302 



to make it possible for them to continue their academic work in this 

 field in that particular college or institute? 



Mr. MosHER. Would the gentleman yield ? 



Mr. Lennon. Yes, sir. 



Mr. MosHER. I. would like to add to your question. 



Mr. Lennon. Make a mental note of that, Dr. Abel. 



Mr. MosHER. This is completely related. I am also interested in 

 whether you are f unneling this money toward institutions that already 

 have competence and perhaps excellence in the field, or whether you 

 are funneling it in part, or what part, toward institutions that have 

 no ready competence but are anxious to begin to acquire competence. 



I think this is related. 



Mr. Abel. Mr. Lennon, with your permission I would like to answer 

 Mr. Mosher's part of the question first because there is a natural lead 

 into yours. 



Mr. Lennon. Go ahead. 



Mr. Abel. Mr. Mosher, as you gentlemen know far better than I, 

 the theory of Federal aid is bivalent. Sometimes the two concepts are 

 not completely compatible. For example, it is naturally desirable when 

 one wants to get a job done to go where the power is, where the 

 facilities and the talents are the greatest. 



At the same time, there is certainly a natural desire to place aid 

 where aid is most needed. Clearly, you will not always find a situation 

 where you can find the second within the first. So we had thought of 

 approaching the problem in the following manner. 



Sea-grant institutional support connotes a very broad attack on the 

 ocean in all phases of the act as you have designed it. Therefore, its 

 provisions would have to be met by institutions with traditional 

 strengths and with the facilities to carry out all phases of the act. 

 In fact, we have so designated clearly in the brochure itself. We 

 have stated that one of the criteria under which proposals will be 

 evaluated must concern a traditional excellence in these fields. This 

 leaves us project money to be placed within institutions who may not 

 really have much more to offer than promise backed up by a clearly 

 evident commitment to do their very best, to develop talents which 

 they may possess in large part but which have not gone on the record, 

 so to speak. 



We hope that by careful application and blending of these two 

 modes of support, that we can satisfy both concepts of Federal aid. 

 Now, to proceed specifically to Mr, Lennon's question 



Mr. Lennon. Before we get into my specific question, having an- 

 swered his, just for the record let me quote from Public Law 89-688, 

 so-called Sea Grant Colleges Act, of the National Sea Grant College 

 Program Act of 1966, from subsection (c) of section 204. 



I think this is important in line with what you said. We have dis- 

 cussed this in depth in committee hearing and particularly in the 

 Congress. It was written in conference, this language was written in 

 conference : 



Programs to carry out the purposes of this title shall be accomplished through 

 contracts with or grants to suitable public or private institutions of higher educa- 

 tion, institutes, laboratories, and public or private agencies which are engaged 

 in or concerned with activities in the various fields related to the development of 

 marine resources for the establishment and operation by them of such programs. 



