Project grants differ from the funds allocated to the State stations under the Hatch Act in that they are made to support the work of an individual scientist on the basis of a specific research proposal that he submits to the granting agency. The granting agency makes the selection of the projects that it wishes to support, often with the advice of a panel of scientists, whereas the selection of projects to be supported from State appropriations and Hatch funds is made largely by the State station. The project grants are usually made for a short term of 1 to 3 years, with opportunity for renewal, and, therefore, are less suitable than Federal Hatch funds or State appropriations for building long-range programs. Although the recipient institution assumes accountability for expenditures of project grant funds, it shares scientific responsibility, because the actual choice of work to be conducted is made not only by the host institution, but also by the granting agency. Continuation of renewal decisions are taken only by the granting agency. Wide differences exist among the State stations with respect to ways in which project grants are administered. A summary of the project grant funds support for the State station scientists in 1962 follows.

1 Percentage of all Federal project grants made from agencies other than USDA. 2 Percentage of total State station budget.

A study of 1,111 of the project grants made by Federal agencies to support the work of State station scientists in 1962, showed that the work done was on problems clearly within the missions of the granting agencies, but at the same time dealt with basic phenomena of major significance to agriculture. The individual grants were generally modest in size, with an average of just under $14,000 per grant. Thirty percent were used as supplementary support to 262 existing Hatch projects and 96 percent were associated with and supplemented a phase of basic research arising from ongoing station projects.

An analysis of budgets of the 982 grants showed that in only 69 cases were grant funds used to pay any part of the salary of the principal investigator and that less than 1 percent of the total grant money was so used. A total of 53 percent of the grant funds was used to meet personnel costs, primarily for research assistants, short-term postdoctoral investigators, and technicians; 28310 percent of the funds was used for equipment and supplies; 3 percent was used for travel; 210 percent for miscellaneous costs; and 131⁄2 percent was charged as indirect costs incurred by the grantees' institutions as a result of acceptance of the grants.

Problems and attitudes with respect to Federal grant funds from agencies other than the U.S. Department of Agriculture were discussed in personal conferences with 29 agricultural experiment station directors. All experiment station directors contacted consider such grants as essential to a dynamic program of research.

In the organizational pattern of operation, grant proposals are reviewed by the State station director. This review is conducted to determine the appropriateness of the proposal in relation to the capabilities, duties, and responsibilities of the staff member on the one hand, and to the program of the granting agency on the other. Station directors recognize the desirability of increasing their stations' efforts in basic research through grants but must be sure that suitable physical and supporting facilities are available to the incestigator so that if the grant is received there is reasonable likelihood that the proposed research will be performed successfully.

Some concern has been expressed that experiment station staff members may seek to move into research areas where the possibility of obtaining a grant is good, but which are outside their immediate areas of responsibility in the experiment station. This has not been a serious problem. Most directors believe that the availability of grant funds has not appreciably changed the distribution of the permanent funds between fields of agricultural research. All contacted agree that grant funds have augmented the stations' efforts in basic research.

General comments

COORDINATION OF RESEARCH

To make effective advances in agricultural research it is essential that there be a rapid flow of information and ideas among scientists working on separate but interrelated projects. Such interchange enables each investigator to draw on the work of his colleagues and, conversely, for him to contribute to their work. Research coordination thus has as its purpose the development of a well-balanced research program of interrelated and complementary projects in which the capabilities of each investigator are fully utilized in the identification of problems, in the development and conduct of experiments, and in the interpretation of results. Scientists and administrators of the State stations have long recognized the need for research coordination both within, among the stations, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Both formal and informal procedures have been developed to achieve it.

Basic research involves a high degree of freedom on the part of the individual investigator and generally is less subject to organizational review other than to obtain assurance that the staff member is competent to conduct such work and that he is attempting to follow new leads or ideas within the area of his capabilities.

At the project level the individual scientist exchanges ideas and information with his professional colleagues and counterparts in other research units with little or no regard for their organizational affiliation. Such interchange is conducive to high research productivity and is encouraged and stimulated by research administrators.

Internal program coordination

Before funds are allocated to conduct work on a particular problem the principal investigator prepares a project proposal. This includes a statement of the problem, the objectives of the investigation, the plan to be followed, and an estimate of the personnel, facilities, and funds required to conduct the study. The project proposal is reviewed by the department head and by the station director, each of whom often seeks the advice of a standing or an ad hoc review committee.

