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APPENDIX D 54 research. We are eating our own seed corn! Applications are the derivatives of the research enterprise, not the enterprise. The use of public funds to try to accelerate the transfer of knowledge from basic to applied areas is largely wasted. Applied scientists have both the incentives and the know-how needed to insure that this transfer is efficient and effective. The economic incentives dictate that this element of our mission will be largely from the private sector. As a nation, we need to decide what portion of our national resources to spend on basic research. Whatever this is, it should be relatively stable such as a fixed percentage of gross national product. We are sending mixed messages. On the one hand, we say get interested early in science; experience the excitement of a creative career in science; you are the generation to lead future scientific breakthroughs and a higher quality of life for all. On the other hand, sufficient resources are not provided to nurture development through the long interval of training that is necessary; basic science is suspect; the idea is conveyed that we have âcreatedâ sufficient basic knowledge--it is time to âtransferâ it; we are now even attacking a research-based industry that productively employs scientists in basic and applied endeavors. As a nation, we are concerned rightfully about many health and environmental problems for which solutions need to be found. However, those solutions depend on an adequate supply of trained scientists some of whom are equipped and willing to pursue basic research and others who find gratification in application of that basic research to specific health problems. The return we will realize from funding additional NRSA opportunities for graduates in training for advanced degrees in science is crucial for meeting our needs as a society. At the moment, additional trainees are particularly important in order to maintain productivity on research grants that are not providing sufficient funds to carry the burden of expense required for staffing our research enterprise. Longer term, we need to be sure that the financial resources are made available to provide opportunities that will allow those trainees to take their places in the research mainstream as post-doctoral fellows and as independent scientists in public and private sectors. 3. Having participants in our national research enterprise who are from minority groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences in proportion to their number in the general population is a goal of inestimable value to us as a nation. Unfortunately, it cannot happen until the percentage of total high school graduates who are interested in scientific careers and who are from those underrepresented minority groups is equal to the percentage of those groups in the general population. If we are unwilling to believe this premise we are covertly stating a belief in different capabilities for persons of different ethnic/minority groups. If x is the percentage of underrepresented minorities in the general population, it is unrealistic to earmark funds providing for graduate training of individuals from those underrepresented minorities equal to x percent of training resources when that percentage is not available among college graduates with academic backgrounds appropriate for science careers. We are far from this target at the moment. Without progress on the supply side, NRSA can do no more than make sure that minorities that have demonstrated ability in science are able to continue their careers in science. Additional resources need to be aimed at training elementary, secondary and undergraduate minority students and teachers in science. As these individuals increase in the college graduate pool, there will have to be corresponding growth in NRSA fellowships to allow them access to graduate level training. 4. Stipends need to be increased from the current level in order to avoid students having a sub-standard of living during the long interval of training required to become competitive in science. We are asking some of our brightest students to live on an income that is less than a person with a high school education can be expected to make for a period of about five years. Post-doctoral training often occupies another 2-3 years. It is not possible for scientists to make up for the lost income until they are many years into their careers. This is compensated in part by the opportunity to pursue a highly independent research path throughout life. however, if the disparity in lost income becomes too great, this is still another disincentive toward choosing a scientific career path. STATEMENT BY ALAN G. KRAUT, Ph.D. My name is Alan Kraut and I am Executive Director of the American Psychological Society (APS).
