Fráter Jánosné: A Magyar Tudományos Akadémia állandó bizottságai 1854–1949 (A MTAK kiadványai 70. Budapest, 1974)

Preface

12 Joining various international unions and associations from 1946 on provided opportunities for Hungary to participate in the international scientific cooperation. To achieve this, the Academy set up new committes which, however, did not follow in the steps of the former committees, hut made efforts to establish the renewed Academy's international relations. The work of the permanent committees has always been closely connected with and depending on their place and autonomy within the Academy's framework, and - last hut not least - on the financial fundB available. In 1878, the Academy regulated the relation of the committees to each other, coming to the conclusion that the committees could perform their tasks only if they might have a complete freedom of action in their respective field. To achieve this, however, it is necessary that the committees be connected with the respective sections of the Academy, working in close cooperation with them. A decision was also made on the election of the committee members. Prom 1878 on, the members were re-elected by the General Assembly every three years. The yearly budget of the sections and committees was allocated by the Board of Directors on the basis of preliminary applications which had been passed by the General Assembly. Prom 1892, a certain normal but differentiated allowance was earmarked for each committee. In fixing the allocations, the Board of Directors took into consideration the claim of the committees to a larger budget provided they were justified by the preparation of a major work. The statutes adopted in 1869 guaranteed the autonomy of the committees. They independently decided on the selection of research projects, on the order of importance of works to be published, on the way of their discussion and publication. They also acted independently in commissioning scholars and scientists to write original works or to prepare translations. They gave the scientists grants to conduct researches, as well as for the related travels