255 



An important part of ihe process of training scientists adapted by scientific 

 skills and outlook to the missions of the government agencies is the gaining of 

 experience in the type of work peculiar to those agencies. For this reason it is 

 extremely desirable that the agencies cooperate with the institutions in setting 

 up appropriate research investigations, which may, at the same time, provide 

 the student with valuable experience and also assist the agency in its mission. 

 There are some excellent examples of such cooperation, but, in general, we 

 believe that the institutions have paid insufficient attention to the need for 

 scientists with a pramatic approach, while the agencies have not been able to 

 contract out sufficient work to provide the necessary training. A closer liaison is 

 obviously called for. 



It is not our suggestion that academic institutions become heavily involved in 

 applied research. It is important that a proper balance be kept between the insti- 

 tutions' basic and applied programs. Nevertheless it must be kept in mind that the 

 source of applied oceanographic competence of the government agencies lies within 

 the private institutions and universities, and this resource must be put to its 

 optimum use by appropriate training in research. 



■5. The Funding of Fundamental Research {See Appendix I) 



The very considerable increases in the Federal budgets for "oceanography" 

 and marine activities over the past years has been viewed with gratification by 

 the pioneer oceanographic institutions, which for so long operated with little 

 Federal support or interest. In fact, this has led to a burgeoning of new marine 

 lajboratories throughout the country. Yet the Council notes with grave concern 

 that an apparent tenfold total increase in the Federal oceanography budget over 

 eight years is partially the result of including items previously omitted. Also, it 

 has been allocated in an inconsistent and irrational manner. The university 

 laboratories, long the predominant source of basic oceanographic research and 

 the domicile of the majority of the scientists investigating fundamental questions 

 about the oceans, have been assigned a disproportionately small share of the 

 increase. 



We agree that, in order to speed up technological development, the percentage 

 of the national budget apportioned to other activities in government and industry 

 should have increased initially at a somewhat greater rate than that apportioned 

 to the academic institutions. However, we are of the opinion that the fraction of 

 the Federal .budget spent in support of basic research at the academic institutions 

 has become dangerously small. Typically, the operating expenditures of COLD 

 institutions and university laboratories have inci'eased about fourfold during the 

 eight years of recent expansion in which the Federal budget has increased about 

 tenfold. The budgets in some of the larger private laboratories have J^een almost 

 constant during the last five years, during which time costs have risen. Some of 

 the institutions are, in fact, beginning to experience serious financial difficulties 

 for this reason, among others. 



The actual funds available to universities are much less than the published 

 figures suggest. Between 1963 and 1967, the total expenditures for the National 

 Oceanographic Program reportedly increased from $155- to $312-million. How- 

 ever, the amount spent on basic research in academic institutions and government 

 laboratories increased from $21.5- to only $27.5-million. The ratio of basic 

 research expenditures to the total thus dropped from 13.7 percent to 8.8 percent 

 during this period. (These do not include ship operating costs.) It is believed 

 that the ratio of basic research support in academic institutions to that in gov- 

 ernment institutions and agencies also has decreased, thus further diminishing 

 the ratio of support of academic institutions to the total funding. It is also 

 beUeved that some applied research and even engineering research and develop- 

 ment has been included in the figures for basic research. 



The Council is extremely uneasy at this neglect of basic research and its im- 

 plications for the future of the development of marine resources. It is patently 

 too early, if there is ever a time, to throttle down on research with the thought 

 that the national program should now devote all its resources towards converting 

 knowledge into products. Further, if such growth of basic research as has been 

 permitted is channeled mostly towards the government laboratories, then the 

 personnel demands of the latter will grow as the ability of the former to supply 

 them will decrease. The Council believes with conviction that a vigorous and 

 strong capability must be maintained in the academic laboratory systems. This 

 is necessary both for their contributions to scientific knowledge and as an in- 

 dispensable element in the education of future scientists. 



