The Manpower Development and Training Act of 1962 (MDTA) began a new era for labor market-related research by authorizing specific sums of federal money for research on the nation's employment and training problems. The Comprehensive Employment and Training Act continued that practice, and the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982 (JTPA) declares that the goal of the act is: Sec. 221. (a) To assist the Nation in expanding work opportunities and assuring access to those op portunities for all who desire it, the Secretary shall establish a comprehensive program of employment and training research utilizing the methods, tech niques, and knowledge of the behavioral and social sciences and such other methods, techniques, and knowledge as will aid in the solution of the Nation's employment and training problems. The use of the limited research and development (R&D) funds has been carefully planned and monitored, and the returns in policy improvement have been impressive. Never theless, this long-standing, high-payoff program, which is administered by the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA), appears about to be sacrificed on the altar of misplaced economy. Hence, it seems timely to review the nature and results of the program and identify those components especially worthy of saving. Dissemination and Utilization of Research Findings Censorship is a recurrent problem in federal agencies that sponsor social science research. Findings of research or ex perimental and development projects often question conven tional wisdom or challenge the effectiveness of programs. Agency administrators often are not interested in publishing information that may be critical of programs they originated or manage. Administrators of RD&E programs have had to protect the right of researchers to freely express conclusions based xii 1. Federal support for the social sciences is largely centered in four agencies that provide almost three-fourths of these funds. The 1984 obligations of these agencies were as follows:
