374 



Mr. Lennon. Now, the gentleman from Washington. 



Mr. Pelly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Dr. Eobertson, I am curious about the shortage of trained manpower 

 to which my colleague, Mr. Rogers, referred. Is it actually increasing 

 or diminishing ? What is the trend ? 



Dr. Eobertson. The supply has been increasing. The demand has 

 been increasing, too, as this program has been stimulated. I don't 

 think that the supply is catching up wath the demand. 



I might ask Dr. Kelson, who represents our education divisions,, 

 whether he would like to comment on this point of supply and demand 

 in the field. 



Dr. Kelson. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make a comment on that 

 ma;tter, and one other, if I may. I should like to refer briefly to the 

 estimate of $38 million to $40 million for marine sciences — oceano- 

 graphic work — in our budget. 



With respect to the education programs of the Foundation per se, 

 exclusive of those under the Sea Grant Act, this is really very much 

 an estimate, because we do not program money in education explicitly 

 for fields. We program it by types of activity, such as fellowships. 



In large measure, therefore, the amount that we can invest in edu- 

 cation is conditioned by the nature and number of the proposals that 

 we receive. 



I think it is honest to say that we ha'v^e made it very clear to the aca- 

 demic world at large that we have a very special interest in receiving 

 proposals for projects of an education nature in the oceanographic 

 sciences. 



Short of actually in a sense going out and employing people to do 

 some specific thing that we want done, we have to move rather slowly 

 in this area. 



I could say, however, that the record shows rather clearly over the 

 years our quite open and express interest in the marine sciences, an 

 interest which precedes the Sea Grant Act. It is producing results^ 

 but perhaps not as fast as it could. 



With respect to supply and demand of manpower, one sees in this 

 and many related fields a very interesting phenomenon. 



The demand for manpower is very frequently in our society de- 

 termined in large measure by governmental programs and interests. 

 A change, a marked increase in the funds throughout the entire Gov- 

 ernment for marine sciences creates a great deal of opportunity for 

 employment. 



The production of people to fill these positions lags in some degree. 

 Therefore, when one is attempting to predict supply and demand, one 

 is also having to take into account the total Federal budget and to 

 what end it is being directed. 



It is also true, howeiver, to say that the increased support for the 

 marine sciences collectively has moved slightly faster than the train- 

 ing of people for the field. The production of people in this area is 

 increasing, but not at quite the same tempo. 



This in part is due to the fact that this Nation is now beginning to 

 support the kind of work that is, per man, relatively more expensive, 

 so that one would not necessarily expect the same ratio of dollars to 

 people. 