The purpose of the review is to determine (1) if the proposal deals with a problem of agricultural and scientific significance which is not currently under study or is not being given sufficient emphasis; (2) if the proposal is adequately coordinated with other similar or related work at the station or elsewhere; and (3) if the personnel, facilities, and funds requested are appropriate to the task and available for allocation to the proposed project. If, following his review, the station director approves the project proposal, it becomes a part of the research program of the station. The research accomplished on each project is reviewed annually by department heads and the station director, and projects are terminated or modified in accordance with the progress of the research.

In many States the work of the station is periodically reviewed by external advisory groups representing farmers or organizations serving agriculture. Such reviews are helpful to the station director and staff in keeping the work of the station focused on problems important to the agriculture of the State. Outside appraisal of another type is also used by some directors in evaluating the work of the State stations. A panel of scientists from outside the station, but experienced in the field under study, is asked to review and evaluate the work of a particular department or area of research. The comprehensive review program of State stations is of this type. Under this program 113 evaluations of experiment station programs have been made since the program was initiated in 1957.

Coordination between State experiment stations

Following the enactment of the Agricultural Marketing Acts of 1946, additional annually appropriated Federal funds up to 25 percent of the increase

since 1946 are provided to support cooperative work involving two or more State stations. Moneys allocated for such cooperative programs are called regional research funds, and are used to support regional projects recommended by a national committee representing the State stations as authorized by 3C-3 of the Hatch Act. To assist in analyzing regional problems, and in selecting those which can most effectively be studied on a cooperative interstation basis. the State station directors have formed numerous regional committees. These meet regularly to discuss research needs, to interchange ideas and plans for research in progress in the States engaged in the cooperative program, and to develop new or to revise old regional projects. It is generally accepted that this is a highly effective mechanism for program coordination among the State stations. The station directors meet regionally two or more times each year, and meet annually on a national basis for the purpose of better coordinating the work of the State stations.

At the State, regional, and national levels the staff of the Cooperative State Experiment Station Service, USDA, also assists in program administration and coordination. It maintains a complete file of all active projects supported by Federal Hatch funds. It maintains an index file which includes abstracts of projects supported by Hatch and other funds, information for which is furnished by the State stations. A duplicate set of index filecards of this central depository is provided to each State station and is maintained current. This information file is of value to station directors and scientists in their continuing effort to keep informed of work in progress at other locations, and as an aid in improved program coordination.

Staff scientists of the Cooperative State Experiment Station Service visit each State agricultural experiment station annually for the purpose of reviewing the research in progress. These reviews also aid in the interstation coordination of research, because each visiting scientist maintains continuing contact with the work in progress at all State experiment stations in his particular subject matter speciality. The Cooperative State Experiment Station staff scientists also participate in the deliberations of the regional committees, and help to bring together information about interests and activities pertinent to the topics under discussion.

Coordination between State experiment stations and U.S. Department of Agriculture

Because of their similar objectives, there exists a broadly based requirement for coordination between the intramural research program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the work of State stations. One of the most effective means by which such coordination is achieved at the project or scientist level is by locating Department of Agriculture scientists and research units at, or in close proximity to, the State stations. In 1962 the Department of Agriculture had 1,014 persons, constituting 20 percent of its research staff, located at State stations or at facilities operated by State stations. Just as Department of Agriculture scientists participate in the work of the regional research committees, referred to above, so do State station personnel participate in the work planning conferences which are a regular part of the internal research planning and coordination mechanism of certain U.S. Department of Agriculture research units.

Coordination with industrial organizations

Research coordination between State stations and private and industrial research organizations is largely limited to the informal interchange of ideas and information between individual scientists. The lack of any widespread formal coordination mechanisms is related to the proprietary nature of much of the research conducted by private or corporate organizations.

Industries as a rule are reticent or secretive about their research activities in order to foster their competitive advantage. This policy of reticence to discuss current research is applied in dealings with Department of Agriculture and State experiment station employees, as well as with the employees of competitors. Because of this policy of secrecy, discoveries made by industry may only belatedly become a part of the general body of scientific knowledge, usable by all. The patent system is a device whereby the discoverer or inventor is given a property right to his discovery for 17 years as an inducement to reveal to the public knowledge which may have been obtained at considerable private cost.

APPENDIX

An illustrative example of the manner in which funds from different sources are allocated to the major expenditure categories by one of the larger State stations, not necessarily typical.

Statements of research responsibilities of various Federal agencies have been compiled by National Science Foundation and are reported in publication 62-37. Brief statements listing their areas of responsibility are taken from this publication-giving the page where the statement quoted may be found.

Department of Agriculture (p. 27):

"Conduct of comprehensive basic and applied research and availability of the results for practical farm application through extension and experiment station work in cooperation with the States."

