APPENDIX E. Membership of the Subcommittee on Research of the National Manpower Advisory Committee.... 127 INTRODUCTION For the past 4 years the Department of Labor has conducted a program of manpower research under authority granted by the Manpower Development and Training Act of 1962, as amended. This research, which is supported through grants and contracts, is performed by researchers in the many disciplines which touch upon manpower problems. The Office of Manpower Research of the Office of Manpower Policy, Evaluation, and Research (OMPER) has developed and administered the research program within the Department's Manpower Administration. The manpower research program of OMPER has been developed on the premise that its research should contribute to three major objectives: (1) Improvement of the Department's operational programs; (2) development of new perspectives and solutions to manpower problems; and (3) early warning of emerging problems. With these objectives in mind, manpower studies have been approached broadly. Projects supported have been concerned not only with economic aspects but with social, cultural, and educational matters as well. Since the inception of the program, research emphasis has been placed on many persistent and continuing manpower problems: The impact of continuing technological changes on employment, the large increases in the number of young workers entering the labor force each year, the growth in the nonwhite labor force, the high rates of unemployment and underutilization in some areas accompanied by labor shortages in others, and the continued shift of workers from rural areas to urban centers. Increasing emphasis is being given to occupational needs and adjustments, to the special problems of migratory farmworkers, to the lack of jobs and inadequate occupational preparation and training in urban "ghettoes," to problems of skill shortages created by rising military requirements, and to the long-term problem of wasted human resources in rural areas. Other significant research undertaken includes studies of various methods and techniques used by employers to adjust to growing skill shortages, the development of information on the nonparticipation of eligible workers in the labor force, and the search for solutions to the employment problems of disadvantaged groups such as older workers and the handicapped. In order to provide the broadest possible base for its program, the Department has attempted to utilize researchers from a variety of disciplines, from academic, public, and private research organizations. Applications for contracts are accepted from universities, State and local government agencies, and other organizations or individuals with research capabilities in the manpower area. Grants are available only to universities or other nonprofit organizations and their employees. This report lists the contracts and grants sponsored by OMPER since the inception of its research program. Projects are grouped according to whether they are grants or contracts. New projects for which contracts were awarded in fiscal year 1966 are listed by contractor and summarized in Part 1 of the report. Part 2 covers contracts which were carried over to FY 1966 but originated before July 1, 1965. Since the beginning of the program, 136 projects have been contracted. Part 3 contains descriptions of each of the Manpower Research Institutional Grants. This activity of the manpower research program was inaugurated in 1966. Seven grants were awarded during FY 1966 to colleges and universities to enable them to develop and execute long-range research programs and research training activities. The small grant program, which was initiated late in FY 1965, has grown rapidly. During its first full year of operation, it provided 34 grants in support of Ph. D. candidates writing their theses on manpower topics and 31 grants to support a wide variety of research projects in the manpower field. These are described in Parts 4 and 5, respectively. Through the small grants program both new and established researchers have been drawn into the field of manpower studies. These have come from many disciplinesthe larger number from economics, sociology, and industrial relations, but with representation also in business administration, psychology, education, anthropology, and other fields. Results of completed research sponsored by the manpower research program have been utilized in planning action programs and for background in making policy decisions. A number of projects have resulted in the publication of books or monographs. Part 6 lists completed projects. Libraries and field locations at which copies of contractors' reports may be consulted are shown in appendix A. Guidelines to be used in applying for contracts, grants for doctoral dissertations, and grants for research projects are included as appendixes B, C, and D, respectively.1 A list of the members of the Subcommittee on Research of the National Manpower Advisory Committee, which has guided the Department in its research program, is included as appendix E. Not listed in this publication are contracts for experimental and demonstration projects, which are supported by OMPER under a separate program. For information on that program, on specific projects mentioned in this document, or on the contract or grant programs, write to: Director, Office of Manpower Policy, Evaluation, and Research, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. 20210. 'Guidelines for Manpower Research Institutional Grants are not included because funds currently available do not permit support of any additional institutions under this program. |