Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§16535 Discovery science and engineering innovation institutes

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 149— - NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER XVII— - PROTECTING AMERICA’S COMPETITIVE EDGE THROUGH ENERGY › § 16535

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must create distributed, multidisciplinary Institutes at National Laboratories to turn basic science into new technologies that help the Department and keep the United States competitive. These Institutes will work on critical emerging technologies such as sustainable energy, advanced materials and processes, micro- and nano-engineering, computing and information engineering, and genomics/proteomics. The Institutes must partner with colleges to train students, create new curricula, and do research, and with private companies to build technologies. Each year up to 3 Institutes may get grants chosen by open, merit-based competition. Grants last up to 3 years. The National Academy of Sciences must review the Institutes and report within 3 years after August 9, 2007. Congress authorized $10,000,000 per selected Institute for each of fiscal years 2008–2010.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §16535

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The 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)The 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)In 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)(1)For each fiscal year, the Secretary may select not more than 3 Institutes to receive a grant under this section.

(2)The selection of Institutes under paragraph (1) shall be—

(A)merit-based; and

(B)made through an open, competitive selection process.

(3)An Institute shall receive a grant under this section for not more than 3 fiscal years.

(e)The 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)There is authorized to be appropriated to provide grants to each Institute selected under this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2010.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 16535

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73