Welty works at the Department of Energy, reviewing grant proposals, setting up engineering meetings, and advising other scientists. He is one of 970 researchers currently on detail to the federal government under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act, which allows agencies to hire university faculty for a short time at salaries higher than they could earn as civil servants.
The federal agencies gain access to top-flight researchers who are familiar with the most recent developments in their fields. Such professors are often reluctant to come to Washington, government officials say, because of the government's restrictive salary schedule.
Researchers, in turn, enjoy a firsthand look at the federal agencies that fund their work. They expect such experience to serve them and their institutions well when they return.
The program, begun in 1970, has recently come under fire from some members of Congress. Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that ...
