But I think this is a possibility of duplication of effort that you should watch.

Dr. MCDANIEL. We appreciate your comments. We are trying to the limit of our abilities to watch this, and we appreciate a great deal anyone bringing our errors to our attention. If we make errors, and I know we do, we appreciate hearing about them.

We do farm out to the extent of our ability, all of our work to the universities and laboratories of the country. Some of the Federal agencies do work for us. At the Bureau of Standards they have a capability in certain fields and we have some of their scientific people doing some research for us.

Dr. HAWORTH. Might I add one little item to that? And I think it has a bearing on the National Science Foundation. There is one thing that we have to bear in mind, and that is that you can't predict where an idea will occur. It would be too bad, I think, if any agency forbade a group of scientists to spend a little time developing a good idea because it happened to be just outside of the boundary of the jurisdiction of the agency they were getting their money from. I think that the various agencies should not deliberately program large sums for this purpose, but we shouldn't let ideas die stillborn just because of the definition.

I would feel, for example, that although the mission of the National Science Foundation is a basic research mission, if somebody on a grant has a good idea for practical application, that needs a little playing around with, I would think that that would be quite appropriate, rather than have the country lose the benefit of that idea. Conversely, I think that it works the other way, also.

Mr. RHODES. I certainly agree with your statement. However, I do think that all of us have to watch for duplication. We spend many billions of dollars on research, and the possibility of duplication is so obvious that we must always consider it.

Dr. HAWORTH. I didn't want this fact to get lost.

Mr. RHODES. It is a very sound fact.

Mr. PILLION. Dr. McDaniel, in the field of the light wave studies, what percentage of your studies are applied to that?

Dr. MCDANIEL. I can tell you of one project that we have in the physical research program. It is a very small project. There were four men at Oak Ridge 3 years ago, that had a very bright idea on how to use a laser for a military application, and they, to our knowledge, approached the Department of Defense, and the Department of Defense became quite interested in these four men's activities, and the Department of Defense did ask these four people if they would conduct a couple of years' investigation for them.

They did, and the particular investigation has been completed and the interest of the four people continues in the laser applications, and there have been recently some indications that it might be a useful device for separating isotopes.

The project is just being closed out as far as the Department of Defense is concerned, and we are taking a serious look at it to see whether or not these same four people should be encouraged.

Mr. PILLION. There are dozens of private corporations that are studying this problem.

Dr. MCDANIEL. That is a tremendous field, there are hundreds of corporations outside of the Commission that are working in the field. Mr. PILLION. Did I understand you, sir, to say that the National Science Foundation has a basic responsibility or prime responsibility for basic science?

Dr. HAWORTH. I said that its responsibility, its own responsibilities is in the field of basic science and education.

Mr. PILLION. Well, now, how does your responsibility differ from the basic research work being done by the Atomic Energy Commission? Where is the line drawn between your two agencies?

Dr. HAWORTH. There is no sharp line, Mr. Pillion. I was not trying to say the Foundation has responsibility for all basic research. I was trying to say that the Foundation does not have any direct responsibility for applications.

The various agencies, of course, do, and they are expected to be responsible for basic research in their own direct fields of interest.

For example, at the present time, at least, the Science Foundation has a very small program, say, in the high energy physics, which is, of course, of primary interest to the Atomic Energy Commission. It does happen to go into such fields as astronomy and pure mathematics, and many other things, where there is no programmatic interest on the part of an agency.

Mr. PILLION. And your budget in the general science field is in the neighborhood of $400 or $500 million, too, isn't it? So, putting the two together, and you have $1 billion, without any direct application

Dr. HAWORTH. It is $389 million this year, I think.

Mr. PILLION. Without any direct objective in this pure science field? Dr. HAWORTH. Primarily, it is seeking an understanding of natural facts, and, of course, the very important research in graduate education, and so on.

Mr. PILLION. Thank you very much.

Mr. EVINS. You will be interested to know that the increase for 1964, or 1963 is almost double what it was in 1963.

Thank you very much, Dr. McDaniel.

Mr. PILLION. It leaves me in the dark as to why we can't get better propulsion.

BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE PROGRAM

Mr. EVINS. We shall call the Director of Biology and Medicine, Dr. Dunham.

It is good to see you again, and I hope you are well.

We shall put in the appropriate pages of book I and book II.

The areas of growth planned for fiscal year 1964 in the biomedical research program continue to relate primarily to somatic and genetic effects of radiation, molecular, and cellular level studies, environmental radiation studies, and radiological physics, with lesser increases budgeted in the remaining research activities. In addition to attaining full-scale operation in several projects involving the low-level long-term chronic effects of radiation, emphasis in this budget is increasingly placed on the search for a better understanding of the fundamental biological mechanisms.

Even more than in the past, the development of the Commission's program and budget in biomedical research has been with an awareness of the respective responsibilities of other agencies of the Government in this field. During the past year, and, on a continuing basis, close relationships have been developed with such agencies as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Agriculture.

The program for the testing of nuclear devices, especially the atmospheric tests of 1962 have brought about an increase in pace of the research program in atmospheric radioactivity and fallout. The program to investigate all aspects of the sequence of events following the release of radioactivity to the biosphere from nuclear energy activities, development of better sampling techniques, and increased numbers of sample collections at intermediate and very high altitudes account for expansion of the budget in this area.

Fundamental studies in the molecular biology field are expanding according to carefully devised plans as are the activities in radiation genetics, radiobotany, and related projects designed to provide a more solid basis for interpretation of the varied effects of radiation.

A new activity, an analytical study of the long-range environmental and biological effects of nuclear war, is also included in this budget. In addition to the continuing programs of cancer research, selected beneficial applications, nuclear energy civil effects, and others, this budget also includes a modest increase in the program in oceanography as well as an item for the planned increase in the program of radiation pasteurization of foods.

The major portion (two-thirds) of the biomedical research program is carried on at on-site laboratories which are owned by or operated for the Commission, and the remainder, approximately 650 off-site projects, is supported in more than 220 universities, colleges, hospitals, and independent laboratories. The details of the biomedical research program appear in the narrative justification which follows:

Objectives of this research are to recognize, document, and evaluate, qualitatively and quantitatively, the effects of acute and chronic external ionizing radiation on both the whole organism as well as upon the various organ systems, organs and tissues.

The principal increases for fiscal year 1964 are summarized below:

Acute whole organism irradiation studies__.

Principal en-site increase is at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory ($160,000) for heavy particle studies. The off-site increases will emphasize interspecies comparisons of radiosensitivity to various kinds of radiation as a function of total dose and dose rate. Chronic whole organism irradiation studies_.

Primary expansion of this program will occur in on-site programs. These are the neutron toxicity study at Argonne National Laboratory ($70,000), the medium and low-level, long-term effects of radiation program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory ($120,000), and the plant radiobiology program at Brookhaven National Laboratory ($70,000). The program at the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission remains stable except for negotiated wage increases ($100,000).

Response of organ systems to radiation__

Expansion of on-site programs will be at Oak Ridge National Laboratory ($120,000) on radiation recovery phenomena and platelet production, and at the University of Tennessee ($60,000) on physiological, clinical and pathological effects of radiation on large animals. The off-site programs will increase to support radiation effects studies dealing with the nervous system, blood cell formation, cardiovascular disease, and immune mechanisms.

Total____

Increase

$350,000

450,000

289,000

1,089, 000

The acute effects of irradiation on man and animals will continue to be a major area of research. Knowledge of the response of the total organism, as well as of the separate organ systems to radiation of various energies, types, intensities and total amounts is basic for development of procedures to counteract the effects of acute exposure or to minimize a given response. Data from accidental exposures of man are being used in conjunction with the data from patients treated with whole body irradiation to analyze the radiation syndrome and try to treat it systematically.

Chronic effects of irradiation on man and animals have been investigated less than acute effects since subjects must be observed throughout their entire lifespan. Because many of the possible chronic effects are similar to those seen in normal aging, it is difficult to establish a clear causal relationship to radiation. The results thus far suggest that animals exposed to radiation may "age" more rapidly than normals. Such studies are tedious and expensive, yet the information gained may prove to be the most significant of all in predicting the result of low-level chronic radiation on a human population. The size of radiation dose, its frequency of repetition and duration and the dose rate all influence the chronic response. From the practical standpoint, simple shortening of lifespan is a potential basis for compensation, hazard pay, and other claims; these could affect the peaceful applications of nuclear energy. Now that research facilities adequately equipped for very protracted continuous irradiation of the whole organism are becoming available, more attention can be given to studies of chronic irradiation effects on the immune response, cellular resistance, etc.

