These export controls have had direct economic consequences, scientists charge. A report by the National Academy of Sciences issued in April 1987 says that the Administration's interpretation of the export control laws costs the country 188,000 jobs and $9 billion a year and has been a major factor contributing to the nation's record trade deficit.

There is "growing evidence that restrictions in science and technology are very damaging to this nation's economy," Shattuck says.

Now that the U.S. trade deficit has become a matter of concern, businessmen and Reagan's own economic advisers are challenging the information restrictions.

Reagan's advisers "see it as absolutely necessary to recover market share for their own individual businesses and for America's economic health," Coddington says. "That whole system [of export controls] has been vigorously opposed by people in the Commerce Department."

Even though they believe they are winning the fight against the Reagan Administration's policies, education officials say they will continue to press their case to the next President and to the next session of Congress.

Shattuck's March 31 report calls on the next President to "signal a shift in policy" by issuing an executive order within its first 100 days loosening the classification and export control strictures. The 41 st President's agenda should be premised on "principles that justify the revision of the existing system of controls," the report says.

"The free flow of information and ideas is vital to the fabric of our national life," the Shattuck report concludes. "Government policy aimed at broadly controlling the communication of information and ideas is ultimately self-defeating and may soon become irreparably damaging unless it is substantially revised by the next President."

"We'll have a program to present to Congress," Rosenzweig said.

However, education officials say they recognize that the question of government classification of some scientific research is unavoidable and they say the fight will go on. "I'm not certain that we're going to see a great rollback in secrecy restrictions," Shattuck said.