Figures presented at a recent meeting of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director's Advisory Committee indicate that traditional training grants may not be the best route to producing physical researchers. The NIH director suggests that NIH give serious consideration to new policies emphasizing other mechanisms. Related issues are…

Knowing and contacting your congressman is an important part of every educator's efforts to influence legislation and to be politically alert, writes the author, but also important is knowing how the federal agencies most closely related to education are organized and operate. He gives a bird's eye view here. (Editor)

Describes the research and development funding as proposed in the 1978 federal budget submitted by President Ford on January 17, 1977. (SL)

In fiscal year 2004, the federal government made or guaranteed about $84 billion in loans for postsecondary education through two loan programs--the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and the Federal Direct Loan Program (FDLP). Under FFELP, private lenders fund the loans and the government guarantees them a minimum yield and repayment…

The director of the Waterville, Maine High School Media Center, an ESEA Title III project, describes the center's facilities and programs. (SJ)

A proposal to grant tax credits against the personal income tax for most health care expenditures. The premium or amount that the tax bill would increase to offset the decrease in tax revenues would depend on income. The plan would require more government participation in health services and would benefit the poor more than the wealthy. (BC)

Describes an experimental early elementary education program. (Author)

This first annual report on the Work Incentive (WIN) Program covers theprogram from its inception in mid-1968 to April 30, 1970.

An innovative new evaluation unit in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is detailed. This unit, the Office of Service Delivery Assessment (SDA), regularly briefs the Secretary on the services delivered to clients at the local level. The process of the SDA is described and conclusions are offered. (Author/GK)

The author outlines what has been learned from the Private Sector Initiative Program thus far. Though extensive evaluation is still under way, Ginzberg feels that there is proof that the program is working. He recommends expansion on an already well-established base. (CT)

Discussed are the energy conservation activities and responsibilities of one state energy office, the Minnesota Energy Agency, and the obstacles and constraints it faces in delivering its services. Suggestions are presented for resolving these difficulties and for improving the efficiency with which the agency manages its program. (Author/DS)