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∂MEM William F. Massy, Vice Provost for Research$$Proposed Exception to PI Policy∞

.begin ref;
[1]  W. Massy, "Criteria for Judging Requests for Exceptions to PI Policies
by Academic Staff", memo, March 7, 1975.

[2]  Z. Manna, "Proposal to the Office of Naval Research on the Logic of Computer
Programming", Computer Science Department, December 1975.
.end

I believe that Manna's proposal [2] meets your criteria for an exception
to the PI policy [1] and so propose that that it be accepted and forwarded
to ONR.  The following remarks are keyed to your criteria [1].

1.  The main purpose of the project is to prepare a textbook on the logic
of computer programming.  [This point is not made clear in the proposal
because of ONR bureaucratic constraints.]  This work will contribute to our
academic program in two ways: as a source of research topics for graduate
students and, eventually, as a published text in an important area in
which no texts exist yet.  This area is not currently in the purview
of a regular faculty member.

2.  It is unlikely that this work will be undertaken unless Zohar Manna
is designated as the Principal Investigator.  The concept and thrust of
the work are entirely his.  It would be possible, of
course, to designate a faculty member as a "figurehead" PI, but that
would be a subterfuge.

3.  Manna is extremely well qualified to undertake the proposed work.
He was a member of the Academic Council earlier and may be again.
He has organized and taught a number of seminars on topics in the
mathematical theory of computation and may be expected to continue
doing so.
His text %2Mathematical Theory of Computation%1 published by McGraw-Hill
is the first in the subject and is widely used.  In particular, it is
used in CS156 and CS258 here.

4.  The proposal covers a 15 month period.  A smaller supplemental
period will likely be needed to bring this work to fruition.  It could
be gracefully stopped at the end of any contract period, however.

An additional question that has been raised outside of [1] is why this
proposal is not issued by SRI, with Manna as a consultant.  Aside from
the fact that I think of this work as being a part of our research program,
I have been told that ONR wishes to fund projects of this sort through
academic institutions, presumably because of the kind of review that they
get in such environments.

5.  It appears likely that the money will go away unless prompt action
is taken.  For this reason, if there are more questions, it would be
better to deal with them by telephone.  Mine is 7-4430.

cc:  Robert Floyd, Halsey Royden