21 



Mr. VOLKMER. Do you consider these projects to be adequately 

 peer reviewed? 



Mr. Carlson. These would not be what I call peer reviewed. 

 These are merit reviewed. We pick the best people we know to go 

 review the facility, but we are not comparing it to anything else. 

 It is not on a competitive basis, but they certainly are reviewed by 

 scientists that know what is going on. The scientists are also aware 

 of other programs — essentially all the other programs in that field. 

 In the report, it is clearly stated that this is duplicative of certain 

 other areas or that the staff is inadequate or the staff is very excel- 

 lent and so forth. 



It is reviewed very carefully that way. There is a lot of work that 

 goes into that. 



Mr. VOLKMER. I would like to digress from my line of questioning 

 for just a minute because there were questions brought up to the 

 previous witness. 



In the competitive grants program that you have, and in your 

 peer review process, are the historically black colleges represented 

 in that peer review? 



Mr. Carlson. Let me say that one of the things that we have 

 had since the very inception of our competitive grants program is 

 a very vigorous program to bring minorities and women into our 

 peer review panels. We have been very successful each year to have 

 more and more of these groups in there. I am very pleased with 

 it. They are doing a very good job. 



We also have what we call strengthening grants. This is 10 per- 

 cent of the money in our national research initiative — ^we want the 

 historically black colleges, the 1890 institutions, the Hispanic insti- 

 tutions, and the other smaller institutions to apply for these 

 grants. We go around and present workshops on grantsmanship. I 

 have done a number myself and my staff does it. 



We specifically identify these institutions and have gone to them. 

 We have been one of the most successful programs in going to 

 smaller institutions, going to institutions that are historically black 

 and the 1890 institutions. 



Last year, out of the 777 grants that we provided in the national 

 research initiative, approximately 125 of them went to strengthen- 

 ing programs for this type of institution that is those that have not 

 been successful in the past, and I think this is probably one of the 

 most exciting and productive new programs in getting the smaller 

 institutions, the 1890 institutions, historically black institutions, 

 involved in this. 



Our greatest problem, quite frankly, is to get people in those in- 

 stitutions to apply for grants. That is our greatest problem. That 

 is why we go out and spend a lot of time giving workshops. Where 

 we have given workshops, we have had good success. 



Mr. VOLKMER. Thank you very much. I have used up more than 

 my time. 



I now recognize the gentleman from Oregon. 



Mr. Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Carlson, does the Department support the commission idea 

 of review of facilities identified in the 1990 farm bill? 



Mr. Carlson. I am somewhat familiar with that. 