Department of the Army (p. 139):

"The Chief of Research and Development conducts research and development, scientific and technical information, and testing and standardization activities through a Technical and Industrial Liaison Office and four Directors, one each for Special Weapons, Army Research, Plans and Management, and Developments."

Department of the Navy (p. 201):

"The Office performs and supports basic and applied research and development, scientific and technical information, data collection, and extramural training in physical, engineering, life, psychological, and social sciences.

"Part of the Office program is conducted in its own laboratories and offices and part is a sponsored program in universities, nonprofit institutions, and industrial laboratories. Of primary importance is the Office sponsorship of a broad program of basic research in selected scientific fields important to Navy problems. The Office also supports a major applied research program, seeks new ideas or principles toward development of new warfare weapons or techniques. The contract program is supervised by the Assistant Chief for Research, the intramural facilities by the Deputy Chief of Naval Research." Department of the Air Force (p. 233-4):

"The scientific activities of the Air Force include research and development, scientific and technical information, scientific data collection, testing and standardization, and scientific training of manpower. The Air Force administers programs ranging from basic research conducted to assure longrun programs in the aeronautical and related sciences to development and testing of aircraft, missiles, and related equipment for operational use by its combat, support, and service units.

"Total Air Force research is conducted mostly in the engineering and physical sciences, with extensive work in biological, medical, psychological, mathematical, social, and other sciences.

"Although considerable research and development is performed intramurally by Air Force installations, most of the research and development program is performed extramurally by profit organizations. Universities and nonprofit organizations, including research centers substantially supported by the Air Force, also do considerable contract work."

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (p. 279-81):

"The scientific activities of the Department are concerned, in the broadest sense, with improving the human resources of the Nation. With emphasis on the conduct of research in the life sciences, various programs and functions are devoted to the physical, mental, and social well-being of man.

"The Department conducts and supports research and training in the causes, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of physical and mental diseases and impairments. It also conducts research on public health methods and administration, and methods of analyzing and evaluating the characteristics of foods and drugs. In addition, it supports research and training of research workers for the purpose of learning more about adjustment to disablement in order to reduce the handicapping effects of disability.

"The Department undertakes research in educational practices and requirements; in the improvement and operation of programs of old age, survivors and disability insurance, public assistance to the aged, the disabled, and dependent children. It supports an extensive program for the collection, analysis, and publication of vital statistics, as well as a wide range of data related to the fields of social security and education."

National Institutes of Health (p. 289):

"The Institutes conduct or sponsor both fundamental and clinical research on the major diseases of man. The sponsored research is conducted at universities, medical schools, and other institutions. The Institutes also are engaged in scientific extramural training through their fellowship programs and institutional grants to universities. In their fields of research the Institutes disseminate scientific information. These scientific activities are carried on by the individual institutes and divisions. Consequently, these activities are discussed for each individual organizational unit rather than for the Institutes as a whole."

Atomic Energy Commission (p. 447):

"The Division of Research plans, coordinates, and supervises programs of basic and applied research in areas of physical sciences underlying the atomic energy program; reviews and supports programs of research carried on by contract with universities, industrial concerns, and private research institutes as well as providing program direction, for nonweapon research. At the multiprogram laboratories, the Division supervises the isotope distribution program, arranges for the distribution of special materials and equipment to research laboratories, and promotes special research projects relevant to the programs of other Divisions."

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (p. 499):

"The scientific activities involved in carrying out the agency's functions include research and development, training of scientific manpower, and scientific and technical information related to investigations in space."

National Science Foundation (p. 509–11):

"The Foundation promotes scientific progress in the United States by support. ing basic research in the physical, engineering, mathematical, biological, medical, and social sciences; and by furthering education in these sciences as well as by fostering the interchange of scientific information and by cooperating in international scientific activities. In particular, by means of grants it encourages educational and research institutions to conduct fundamental investigations in the sciences; it awards graduate student fellowships to scientists, science teachers, and science students. Although the Foundation itself does not operate scientific laboratories or plants, it does support by contract national research centers in critical scientific areas requiring large-scale research facilities. The Foundation's role is that of leadership, planning, and assistance. In this it is aided through the cooperation of many scientists and educators throughout the Nation, who serve on advisory groups and as consultants." Tennessee Valley Authority (p. 533):

"The Authority performs scientific activities in engineering, mathematics, and the medical, agricultural, physical, and social sciences primarily in furtherance of its own programs. These scientific activities include research, collection, dissemination, and application of scientific data related to vector control, pollution