30 USC 1226 - Research

§ 1221. Authorization of State allotments to institutes
§ 1222. Research funds to institutes
§ 1223. Funding criteria
§ 1224. Duties of Secretary
§ 1225. Effect on colleges and universities
§ 1226. Research
§ 1227. Center for cataloging
§ 1228. Interagency cooperation
§ 1229. Committee on Mining and Mineral Resources Research
§ 1230. Eligibility criteria
§ 1230a. Strategic Resources Generic Mineral Technology Center

§ 1221. Authorization of State allotments to institutes

(a)

(1) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the “Secretary”) funds adequate to provide for each participating State $400,000 for each of the fiscal years ending September 30, 1990, through September 30, 1994, to assist the States in carrying on the work of a competent and qualified mining and mineral resources research institute or center (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the “institute”) at one public college or university in the State which meets the eligibility criteria established in section 1230 of this title.

(2)

(A) Funds appropriated under this section shall be made available for grants to be matched on a basis of no less than 2 non-Federal dollars for each Federal dollar.

(B) If there is more than one such eligible college or university in a State, funds appropriated under this subchapter shall, in the absence of a designation to the contrary by act of the legislature of the State, be granted to one such college or university designated by the Governor of the State.

(C) Where a State does not have a public college or university eligible under section 1230 of this title, the Committee on Mining and Mineral Resources Research established in section 1229 of this title (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the “Committee”) may allocate the State’s allotment to one private college or university which it determines to be eligible under such section.

(b) It shall be the duty of each institute to plan and conduct, or arrange for a component or components of the college or university with which it is affiliated to conduct research, investigations, demonstrations, and experiments of either, or both, a basic or practical nature in relation to mining and mineral resources, and to provide for the training of mineral engineers and scientists through such research, investigations, demonstrations, and experiments. The subject of such research, investigation, demonstration, experiment, and training may include exploration; extraction; processing; development; production of fuel and nonfuel mineral resources; mining and mineral technology; supply and demand for minerals; conservation and best use of available supplies of minerals; the economic, legal, social, engineering, recreational, biological, geographic, ecological, and other aspects of mining, mineral resources, and mineral reclamation. Such research, investigation, demonstration, experiment and training shall consider the interrelationship with the natural environment, the varying conditions and needs of the respective States, and mining and mineral resources research projects being conducted by agencies of the Federal and State governments and other institutes.

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 1, Aug. 29, 1984, 98 Stat. 1536; Pub. L. 100–483, §§ 2–4, Oct. 12, 1988, 102 Stat. 2339.)

§ 1222. Research funds to institutes

(a) Authorization of appropriations

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more than $15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years ending September 30, 1990, through September 30, 1994, which shall remain available until expended. Such funds when appropriated shall be made available to an institute or to institutes participating in a generic mineral technology center to meet the necessary expenses for purposes of—

(1) specific mineral research and demonstration projects of broad application, which could not otherwise be undertaken, including the expenses of planning and coordinating regional mining and mineral resources research projects by two or more institutes; and

(2) research into any aspects of mining and mineral resources problems related to the mission of the Department of the Interior, which are deemed by the Committee to be desirable and are not otherwise being studied.

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary not more than $1,800,000 for each of the fiscal years after fiscal year 1996 to be made available by the Secretary to an institute or institutes experienced in investigating the continental shelf regions of the United States, the deep seabed and near shore environments of islands, and the Arctic and cold water regions as a source for nonfuel minerals. Such funds are to be used by the institute or institutes to assist in developing domestic technological capabilities required for the location of, and the efficient and environmentally sound recovery of, minerals (other than oil and gas) from the Nation’s shallow and deep seabed.

(b) Application for funds; contents

(d) Requirements for receipt of funds

(e) Restriction on application of funds

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 2, Aug. 29, 1984, 98 Stat. 1537; Pub. L. 100–483, § 5, Oct. 12, 1988, 102 Stat. 2339; Pub. L. 104–312, § 1(a), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3819.)

