• OCEAl^OGRAPHY 1961 — PHASE 3 327 



person that should be receiving support because he is doing outstand- 

 ing work. 



Now, we believe that the possible conflict of interest that is implied 

 by this situation can be handled completely and is handled by insur- 

 ing that when a case arises in which a recipient or potential recipient 

 is also in an advisory group, he simply absents himself completely 

 from the discussions and has no part whatsoever in the decisionmaking 

 process. 



Let me make one other comment also. As you know, our advisory 

 panels themselves do not make the final decisions regarding our 

 grants. This decision responsibility is vested in our National Science 

 Board and delegated to the Director and decisions down the line as to 

 which grants should be recommended for consideration by the Director 

 and the Board are made by our program directors and the assistant 

 directors for research, so in any case, this adviser has not been in- 

 volved in making a decision, t would like to ask if Dr. Robertson 

 would make some comments about the particular review situation in 

 which the ship for Woods Hole was being considered. 



Mr. Bauer. Please do, Dr. Robertson. 



Dr. Robertson. The oceanographic ship which we gave to Woods 

 Hole resulted from a proposal received from Woods Hole and re- 

 viewed by our Earth Sciences Program Office. 



Mr. Baiter. Who were the members of the advisory panel at the 

 time this was decided ? 



Dr. Robertson. I have Dr. Benson here, who is the Program Direc- 

 tor for Earth Sciences and who was present during the considera- 

 tion by the panel. I would like to ask him to go into any detail he 

 would like regarding that process. 



Mr. Bauer. I was wondering who the membership was. 



Dr. Robertson. I believe we submitted for the record the fiscal 

 1961 membership of the panel. Dr. Benson can tell you who the mem- 

 bership was at the time that this proposal was reviewed. 



Mr. Bauer. That was fiscal 1958, was it not ? 



Dr. Robertson. It was fiscal 1959, I believe. The grant was made 

 in fiscal 1960. 



Mr. Bauer. When was the Woods Hole proposal received ? 



Dr. Robertson. In February 1959, and the grant was made in the 

 fall of 1959, using fiscal year 1960 funds. 



Mr. Bauer. If Doctor would give us the names of those on the 

 advisory group that were concerned with the question, I think it would 

 be helpful. 



Dr. Benson. With your permission, Mr. Bauer, I would like to 

 give you two advisory groups because there are different dates in- 

 volved in here. 



Mr. Bauer. Please do. 



Dr. Benson. I know you are interested in this information. The 

 actual proposal was received from Woods Hole in February 1958, as 

 Dr. Robertson has said. I have a list of the panel members for that 

 year here. I can read them or we can simply have them for the record. 



Mr. Miller. You can submit them for the record. 



Dr. Benson. All right. 



