View all text of Subchapter XVII [§ 16531 - § 16539]
§ 16535. Discovery science and engineering innovation institutes
(a) In generalThe Secretary shall establish distributed, multidisciplinary institutes (referred to in this section as “Institutes”) centered at National Laboratories to apply fundamental science and engineering discoveries to technological innovations relating to—
(1) the missions of the Department; and
(2) the global competitiveness of the United States.
(b) Topical areasThe Institutes shall support scientific and engineering research and education activities on critical emerging technologies determined by the Secretary to be essential to global competitiveness, including activities relating to—
(1) sustainable energy technologies;
(2) multiscale materials and processes;
(3) micro- and nano-engineering;
(4) computational and information engineering; and
(5) genomics and proteomics.
(c) PartnershipsIn carrying out this section, the Secretary shall establish partnerships between the Institutes and—
(1) institutions of higher education—
(A) to train undergraduate and graduate science and engineering students;
(B) to develop innovative undergraduate and graduate educational curricula; and
(C) to conduct research within the topical areas described in subsection (b); and
(2) private industry to develop innovative technologies within the topical areas described in subsection (b).
(d) Grants
(1) In general
(2) Merit-based selectionThe selection of Institutes under paragraph (1) shall be—
(A) merit-based; and
(B) made through an open, competitive selection process.
(3) Term
(e) ReviewThe Secretary shall offer to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under which the Academy shall, by not later than 3 years after August 9, 2007—
(1) review the performance of the Institutes under this section; and
(2) submit to Congress and the Secretary a report describing the results of the review.
(f) Authorization of appropriations
(Pub. L. 110–69, title V, § 5008, Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 618.)