THREE COMPONENTS OF NASA'S UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS

Dr. NEWELL. The three main components of our university program, research, facilities, and training, are complementary; their relative magnitudes have been balanced to ensure the most efficient use of the Nation's academic capabilities and resources. Initially, maximum emphasis has been placed on the training of scientists and engineers, for here the demand has already been felt and will become more severe during the next decade. Research and the acquisition of necessary research facilities are phased in to employ this manpower most effectively.

NEW KNOWLEDGE FLOWS FROM RESEARCH

The new knowledge and new ideas which form the life blood of this entire undertaking flow from research. The majority of the experiments carried aboard NASA's satellites and space probes are conceived and designed by university scientists and engineers. To universities we owe some of our most advanced concepts in science and technology.

Since its inception, NASA has encouraged and sponsored research of the project variety, aimed at some individual flight experiment or in direct support of some relatively specific program objective. But, in addition, during the past 2 years we have made a determined attempt to use more fully the unique capabilities of universities in our effort to accomplish the NASA mission. Universities have the unique ability to bring to bear on our space research problem, the skills of experts in each of the many individual scientific disciplines involved. The scientific and technological problems facing NASA require the concerted and cooperative efforts of biologists, geologists, physicists, chemists, electronic specialists, metallurgists, engineers, and many

others.

ENCOURAGEMENT GIVEN TO MULTIDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES

Accordingly, we have given encouragement to the consolidation of related research projects into unified multidisciplinary activities, initiation of new investigations to full existing gaps, and participation of promising new groups with high potential. Closely coordinated with the project research, this relatively modest effort exerts a powerful and effective force on the continued growth and development of space research capabilities throughout the Nation. The multidisciplinary research activities allow able scholars in diverse disciplines, to work together on the broad problems which frequently require an understanding of the behavior of large and complex systems and resist piecemeal attack.

NASA has taken positive action to insure that the benefits of space research are applied energetically to the business and economic structure of the United States. We have in a number of instances encouraged within the university, joint efforts by representatives of several nontechnical disciplines in addition to the physical scientists and engineers. Consequently, some universities are gaining an increased appreciation of the intellectual influence they can exert toward the creation of a favorable climate for progress and growth in the economic environment of their regions as a result of their space-related efforts.

ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY UNIVERSITIES WORKING GRANTS AND CONTRACTS

All told, some 130 universities are presently conducting investigations under NASA grants and research contracts. But there remain additional institutions having great potential, which are not currently participating in research. Many of these groups are showing an increasing interest in the important scientific challenges of space, and will undoubtedly be responsible for major contributions in the years ahead.

Development of such groups not only gives us the immediate yield of new talent, but provides new incentives for scientists to remain there and resist the excessive drift of skilled manpower from growing institutions to those few universities with highly publicized programs. It also makes it unnecessary for young scientists to leave universities which attract them for many reasons and in which they are needed, but which offer no opportunity for them to participate in currently exciting and pacing space-oriented research.

At many institutions already heavily engaged in research in response to NASA's requirements, work is being impeded by inadequacy or complete lack of laboratory space. Some research scientists confine their attention to theoretical studies and may literally need only a blackboard, well-stocked book shelves, and a desk in a quiet room

suitable for concentration.

ELABORATE EQUIPMENT FREQUENTLY REQUIRED

More and more frequently, however, first line space flight research of the type needed by NASA requires the use of more elaborate equipment, such as computers, electronic testing devices, and environmental simulators. Sufficient laboratory space must exist for this equipment as well as for the faculty, graduate students, other research personnel, and supporting services.

Accordingly, we have made research facilities grants to selected institutions already committed substantially to continuing space and aeronautics research. One of the first accomplishments of the American space effort-one I have already referred to, the discovery of the radiation belts-was made by a university scientist, Dr. James Van Allen, of the State University of Iowa.

Since that first discovery, the Iowa group has flown experiments on eight NASA spacecraft and has continued to make important contributions toward unraveling the still imperfectly understood phenomena of trapped radiation. This group has also trained some 10 competent scientists who are now participating in research at various other universities and Government laboratories. Here is an outstanding example of the contributions which universities are making, both in research and in the training of young scientists and engineers.

Yet this group is literally working in hallways, the basement, the attic, and in small nooks behind lecture halls. Through a cooperative effort involving the State of Iowa, the National Science Foundation, and NASA, in which the State has been able to provide more than half the total funds, construction has been started on a new physics building in which these people will devote their full professional talents to research of major importance in the exploration of space. In this way, we seek to stimulate the provision of research space not otherwise

available to accommodate space-related research and encourage its pursuit on a broad, multidisciplinary basis.

Within the limits of their resources, the universities cooperate in this endeavor. Before NASA will consider construction of facilities, the university must own and make available for the purpose land which is both suitable for the development of research facilities and in close proximity to the university's main educational complex. When possible, the universities share in the actual cost of construction.

Important though they are, classrooms, libraries, auditoriums, and space for general educational purposes are not considered appropriate for NASA support. Our interests are in graduate research facilities of a type which allow the suitable conduct of research of direct interest to NASA.

PREDOCTORAL TRAINING PROGRAM

Central to all of these efforts is the problem of trained manpower. As Dr. Wiesner has pointed out, this Nation is facing increasingly severe demands upon its limited supply of highly trained scientists and engineers, to solve immediate problems, to teach new students, to conduct long-range research, and to evaluate vast amounts of new scientific data. NASA is acutely aware of the need which we may expect to encounter in manning a sustained national effort in space and aeronautics. Here again we must look to the universities.

In the spring of 1962, after extensive consultation with leaders in the university community, NASA initiated its predoctoral training program. The main element of the NASA training program involves 3-year predoctoral training opportunities for selected graduate students at qualified universities offering Ph. D. degrees in space-related areas. NASA selects participating universities on the basis of proposals which they submit.

