The Committee recommends that the National Academy of Sciences accept the invitation of the Secretary to conduct the continuing study mandated by Title I of the National Research Act. The recommendation is based on the belief: (1) that within the methodologic limitations outlined in this report a productive start can be made during the current fiscal year toward meeting the requirements specified in the law; (2) that improvements can be expected in ability to gather and utilize needed information as experience is gained over the next several years; and (3) that the National Research Council through the experience of its Commission on Human Resources and its ability to call upon the skills of the scientific community is the most appropriate agency to conduct the continuing study. The recommendation further assumes that sufficient agreement can be reached on the conditions for the study as outlined below.

The continuing study is viewed as a long-term undertaking with major costs that may involve at least three-year obligations. It is the Committee's view, particularly in light of the single-year authorization contained in the Act, that discussions be conducted with Congressional and Departmental staff regarding a three-year commitment for continued support of the study.

An appropriate level of effort for an undertaking of the magnitude envisioned in this report calls not only for the continuing study by the National Research Council but also for data collection by NIH/ADAMHA and extramural research by other organizations. The Committee believes that an amount up to one percent of the ceiling authorized by law can be justified to support such a level of effort, including a need in the initial year for approximately $1 million to underwrite the National Research Council's continuing study.

The current legislation contains several provisions with which NIH/ADAMHA has had little or no experience in the administration of training programs. The Committee recommends that the effect of these provisions on the program, notably the need for annual renewal of authorization, payback requirements, and the specification of 25 percent of the appropriation for direct award to individuals, be examined carefully by the committee for the continuing study. An additional point that will merit scrutiny is the 3-year limitation on support of any individual, particularly its impact on activities such as the Medical Scientist Training Program and most predoctoral graduate study programs.

The present report calls attention to limitations in the adequacy of methods for projection of need for biomedical and behavioral research personnel and for determination of suitable levels of training support. The Committee believes that some of these limitations can be significantly remedied through further studies and that others can be offset by appropriate administrative measures affecting training programs, measures that are responsive to market forces and conditions.

Since future requirements for personnel cannot always be predicted, the Committee recommends experimentation with programs at both the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels that can encourage the post-training movement of biomedical/behavioral scientists into specific research areas as opportunities arise, with due regard for individual desires and aspirations.

The Committee has noted the National Research Council's current studies of the Nation's population of biomedical and behavioral research personnel and its studies of the number and type of graduate students planning careers as biomedical and behavioral scientists. It suggests the additional need to observe trends at the earlier stages of education as a means of detecting significant fluctuations in the supply of scientific manpower early enough to determine the reasons and permit appropriate policy decisions.