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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§18901 Definitions

Title 42 › CHAPTER 163 — RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, COMPETITION, AND INNOVATION › § 18901

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Lists and explains key words used in this division. Artificial intelligence (AI): uses the meaning in Title 15, section 9401. Awardee: the legal entity that gets federal help and is responsible for how the money is used. Award personnel: researchers, faculty, postdocs, and other staff paid by a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract. Biomanufacturing: using biological systems to make or improve products and processes at commercial scale. Emerging research institution: a college with undergraduate or graduate programs and less than $50,000,000 in federal research spending. Engineering biology: applying engineering design to biological systems to learn and create new capabilities. EPSCoR: has the meaning given in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. EPSCoR institution: a college, nonprofit, or other organization in a jurisdiction eligible for the EPSCoR program. Federal laboratory: uses the meaning in Title 15, section 3703. Federal research agency: any federal agency with more than $100,000,000 in annual extramural research spending measured in 2022 dollars. Foundation: the National Science Foundation. Historically Black college or university: uses the meaning for a “part B institution” in Title 20. Institution of higher education: uses the meaning in Title 20, section 1001(a). Interagency working group on inclusion in STEM: the group created by section 6626 of this title. Labor organization: uses the meaning in Title 29, section 152(5), and also includes organizations made of unions and some groups that represent federal, railway, or agricultural workers. Low-income individual: someone from a family whose taxable income last year did not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level using Census rules. Manufacturing extension center: uses the meaning in Title 15, section 278k(a). Manufacturing USA institute: uses the meaning in Title 15, section 278s(d). Minority-serving institution: covers Hispanic-serving, Alaska Native- or Native Hawaiian-serving, Predominantly Black, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving, and Native American-serving nontribal institutions as defined in Title 20. National Academies: the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Non-profit organization: an organization described in Title 26, section 501(c)(3) and exempt under section 501(a). PreK–12: pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Quantum information science: uses the meaning in Title 15, section 8801. Recipient: the non-federal entity that gets a federal award directly; does not include subawardees or individual beneficiaries. Research and development award: federal support for R&D, such as a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, but not purchases of goods or services for agency operations. Skilled technical work: a technical job that needs high skill but not a bachelor’s degree to start. STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science. STEM education: uses the meaning in the STEM Education Act of 2015. Technical standard: uses the meaning in the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995. Tribal College or University: uses the meaning in Title 20, section 1059c.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §18901

