As another step in a program designed to support the National Oceanographic Program through financial assistance to promising young scientists, the Department of the Interior has awarded 21 two-year graduate educational grants to 17 universities, Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall announced today. Universities will select individual to receive grants and being studies at the opening of the next school year.
The grants include six in physical oceanography, two in biological oceanography, four in fishery biology, four in taxonomy, four in fishery technology and one in economics.
All tuition fees are paid for each student selected and each will receive $3,000 for living expenses on a 12-month basis. Married students with children will receive an additional $1,000 family allowance. At the close of each academic year, the student’s progress is reviewed before the second year of the grant is approved.
The grant program, Secretary Udall explained, began in 1960 in accordance with Congressional action. It is administered by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries of the Fish and Wildlife Service to assist in developing of scientific manpower necessary in the expanding National Oceanographic Program and the needs for fishery biologists. Grants were made to 12 universities last year and 17 graduate students are now in the first year of the program.
Selection of the institutions to receive the grants was made by the Department of the Interior with the advice of a panel of consultants from leading universities and research institutions. Invitations to participate in the program are sent to qualified educational institutions. Twenty-five institutions and 77 students were considered in the selections made in 1962. Twenty –eight institutions and 92 students were considered for the 1963 awards.
For eligibility under the grant program a student must have been graduated or is about to be graduated. He may then file with a university of his choice and designate the field in which he desires to continue his education. If that university is one selected for the grant, the student must then meet the qualifications set by that institution and face whatever competition there is by other students in the same field.
Follow is a summary of this year’s grant program:
INSTITUTION NUMBER OF GRANTS FIELD OF STUDY | NUMBER OF GRANTS | FIELD OF STUDY |
University of California (grants to Scripps Institution of Oceanography) | 2 | Physical Oceanography, Biological Oceanography |
Oregon State University | 2 | Physical Oceanography, Technology |
University of Washington | 2 | Physical Oceanography, Fishery Biology |
Johns Hopkins University | 1 | Physical Oceanography |
University of Rhode Island | 1 | Physical Oceanography |
New York University | 1 | Physical Oceanography |
Duke University | 1 | Biological Oceanography |
University of Hawaii | 1 | Fishery Biology |
University of Miama (Fla.) | 2 | Fishery Biology, Taxonomy |
North Carolina State College | 1 | Fishery Biology |
University of Michigan | 1 | Taxonomy |
University of Texas | 1 | Taxonomy |
Iowa State University | 1 | Taxonomy or Biometrics |
Michigan State University | 1 | Technology |
University of Massachusetts | 1 | Technology |
Rutgers University | 1 | Technology |
University of Florida | 1 | Economics |
Names of recipients have not yet been announced by the universities.
Most of the 17 students who are studying under grants awarded in 1962 are in their third, fourth or fifth year of graduate work. Two are in their first year and three are in their second year.
