his Mackinnon Research Studentship for a further year from 1 October 1968, and requests from Dr Baker to be permitted to participate for about three months in the 1968/69 season in volcanological studies on Deception Island and in the Cook Bicentenqry Expedition to Tonga and the Cook Islands in 1969 (PSR/3(68) previously circulated), and it was Resolved - That it be a recommendation to Council that the Mackinnon Reserach Studentship held by Dr P E Baker be renewed for a further year from 1 October 1968 at a stipend of £1770 per annum and that he be given permission to particpate for about three months in the 1968/69 season in volcanological studies on Deception Island and in the Cook Bicentenary Expedition to Tonga and the Cook Islands in 1969.
8. Advertisement of 1968 Mr and Mrs John Jaffe Donation Research Fellowship
It was noted that the Council had decided in February 1968 to advertise a Mr and Mrs John Jaffe Donation Research Fellowship for appointment from 1 October 1968 in Category C (£2275 x £100 to £2675 per annum) for research in the physical sciences, and had asked the Physical Sciences Research Committee to consider the applications received and make an appropriate recommendation to Council.
9. Circulation of advertisement
It was noted that the advertisement of the Mr and Mrs John Jaffe Donation Research Fellowship had been inserted twice in 'Nature' and the 'New Scientist' and also circulated to 384 individual heads of departments in the physical sciences in universities in the United Kingdom.
10. Mr and Mrs John Jaffe Donation Research Fellowship - Applications 1968
The committee considered 34 applications for the Mr and Mrs John Jaffe Donation Research Fellowship, ten of which (from R J Balcombe, J C Briden, E A Davis, J F Grove, J R Hanson, E A Harris, J A McCleverty, R H Mozley, J P Simons and P L Timms) had been reproduced in detail (PSR/4(68) previously circulated). It wa noted that J C Briden had withdrawn his application, and the committee agreed not to consider any further applications that had not been reproduced in detail. After full discussion of the remaining 9 applications reproduced in full, a vote was taken between E A Davis and P L Timms and it was unanimously agreed to recommend the appointment of E A Davis.
The committee gave special consideration to the application of Dr J F Grove,age 47, Principal Research Fellow at the Tropical Products Institute from 1965-68 and formerly head of the department of organic chemistry at the I.C.I Akers Research Laboratories, whose present salary was £3058 and who wished to work in the department of chemistry, University College London, on structure-activity relationships in biologically active mould products. It was felt that his application was outstanding but that a temporary appointment such as the Mr and Mrs John Jaffe Donation Research Fellowship was not suitble for him and it was agreed to ask Council to inform the Ministry of Overseas Development that the Physical Sciences Research Committee felt that Dr Grove shiold be found a permanent position where he could continue his research.
Resolved - That the following be recommendations to Council
a. That a Mr and Mrs John Jaffe Donation Research Fellowship be awarded to Dr E A Davis to enable him to continue his work at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, on the optical and electrical properties of semiconductors and semimetals, for for two years in the first instance from 1 October 1968 at a stipend of £2275 per annum rising to £2375 per annum from 1 October 1969, with provision for superannuation, National Health Insurance, Graduated Pension and grant for reprints of £30 per annum.
b. That Dr P L Timms be regarded as proxime accessit.
c. That the Ministry of Overseas Development be informed of the committee's high opinion of the work of Dr J F Grove and its wish that he be found a suitable permanent position.
Summary of recommendations to Council
Minute 7 - Mackinnon Research Student
Minute 10 - Mr and Mrs John Jaffe Donation Research Fellowship - applications 1968 ' |