303 



How do you interpret that language ? 



Mr. Abel. I interpret it in this way: It is a matter of degree. We 

 will not be giving support — I would state this clearly — we will not 

 be giving support to institutions with no previous experience or capa- 

 bility. What I was referring to are small institutions, or perhaps large 

 institutions somewhat I'ecently established in the field, which have indi- 

 cated the desirability to them at least of enhancing the resources which 

 they possess. 



There are several dozen of these included in the contact list which 

 I have submitted for the record. I have seen this grow personally, as 

 have all of you, from a list when this — your own subcommittee — was 

 formed of perhaps a dozen institutions of sizable nature offering de- 

 grees, and perhaps another 20 of the kinds of institutions I am 

 referring to now, simply with one or two miscellaneous programs in 

 ocean sciences and perhaps offering fragmented curriculums. This has 

 grown now to an aggregate of about 100 of such schools, at 

 least two dozen of whicli offer organized degree curriculums and the 

 rest somewhere in the rest of the spectrum. 



Mr. Lennon. Mr. Abel, you recognize we will get the most for the 

 tax dollar and fulfill the hope of the Vice Chairman of the Presidential 

 Commission who expressed the intense desire that we encourage those 

 young people who are already oriented and attending institutions, col- 

 leges, universities, and laboratories, which already have a marine pro- 

 gram and need financial help to produce the people we need in this 

 program. 



That is the point I wanted to get over. If we proliferate $5 million 

 to all these schools, some of which I question how they would ever get 

 interested in the marine sciences segment, we would not get maximum 

 results from the available money, we are looking to people who can 

 move in this thing as quickly as possible. 



Mr. Abel. You are entirely right, Mr. Lennon. I want to assure 

 you that none of the schools in the category that you have mentioned 

 have received any encouragement from the Foundation beyond the 

 issuance of that official announcement which as a matter of policy 

 must go to all schools. 



Mr. Lennon. Does the -authorization under the law that we are dis- 

 cussing permit assistance through a loan or a grant to a young man, 

 say, who has had 2 years in a college or university in this specialized 

 field and needs a little financial assistance in the way of a loan or grant 

 to complete his academic career in this program ? 



Are you limited to making grants to institutions, colleges as such ? 



Mr. Abel. I would like to make one philosophical comment and ask 

 Mr. Maechling to give you an interpretation of the act in depth for 

 the Foundation. 



Mr. Lennon. Yes. 



Mr. Abel. The thing is, that as you have expressed yourself, funds 

 are rather meager for this program, to say the least. 



It is going to be difficult enough to apply these funds in a concen- 

 trated manner to face the need for "critical mass." As Dr. White 

 said this morning, this kind of work is very, very expensive. There 

 will not be too much left over for peripheral activities. As a matter 

 of policy, for the time being, we have indicated in our brochure that 



