311 



Mr. Rogers. I understand the institutional support will be more 

 complicated than your sea-grant project; is that correct? 



Mr. Abel. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Rogers. Wlien will your project grants be ready to go? 



Mr. Abel. I would hope we would have made decisions on the first 

 project grants within about a month. 



Mr. Rogers. So at least that part of the program will be ongoing 

 within a couple of months' time, at least as far as decisions being 

 made. 



Mr. Abel. Within my best prediction, yes, sir. 



Mr. Rogers. But the institutional program will not really get going 

 until next year and probably not until September of next year be- 

 cause the colleges probably would not be cranked into it until the 

 next 2 years ? 



Mr. Abel. With respect to the academic year all of the colleges are 

 flexibly geared so they can start certain phases of their program as 

 soon as they receive a grant. 



Mr. Rogers. Second semester or something like that ? 



Mr. Abel. Yes. 



Mr. Rogers. How many students do you anticipate this program 

 will cover ? 



Mr. Abel. It is going to depend on the relative allocations of train- 

 ing support, applied research support, and advisory services support ; 

 certainly there will be no fewer than a couple of hundred students 

 supported under this program. 



Mr. Rogers. Thank you very much. We will be anxious to follow 

 this program very closely. 



Mr. Keith. Several times in your statement you mention that the 

 Sea-Grant Program will serve as a catalyst. I would like to go into 

 that aspect of the program a little. You stated that your Office would 

 not be able to fund all useful projects that will be proposed. Do you 

 have any plans to publicize these worthy but mifunded projects so that 

 interested organizations which are in a position to fund these projects 

 might become acquainted with them? I'm thinking of organizations 

 like the Ford Foundation and even business firms. 



Mr. Abel. By "catalyst" I refer to the possibility of this program's 

 furnishing funds to start a project which in its inception might be 

 beyond the desire or jurisdiction of another agency to sponsor but 

 which could be acceptable in later, more highly developed phases. The 

 word "catalyst" also refers to the possible emergence of Sea-Grant- 

 supported institutions as local and regional centers. These centers, in 

 turn, would influence further ocean development by other organiza- 

 tions in their respective localities. 



The most important catalytic effect of the Sea-Grant Program has 

 already occurred, however. Several departments have joined forces in 

 preparing Sea-Grant proposals ; consortia have been arranged between 

 schools; and internal and outside advisory groups have been convened. 

 Thus, w^ithout spending a cent, the sea-grant concept has enhanced 

 communications in the academic community. 



While the periodic reports which we will be making to you will 

 include the publications of worthy but unfunded projects, we would 

 not be content to stop with this rather passive technique in handling 