§ 1223. Funding criteria

(a) Funds available to institutes under sections 1221 and 1222 of this title shall be paid at such times and in such amounts during each fiscal year as determined by the Secretary, and upon vouchers approved by him. Each institute shall—

(1) set forth its plan to provide for the training of individuals as mineral engineers and scientists under a curriculum appropriate to the field of mineral resources and mineral engineering and related fields;

(2) set forth policies and procedures which assure that Federal funds made available under this subchapter for any fiscal year will supplement and, to the extent practicable, increase the level of funds that would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be made available for purposes of this subchapter, and in no case supplant such funds; and

(3) have an officer appointed by its governing authority who shall receive and account for all funds paid under the provisions of this subchapter and shall make an annual report to the Secretary on or before the first day of September of each year, on work accomplished and the status of projects underway, together with a detailed statement of the amounts received under any provisions of this subchapter during the preceding fiscal year, and of its disbursements on schedules prescribed by the Secretary.

If any of the funds received by the authorized receiving officer of any institute under the provisions of this subchapter shall by any action or contingency be found by the Secretary to have been improperly diminished, lost, or misapplied, such funds shall be replaced by the State concerned and until so replaced no subsequent appropriation shall be allotted or paid to any institute of such State.

(b) The institutes are authorized and encouraged to plan and conduct programs under this subchapter in cooperation with each other and with such other agencies and individuals as may contribute to the solution of the mining and mineral resources problems involved. Moneys appropriated pursuant to this subchapter shall be available for paying the necessary expenses of planning, coordinating, and conducting such cooperative research.

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 3, Aug. 29, 1984, 98 Stat. 1538.)

§ 1224. Duties of Secretary

(a) Consulting with other agencies; prescribing rules and regulations; furnishing advice and assistance; coordinating research

(b) Annual ascertainment of compliance

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 4, Aug. 29, 1984, 98 Stat. 1538; Pub. L. 100–483, § 6, Oct. 12, 1988, 102 Stat. 2340; Pub. L. 102–285, § 10(b), May 18, 1992, 106 Stat. 172.)

§ 1225. Effect on colleges and universities

Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to impair or modify the legal relationship existing between any of the colleges or universities under whose direction an institute is established and the government of the State in which it is located, and nothing in this subchapter shall in any way be construed to authorize Federal control or direction of education at any college or university.

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 5, Aug. 29, 1984, 98 Stat. 1539.)

§ 1226. Research

(a) Coordination with existing programs; availability of information to public

(b) Effect on Federal agencies

(d) Authorization of appropriations

(1) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $450,000 for each of the fiscal years ending September 30, 1990, through September 30, 1994, to administer this subchapter. No funds may be withheld by the Secretary for administrative expenses from those authorized to be appropriated by sections 1221 and 1222 of this title.

(2) There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are necessary for the printing and publishing of the results of activities carried out by institutes and generic mineral technology centers under this subchapter, but such appropriations shall not exceed $550,000 in any single fiscal year.

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 6, Aug. 29, 1984, 98 Stat. 1539; Pub. L. 100–483, § 7, Oct. 12, 1988, 102 Stat. 2340.)

§ 1227. Center for cataloging

The Secretary shall establish a center for cataloging current and projected scientific research in all fields of mining and mineral resources. Each Federal agency doing mining and mineral resources research shall cooperate by providing the cataloging center with information on work underway or scheduled by it. The cataloging center shall classify and maintain for public use a catalog of mining and mineral resources research and investigation projects in progress or scheduled by all Federal agencies and by such non-Federal agencies of government, colleges, universities, private institutions, firms, and individuals as may make such information available.

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 7, Aug. 29, 1984, 98 Stat. 1540.)

