"When did you last give a grant to a college like Clearwater?"
"I am afraid we have never given a grant to a college—like Clearwater," said Baker carefully.
Fenwick's face began to grow more ruddy. "Then will you tell me just what is the matter with Clearwater, that we can't get any Government research contract when every other Tom, Dick, and Harry outfit in the country can?"
"I didn't state my case in exactly those terms, John, but I'll be glad to explain the basis on which we judge the qualifications of an institution to receive a grant from us."
Baker had never done this before for any unsuccessful applicant. In fact, it was the policy of the Bureau to keep the mysteries of the Index very carefully concealed from the public. But Baker wanted Fenwick to know what had hung him. It was the one more or less merciful thing he could do to show Fenwick what was wrong, and might be sufficient to shake him loose from his dismal association with Clearwater.
Baker opened the file folder and Fenwick saw now that it was considerably fuller than he had first supposed. Baker turned the pages, which were fastened to the cover by slide fasteners. Chart after chart, with jagged lines and multicolored areas, flipped by under Baker's fingers. Then Baker opened the accordian folds of a four-foot long chart and spread it on the desk top.
"This is the Index," he said, "a composite of all the individual charts which you saw ahead of it. This Index shows in graphical form the relationship between the basic requirements for obtaining a research grant and the actual qualifications of the applicant. This line marks the minimum requirement in each area."
Baker's finger pointed to a thin, black line that crossed the sheet. Fenwick observed that most of the colored areas and bars on the chart were well inside the area on Baker's side of the line. He guessed that the significance of the chart lay in this fact.
"I take it that Clearwater College is in pretty sad shape, chartwise," said Fenwick.
"Very," said Baker.
"Can you tell me how these charts are compiled?"
Baker turned back to the sheaf of individual charts. "Each item of data, which is considered significant in evaluating an applicant, is plotted individually against standards which have been derived from an examination of all possible sources of information."
"Such as?"
"For example, the student burden per faculty Ph. D. That is shown on this chart here."
"The what? Say that again," said Fenwick in bewilderment.
"The number of students enrolled, plotted against the number of doctorate degrees held by the faculty."
"Oh."
"As you see, Clearwater's index for this factor is dismally low."
"We're getting a new music director next month. She expects to get her doctorate next summer."
"I'm afraid that doesn't help us now. Besides, it would have to be in a field pertinent to your application to have much weight."
"George—"
"Doesn't help you at all for the present. You would require a minimum of two in the physics department alone. These two would have to be of absolutely top quality with a prolific publication record. That would bring this factor to a bare minimum."
"You take the number of Ph.D.'s and multiply them by the number of papers published and the years of experience and divide by the number of students enrolled. Is that the idea?"
"Roughly," said Baker. "We have certain constants which we also inject. In addition, we give weight to other factors such as patents applied for and granted. Periods of consultation by private industry, and so on. Each of these factors is plotted separately, then combined into the overall Index."
Baker turned the pages slowly, showing Fenwick a bleak record of black boundary lines cutting through nearly virginal territory on the charts. Clearwater's evaluation was reflected in a small spot of color near the bottom edge.
Fenwick stared at the record without expression for a long time. "What else do you chart?" he said finally.
"The next thing we evaluate is the performance of students graduated during the past twenty-five years."
"Clearwater is only ten years old," said Fenwick.
"True," said Baker, "and that is why, I believe, we have obtained such an anomalous showing in the chart of this factor."
Fenwick observed that the colored area had made a considerable invasion on his side of the boundary on this chart. "Why anomalous? It looks like we make a pretty good showing here."
"On the face of it, this is true," Baker admitted. "The ten-year record of the graduates of Clearwater is exceptional. But the past decade has been unusual in the scope of opportunities, you must admit."
"Your standard level must take this into account."
"It does. But somehow, I am sure there is a factor we haven't recognized here."
"There might be," said Fenwick. "There might be, at that."