This paper uses three case studies in order to examine the implementation of a policy of biological progress, initiated by the Rockefeller Foundation in the 1930s. In discussing the social and scientific goals of this research policy, the paper challenges views which have attributed to the Foundation's policy a direct irnpact upon the rise of molecular biology; it also suggests that this policy, conceived around the idea of technology transfer from the physical sciences to biology, had inherent limitations for revolutionizing biology. The paper concludes by offering a new interpretation of the historical irnpact of the Foundation's policy towards molecular biology.

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The Rockefeller Foundation began to support a systematic transfer of physico-chemical technology to experimental biology in the early 1930s. A close look at three key projects in the United Kingdom shows the impact and limits of private philanthropy on scientific innovation.