It is well handled by the NIH group; no knowledge of other agencies.Durwood J. Smith.

The Jones report presented several excellent proposals for improving governmental procedure on grants given by the National Institutes of Health. These in no way challenge the valid conclusion that an excellent job is being done by the study sections and the related review procedures of the National Institutes of Health. Nor do they invalidate the conclusion that funds appropriated by the Congress for the support of research on major disease problems have been well spent. They merely demonstrate that the continued expansion of research in our country calls for additional administrative patterns for support of research. These include-in addition to traditional project grants-institutional grants, program grants, large grants to clinical research and special research centers, grants for collaborative and cooperative studies, grants for construction of health research facilities. All of these new types of grants would be particularly useful in the attack on the aging problem.

It would also seem highly desirable to achieve better coordination of activities in progress in the various divisions of the National Institutes of Health and Public Health Service related to research on aging and medical care of the aged, in addition to greater attention to and resources for research in this area. As the Jones Committee pointed out, "* * * there is lack of effective point of focus for their coordination."

Further, there is need for greater recognition of the possibilities of important aging research through governmental agencies besides the National Institutes of Health. This is particularly true for the Veterans' Administration hospitals. Increased funds are sorely needed for this purpose.-Jeremiah Stamler.

In our experience, they are flexible and effective, and I am satisfied with the present mechanisms.-Eugene A. Stead, Jr.

Yes. By supporting institutions and individuals and thus minimizing project grants, which are a very inefficient way of distributing research money.Joseph W. Still.

It is my opinion that, in general, the governmental procedure of grants in the social sciences is sound and operates efficiently. I have personal knowledge of only NIH and NSF procedures, but I think these two organizations administer their programs as objectively and competently as any private foundation. Indeed, it is my opinion that the above-mentioned governmental agencies are more responsible and objective than two foundations with which I am acquainted.—Gordon F. Streib.

I feel that there is a need for improving the governmental procedure of grants and public investments in aging research. These improvements may go along several lines. In the first place, there is the need for a National Institute of Gerontology under the Institutes of Health, comparable to the other Institutes which are supported by the Public Health Service. An Institute of Gerontology should take part in both intramural and extramural programs.

Since aging research, because of its nature, must extend over long periods of time, it is necessary that grants awarded for the biological study of aging should guarantee support over long-term periods. It is, for example, quite a gamble for an investigator to put his time, effort, and money into the establishment of a colony of animals which are to be raised to senility if he is not guaranteed continued support for this colony.

There should be an attempt to set up, in various research centers in the country, a number of animal colonies for senility studies which will be made available to investigators in this field: It is, at present, almost impossible for any new individual to start a study on aging because of the lack of senile animals. It is discouraging to the new investigator and graduate student to have to wait for several years before his animals become available for study. These colonies could be profitably supported by the governmental agency.-Norman M. Sulkin.

Another area which I believe merits your attention is that of international or cross-cultural studies and exchanges of personnel. The new phenomena of aging appeared earlier in several Western European and Pacific nations than they did in the United States and are now appearing in all rapidly developing countries. Study of phenomena of aging in different value systems, social structures, and economies, and of measures adopted to alleviate individual and societal problems of aging, would almost certainly produce knowledge useful to our own country and scientists.

The recent International Gerontological Congress and its Committee on Research in Social Gerontology, in particular, revealed the readiness of researchers in many countries to go forward with studies in the field and to participate in parallel or joint researches with foreign colleagues. Support of such projects, of international exchanges of personnel, and of special training facilities would seem to offer considerable promise.

In this connection, it may be pointed out, too, that involvement of research workers in less advanced but developing nations could enable them to anticipate the emergence of aging as a societal problem and avoid the delay in meeting it which we now experience.-Clark Tibbitts.

In our opinion there is no urgent need for improving the governmental procedure of grants and public investments in aging research. NIH study groups and advisory committees do an excellent job most of the time. However, there is a need for accelerating the review process preceding the issuance of a grant. There is also a need for more individual conferences between applicants and study groups. Some worthy applicants who are naive in the ways of preparing suitable research proposals also need specialized help.-Thomas T. Tourlentes.

I have no suggestions for means to improve research grants.—Arthur C. Upton.