Most of the existing knowledge concerning the biological effects of radiation has been developed from research on small laboratory animals. Experience gained from these studies will continue to be applied to defining the pathological and physiological effects of radiation in larger domestic animals since experimental data derived from larger animals can frequently be extrapolated more directly to man because of closer similarities in body mass and organ systems. A large-scale program has been initiated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to define the biological effects of very low dose exposure to external radiations. A companion program at Argonne National Laboratory with internally deposited radionuclides such as strontium 90 and cesium 137 is budgeted under "Toxicity of radioelements." Economic and statistical considerations require that small laboratory animals (mice) be used for these studies since each may involve 100,000 or more animals. The two programs are complementary and are ex

pected to develop the theoretical bases required for more reliable extrapolation of radiation effects from high doses to low doses and from animals to man. In addition to evaluating fundamental radiobiologic theories, these experiments are designed to evaluate and assess hazards associated with fallout radiation. Specific biological responses that require quantitation are injury to bloodforming organs, production of cancer and cataracts, effects on endocrime, immune and gastrointestinal systems, effects on fertility, life shortening, and decreased physiological performance.

In recent years heavy particle radiations have been utilized in selected therapeutic applications, and as means for exploring the significance of focal brain destruction, but they still need additional fundamental investigation before being used generally in man. The question of their fundamental biologic effects recently has taken on added importance because of the accelerated pace of the "man in space" program. The radiations from the Van Allen belts, the heavy particles of galactic origin and the protons of solar origin, together with their reaction products, constitute radiations not normally encountered in important quantities in man's terrestrial environment; in the past they received minor attention but now their biological effects must be thoroughly evaluated. The laboratory research in this area is cooperative with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and uses very high energy machines including the HILAC, cosmotron and bevatron in the AEC laboratories. This research will yield data of both practical and theoretical significance.

How ionizing radiations affect intelligence and performance capabilities in organisms by affecting the nervous system is a problem requiring increased attention. Studies are being directed toward analysis of pathological, physiological, behavioral and cybernetic changes induced by radiation administered in different amounts, in different ways and at different times from conception to death. It is certain that acquired information (that coming into the animal body by means of the sense organs) has significance for living systems comparable to inherited genetic information. This research field is extremely active and it may be expected to grow in terms of concepts, significance, and needed support.

While substantial information on animals has been accumulated, the effects of acute and chronic irradiation on plants and micro-organisms have received minor attention in past years. Some plant species are found to be sensitive to ionizing radiation and so it is necessary to learn how widely this lethality extends. Ultimate survival from a nuclear attack could well depend upon not only a detailed knowledge of varying sensitivities, but also knowing the underlying mechanisms for this sensitivity. Since many plant pathogens may be more or less sensitive to irradiation than the species which they attack, a detailed consideration of the effects of irradiation on the intricacies of hostpathogen relations at the ecological, physiological, biochemical, and genetic level is in order. A well-balanced program using controlled conditions is being developed in this category and as part of the radiation genetics program. An additional area is to be carried out using natural environmental conditions as a part of the terrestrial ecology program.

(b) Toxicity of radioelements:

Fiscal year 1962_.
Fiscal year 1963-

Fiscal year 1964

$5,673, 275

7,036, 000 8, 500, 000

The purposes of research in this activity are to understand the distribution and mechanism of uptake, retention and excretion of radioactive isotopes in the body, and their chemical and radiological toxicity, in order to establish realistic exposure levels for atomic energy workers and the general population. Studies are conducted on the long-term biological and medical effects of retained body burdens, on the response of tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms to inhaled, ingested or injected radioactive elements which are associated with or result from atomic energy operations, including the fission products of uranium and plutonium and the principal radioactive elements occurring routinely in mining, milling, and production operations.