Individual trainees are selected by senior members of the faculty who know their capabilities, who will probably supervise their research training, and who in many cases are directly engaged in research activity supported by NASA.

Such close ties with NASA provide motivation for the trainee to do original work in the space area and to participate directly in the space program even while he is still in training. Young scientists and engineers who receive these traineeships conduct research in space-related fields while acquiring a high level of individual competence. We would be derelict in our execution of the national space program if we were to ignore our own needs in this regard and were to rely passively upon the activities of other agencies, private or public, which lack NASA's direct interest in the production of an adequate number of scientists and engineers with an active and well-developed interest in the problems of space and aeronautics. These graduate students are just beginning their careers as researchers. We have every reason to believe that the identity with NASA established through participation in this training program provides additional motivation for the trainees to continue to do original work of interest to NASA and engage more directly in some aspect of the national space program.

The training effort was initiated with full recognition of the fact that the national space effort would attract talented and energetic people who had previously worked in other fields. In their turn,

the automotive industry, aviation, electronics, and atomic energy have all drawn scientists and engineers from other established endeavors. It is hardly surprising that mankind's first opportunity to explore the reaches of space beyond the confines of this earth should prove similarly appealing. Our training program constitutes an orderly, planned attempt to replenish this national resource. It is also worthy of note that movement of these people into space-related fields is ordinarily voluntary, and it can hardly be said to occur because the new work is less difficult.

Is not this aggressive search for challenge at the price of the personal security to be found in a well-established field-indicative of a trait upon which we pride ourselves as Americans?

It is important to mention here how we regard the trainees in this program. These are not schoolchildren-these are relatively mature young adults, most of them responsible for their own support and many with families. They have gained college educations, ordinarily paid for by themselves or their parents. They possess a very salable commodity their intellectual ability-and there is a very real demand for them in jobs which require no more formal education. For such jobs, they will be paid far better than on any traineeship, fellowship, or research assistantship.

A NASA trainee receives, for no more than 3 years, between $2,400 and $3,400 per year. During this time, he does not just hear about research or read about it-he does it. This is a creative period in his life, not a passive experience, and the entire scientific community gets the benefit of his creativity. The annals of research are replete with accounts of major contributions made to our knowledge by graduate students as any experienced researcher will gladly testify. During these 3 years, he learns-he improves himself. We want this student to improve himself, and society gains more from that improvement than he does. Throughout his productive life, the scientist publishes the results of his research freely in the open literature for the benefit of all.

CONTINUING CONCERN OF FINANCIAL NEED

The trainee's own financial need during his graduate years and the manner in which it should influence his participation in the NASA program are matters of continuing concern to us. A universally applied means test for the families of minors who receive public funds for a general undergraduate education may be appropriate. This is a matter upon which I personally am far less qualified to comment than are specialists in the field of aid to education.

That is not our field, but our position with respect to the participants in our predoctoral training program is very simple. NASA needs them and the Nation needs them, if this space program is to have a future; and the price we pay for the development of their individual and collective talent is a modest one.

We recognize the element of individual need when we provide a limited dependency allowance for these trainees. The universities themselves, in whose hands rest the selection of individual students, are not insensitive to such matters and would be encouraged to give consideration to relative means if confronted by groups of candidates

with otherwise identical qualifications. However, use of a formal means test as a qualifying criterion for participation as a NASA trainee unless every other graduate training opportunity in the country, both public and private, involved the same test-would place us at a disadvantage which our program would not survive, by placing poverty ahead of quality in the selection process.

The opinion has been heard in past months that additional graduate fellowship opportunities are overly plentiful and that many now in existence are going unused. As you know, NASA trainees include both scientists and engineers, and I think you will find of interest the following excerpt from volume IV, No. 1, of “Engineer," a publication of the Engineers Joint Council, which appeared in the spring of

1963:

** * the Engineering Manpower Commission asked engineering deans throughout the Nation whether any fellowships were now going unused and how many more would be used if available. Within 2 weeks, 136 responded, representing 90 percent of all engineering colleges offering graduate courses.

The responding group reported 3,160 graduate fellowships now in existence, with only 33 going unused, largely because of special provisions or limitations. The deans reported that 6,420 additional fellowships would be used if available.

SCHOLARSHIP STIPEND IS $2,400 TO $3,400

The CHAIRMAN. May I just stop you to ask you to go back to the previous page, where you say:

We recognize the element of individual need when we provide a limited dependency allowance for these trainees.

Just what do you mean by that in dollars and cents?

Dr. NEWELL. Our basic stipend is $2,400 and we allow an additional amount of $1,000 to be allocated by the university to the student for dependency or other requirements.

The CHAIRMAN. $2,400 up to $3,400. Does the $1,000 go on top of the $3,400 as well as the $2,400?

Dr. NEWELL. No; the thousand dollars on top of the $2,400 makes the maximum $3,400 available to the student.

The CHAIRMAN. This is not an added one, extra to the $2,400 to $3,400 you mentioned?

Dr. NEWELL. It is not extra; no.

The CHAIRMAN. Thank you.

SEEK TO BROADEN BASE OF COMPETENCE

Dr. NEWELL. In the development of the national space program we have sought and will continue to seek to broaden the base of competence in scientific research in universities across the country and to enlarge opportunities for graduate training in space-related fields of study throughout the Nation.

There are in the United States nearly 1,500 colleges and universities equipped to grant at least a bachelor's degree on the basis of a 4-year course of study. Some 1,100 of them grant degrees in science or technology.

However, research is almost entirely a graduate activity, and only about 150 of these universities grant the Ph. D. degree or its equivalent in at least one field of science or engineering. A study conducted by