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

In this division:
(1)Artificial intelligence
The term “artificial intelligence” or “AI” has the meaning given such term in section 9401 of title 15.
(2)Awardee
The term “awardee” means the legal entity to which Federal assistance is awarded and that is accountable to the Federal Government for the use of the funds provided.
(3)Award personnel
The term “award personnel” means principal investigators and co-principal investigators, faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and other employees supported by a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under Federal law.
(4)Biomanufacturing
The term “biomanufacturing” means the utilization of biological systems to develop new and advance existing products, tools, and processes at commercial scale.
(5)Emerging research institution
The term “emerging research institution” means an institution of higher education with an established undergraduate or graduate program that has less than $50,000,000 in Federal research expenditures.
(6)Engineering biology
The term “engineering biology” means the application of engineering design principles and practices to biological systems, including molecular and cellular systems, to advance fundamental understanding of complex natural systems and to enable novel or optimize functions and capabilities.
(7)EPSCoR (8) EPSCoR institution
The term “EPSCoR” has the meaning given the term in section 502 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p note).
(9)Federal laboratory
The term “Federal laboratory” has the meaning given such term in section 3703 of title 15.
(10)Federal research agency
The term “Federal research agency” means any Federal agency with an annual extramural research expenditure of over $100,000,000 in fiscal year 2022 constant dollars.
(11)Foundation
The term “Foundation” means the National Science Foundation.
(12)Historically Black college and university
The term “historically Black college and university” has the meaning given the term “part B institution” in section 1061 of title 20.
(13)Institution of higher education
The term “institution of higher education” has the meaning given the term in section 1001(a) of title 20.
(14)Interagency working group on inclusion in STEM
The term “interagency working group on inclusion in STEM” means the interagency working group established by section 6626 of this title.
(15)Labor organization
The term “labor organization” has the meaning given the term in section 152(5) of title 29, except that such term shall also include—
(A)any organization composed of labor organizations, such as a labor union federation or a State or municipal labor body; and
(B)any organization which would be included in the definition for such term under such section 152(5) of title 29 but for the fact that the organization represents—
(i)individuals employed by the United States, any wholly owned Government corporation, any Federal Reserve Bank, or any State or political subdivision thereof;
(ii)individuals employed by persons subject to the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. 151 et seq.); or
(iii)individuals employed as agricultural laborers.
(16)Low-income individual
The term “low-income individual” means an individual from a family whose taxable income for the preceding year did not exceed 150 percent of an amount equal to the poverty level determined by using criteria of poverty established by the Bureau of the Census.
(17)Manufacturing extension center
The term “manufacturing extension center” has the meaning given the term “Center” in section 278k(a) of title 15.
(18)Manufacturing USA institute
The term “Manufacturing USA institute” means a Manufacturing USA institute described in section 278s(d) of title 15.
(19)Minority-serving institution
The term “minority-serving institution” means a Hispanic-serving institution as defined in section 1101a(a) of title 20; an Alaska Native-serving institution or Native Hawaiian-serving institution as defined in section 1059d(b) of title 20; or a Predominantly Black institution, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution, or Native American-serving nontribal institution as defined in section 1067q(c) of title 20.
(20)National Academies
The term “National Academies” means the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
(21)Non-profit organization
The term “non-profit organization” means an organization which is described in section 501(c)(3) of title 26 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such title.
(22)PreK–12
The term “PreK–12” means pre-kindergarten through grade 12.
(23)Quantum information science
The term “quantum information science” has the meaning given such term in section 8801 of title 15.
(24)Recipient
The term “recipient” means an entity, usually a non-Federal entity, that receives a Federal award directly from a Federal research agency. The term “recipient” does not include entities that receive subawards or individuals that are the beneficiaries of the award.
(25)Research and development award
The term “research and development award” means support provided to an individual or entity by a Federal research agency to carry out research and development activities, which may include support in the form of a grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or other such transaction. The term does not include a grant, contract, agreement or other transaction for the procurement of goods or services to meet the administrative needs of a Federal research agency.
(26)Skilled technical work
The term “skilled technical work” means an occupation that requires a high level of knowledge in a technical domain and does not require a bachelor’s degree for entry.
(27)STEM
The term “STEM” means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.
(28)STEM education
The term “STEM education” has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the STEM Education Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).
(29)Technical standard
The term “technical standard” has the meaning given such term in section 12(d)(5) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 (15 U.S.C. 272 note).
(30)Tribal College or University
The term “Tribal College or University” has the meaning given such term in section 1059c of title 20.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This division, referred to in introductory provisions, is div. B of Pub. L. 117–167, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1399, which enacted this chapter and enacted, amended, and repealed numerous other sections and notes in the Code. For complete classification of div. B to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out below and Tables. section 502 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, referred to in par. (7), is section 502 of Pub. L. 111–358, which is set out as a note under section 1862p of this title. The Railway Labor Act, referred to in par. (15)(B)(ii), is act May 20, 1926, ch. 347, 44 Stat. 577, which is classified principally to chapter 8 (§ 151 et seq.) of Title 45, Railroads. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 151 of Title 45 and Tables. section 2 of the STEM Education Act of 2015, referred to in par. (28), is section 2 of Pub. L. 114–59, which is set out as a note under section 6621 of this title. section 12(d)(5) of the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995, referred to in par. (29), is section 12(d)(5) of Pub. L. 104–113, which defines “technical standards” and is set out as a note under section 272 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, § 10001, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1405, provided that: “This division [div. B (§§ 10001–10862) of Pub. L. 117–167, see Tables for classification] may be cited as the ‘Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 18901

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110