§ 1228. Interagency cooperation

The President shall, by such means as he deems appropriate, clarify agency responsibility for Federal mining and mineral resources research and provide for interagency coordination of such research, including the research authorized by this subchapter. Such coordination shall include—

(1) continuing review of the adequacy of the Government-wide program in mining and mineral resources research;

(2) identification and elimination of duplication and overlap between agency programs;

(3) identification of technical needs in various mining and mineral resources research categories;

(4) recommendations with respect to allocation of technical effort among Federal agencies;

(5) review of technical manpower needs, and findings concerning management policies to improve the quality of the Government-wide research effort; and

(6) actions to facilitate interagency communication at management levels.

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 8, Aug. 29, 1984, 98 Stat. 1540.)

§ 1229. Committee on Mining and Mineral Resources Research

(a) Appointment; composition

The Secretary shall appoint a Committee on Mining and Mineral Resources Research composed of—

(1) the Assistant Secretary of the Interior responsible for minerals and mining research, or his delegate;

(2) the Director, United States Bureau of Mines, or his delegate;

(3) the Director, United States Geological Survey, or his delegate;

(4) the Director of the National Science Foundation, or his delegate;

(5) the President, National Academy of Sciences, or his delegate;

(6) the President, National Academy of Engineering, or his delegate; and

(7) not more than 7 other persons who are knowledgeable in the fields of mining and mineral resources research, including two university administrators involved in the conduct of programs authorized by this subchapter, 3 representatives from the mining industry, a working miner, and a representative from the conservation community. In making these 7 appointments, the Secretary shall consult with interested groups.

(b) Consultation and recommendations

(d) Chairmanship of Committee

(e) National plan for research

(f) Application of chapter 10 of title 5

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 9, Aug. 29, 1984, 98 Stat. 1540; Pub. L. 100–483, §§ 8, 9, Oct. 12, 1988, 102 Stat. 2340; Pub. L. 102–285, § 10(b), May 18, 1992, 106 Stat. 172; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(193), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4327.)

§ 1230. Eligibility criteria

(a) The Committee shall determine the eligibility of a college or university to participate as a mining and mineral resources research institute under this subchapter using criteria which include—

(1) the presence of a substantial program of graduate instruction and research in mining or mineral extraction or closely related fields which has a demonstrated history of achievement;

(2) evidence of institutional commitment for the purposes of this subchapter;

(3) evidence that such institution has or can obtain significant industrial cooperation in activities within the scope of this subchapter; and

(4) the presence of an engineering program in mining or minerals extraction that is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, or evidence of equivalent institutional capability as determined by the Committee.

(b)

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), those colleges or universities which, on October 12, 1988, have a mining or mineral resources research institute program which has been found to be eligible pursuant to this subchapter shall continue to be eligible subject to review at least once during the period authorized by the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988, under the provisions of subsection (a). The results of such review shall be submitted by January 15, 1992, pursuant to section 11(a)(2) of the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988.

(2) Generic mineral technology centers established by the Secretary under this subchapter are to be composed of institutes eligible pursuant to subsection (a). Existing generic mineral technology centers shall continue to be eligible under this subchapter subject to at least one review prior to January 15, 1992, pursuant to section 11(a)(3) of the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Amendments of 1988.

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 10, Aug. 29, 1984, 98 Stat. 1541; Pub. L. 100–483, § 10, Oct. 12, 1988, 102 Stat. 2340.)

§ 1230a. Strategic Resources Generic Mineral Technology Center

(a) Establishment

(b) Functions

The center shall—

(1) provide for studies and technology development in the areas of mineral extraction and refining processes, product substitution and conservation of mineral resources through recycling and advanced processing and fabrication methods;

(2) identify new deposits of strategic and critical mineral resources; and

(3) facilitate the transfer of information, studies, and technologies developed by the center to the private sector.

The Secretary shall establish the center referred to in subsection (a) at a university that—

(1) does not currently host a generic mineral technology center;

(2) has established advanced degree programs in geology and geological engineering, and metallurgical and mining engineering;

(3) has expertise in materials and advanced processing research; and

(4) is located west of the 100th meridian.

(d) Authorization of appropriations

(Pub. L. 98–409, § 12, as added Pub. L. 101–498, § 2, Nov. 2, 1990, 104 Stat. 1207.)