With regard to item 2 I might suggest that it would be desirable if the principle of "seed money" became more prevalent a practice. That is, annual grants are provided for a university with the specific requirement that it would be exclusively used for exploratory and basic research in this area by members of the social science staff most qualified in the opinion of the various social science departments. The funds thus obtained could be dispensed accordingly much in the same fashion as special private endowment funds handled in the universities.-Otto von Mering.

The present procedure seems adequate to me.-A. Kurt Weiss.

I feel that there is too much redtape involved in obtaining a governmental grant for aging research. The investigator must spend a good deal of time filling out long_application forms, time which might better be spent in doing actual research. A more effective and economical procedure might be to allow reasonably qualified investigators to simply state-informally and briefly-what they plan to do and what needs they might have.-James M. A. Weiss.

Many of us believe that grants should be person oriented (investigator oriented rather than biologically oriented) for real long-range gain.-Frederick L. Weniger.

Although the several Institutes of the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, with whom I have had contact, have done well in their support of aging research and in the execution of details, yet I believe that centralization of this support in one Institute (see question 10) would greatly facilitate this activity. There is a need to recruit able research-minded biologists to work in this field and a program should be devised to achieve such recruitment.Verner J. Wulff.

Question No. 3

How much should be expended on "policy research"?

Responses

It is my view that policy research should be an integrated part of actual or field research. The latter is interesting but not of much value until it has been interpreted so clearly that policy is evident because of it. Policy research alone apparently does not lead anywhere until it has some specific aim, and objective is not clear until field research produces the facts which orient policy. Policy comes after field problems are clearly defined. Therefore I believe that funds for policy research should on.y be expended when some concrete direction is provided. Then let policy take over, and consequently the sum for its support will be relatively very small indeed. Field studies are the laborsome, time consuming, and expensive parts of research, or they should be.-Chester Alexander.

is.

I do not understand this question since I do not know what policy research" In my opinion, research starts with a formulated area, problem, or hypothesis, and then seeks the answers that will yield the information that will make decisionmaking possible. If policy research means the collection of appropriate types of facts and statistics on adequate samples of the population plus an analysis of the existing scientific literature in order to locate the information basic to decisionmaking, it has some meaning to me.-John E. Anderson.

I would consider that very little should be spent on policy research.-Warren Andrew.

I do not know what you mean by policy research. However, it would seem reasonable for the leaders in research on these problems to meet at intervals to discuss it. Henry H. Banks.

I believe that a minimum should be spent on policy research.-Geoffrey H. Bourne.

Since "policy research" was not defined in this communication, it has been necessary for me to develop my own definition. I assume that policy research refers to the pattern and principles of functioning which are or can be followed by local, State, Federal, or private agencies in meeting their obligations to the aged. It is possible that policy research is similar to so-called evaluation research, in which the effort is devoted to evaluating the success or failure of a program to achieve a stated objective.

On the basis of these definitions, I believe that policy research is needed, but that those responsible for such research must be separated from and protected against those who would be threatened by the conclusions of the research. Particularly in the care of elderly people, it is important to avoid the development of certain patterns and principles of health care which appear to be for the benefit of the older person, but in actuality would prove to be detrimental. I am particularly concerned that some programs disregard the necessity for maintaining a high level of motivation in elderly people. Maintenance of health, or restoration to health, is determined to a large extent by motivation. Certain administrative practices can be extremely detrimental to such motivation.-Ewald W. Busse.

Policy research is an important aspect of research in the field of aging. For instance, we need to have much more information on the pros and cons of the following:

Should the retirement age be increased or lowered? be given weight in this area?

What factors should

Should the "retirement test" in OASDI be repealed, modified, or retained? What would be the impact on individuals, and the economy?

Is the test of total disability in terms of "inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity" satisfactory or unsatisfactory for older persons? Would an "occupational" test be more satisfactory?

What is an "adequate" income for the aged? What is an "inadequate" income? What is the relationship of these levels to the level of the gross national output?

What changes in tax policy are needed for the aged? How can these be evaluated in terms of the needs of other age groups?-Wilbur J. Cohen.

By policy research I assume you mean the study of such questions as the role of government (Federal, State, or local) in medical care. I am unable to suggest a specific expenditure, but I do feel that such questions have not been suitably examined in historical or international perspective.-Eugene A. Confrey.

The projects are temporary because they have specific objectives which it is thought can probably be achieved in the time specified for each project. Undoubtedly, this is the best way to get results quickly, and I think we suffer from operating on forced draft, so to speak. I am concerned not altogether with reaching the objectives quickly, but also with promoting the people who are doing the work.-E. V. Cowdry.

In view of the vast amounts of money involved in the Government programs, it would seem imperative that funds be available for continuous policy research. Examples that provide important data for the direction not only of Congress and the Federal agencies but for the scientist as well, are the National Health Survey and the long-term studies of old age assistance recipients and of social security beneficiaries.-Wilma Donahue.

No major investment should be required to obtain competent views on policy matters.-H. H. Draper.

Not sure here, $25,000 might do something if not spent endless committee buck-passes.-G. L. Freeman.

I am not exactly certain what is meant by "policy research." If it means research directed toward the determination of the factual basis for sound public policy in the field of aging, I am much in favor of it. That such research is important is undeniable. That much public policy is undertaken without an adequate research basis is unfortunate. What the relative sums of money are that should be spent on this and other types of research is difficult to say. However, if the treatment of disease can be improved by means of research, certainly public policy directed toward the amelioration of social ills can likewise be much aided by pertinent research.-Robert W. Kleemeier.

I do not know what benefit increased expenditures on policy research will yield. Ross C. Kory.

Certainly, I do not feel competent to estimate in terms of actual dollars, the level expenditure for policy research, nor would I wish to establish an arbitrary ratio of fund allocation to medical-biological and social science research. The objectives and actual needs of these two broad areas are distinctive and nothing appears to be gained by gearing one to the other.-Albert I. Lansing.

A couple of broadminded scientists would be more useful than policy research, at least at the present time.-C. P. Leblond.

We cannot respond to this question because "policy research" is not defined. If policy research means gathering facts and correlating data related to issues currently before Congress, or before important nongovernmental organizations, we could not answer because we do not know how much is now being expended. Our guess is that expenditure should be related to the work of committees and commissions on an ad hoc basis, with reference to a special issue.-J. W. McConnell and Fred Slavick.

In regard to amounts to be expended on policy, I tend to be a bit skeptical of this area. There are very few people who have a broad enough picture of the entire field of aging to develop sound principles to develop policy research. It is very difficult to keep free from prejudices and vested interests in this area insofar as setting up policy is concerned. I believe that such groups as the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences could set up procedures and policies which would be in the public interest.-Ross A. McFarland.

A minimum, rather than a maximum, amount should be spent on policy research.-William Montagna.

The question of "policy research" is an exceedingly important one, both as it relates to what areas are to be included in gerontological research, and the husbanding of funds by avoiding overlap of research by other foundations, agencies, and within a particular program of research.

A reasonable sum of money set aside for this purpose of "policy research" should, I would think, prove to be a labor-saving and money-saving investment. Matthew T. Moore.

I feel "policy research" is to a large degree being taken care of by specific agencies of the Federal Government. There is a need, however, for research of this sort within the States and this can best be accomplished through the use of the facilities of their own research departments and the resources of universities and colleges, if the latter could obtain funds to establish research centers and training facilities. The issue of "policy research" would thus be handled individually as the needs arise within the given States. Fundamentally, I believe that basic research will contribute to the development of materials for the solution of policy questions.-Harold L. Orbach.

Research is needed on all aspects of aging. Much attention should be directed to the problems of aging in the lower organisms. Until more of the fundamental biology of aging is known it will be difficult to separate out the social factors affecting longevity which apply to man, one scientist warned. Yet, since studies of invertebrate animals may have relatively little direct bearing on problems of lifespan in mammals, it is also important that scientists undertake long-term studies with experimental mammals. It is here that long-term support, for as long as 15 years, is essential.-Harold F. Osborne.

As much as possible, considering the tendency of human action to be entrapped in past patterns.-Otto Pollak.

I feel that this should be kept to a small fraction of the support of experimental research in gerontology.-Morris Rockstein.

Research on aging sponsored by Government should have some policy implications. This does not preclude "basic research," since properly designed research