7 U.S.C. § 5937: Natural products research…

Summary

The Secretary must create a natural products research program inside the Department. The program must coordinate research that finds, develops, and helps bring to market natural products and agrichemicals from plants, marine life, and microbes to improve human health and farming; studies plant sources, how they are produced, their chemistry, and biological effects; and carries out other research priorities the Secretary sets. The Secretary must use a peer review system under section 7613 to judge research quality and approve funding based on merit, quality, and fit with the program’s goals. Program funds cannot pay to build, buy, expand, or remodel buildings or cover site or architect costs. Congress authorized $7,000,000 for each fiscal year 2014 through 2023.

Title 7, §5937

Agriculture, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

The Secretary shall establish within the Department a natural products research program.

(b)Duties

In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary shall coordinate research relating to natural products, including—

(1)research to improve human health and agricultural productivity through the discovery, development, and commercialization of products and agrichemicals from bioactive natural products, including products from plant, marine, and microbial sources;

(2)research to characterize the botanical sources, production, chemistry, and biological properties of plant-derived natural products; and

(3)other research priorities identified by the Secretary.

(c)Peer and merit review

The Secretary shall—

(1)determine the relevance and merit of research under this section through a system of peer review established by the Secretary pursuant to section 7613 of this title; and

(2)approve funding for research on the basis of merit, quality, and relevance to advancing the purposes of this section.

(d)Buildings and facilities

Funds made available under this section shall not be used for the construction of a new building or facility or the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or alteration of an existing building or facility (including site grading and improvement and architect fees).

(e)Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $7,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2023.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Pub. L. 110–234 and Pub. L. 110–246 enacted identical sections. Pub. L. 110–234 was repealed by section 4(a) of Pub. L. 110–246. Section was enacted as part of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, and not as part of subtitle H of title XVI of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990 which comprises this subchapter.

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 115–334 substituted “2023” for “2018”. 2014—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 113–79 amended subsec. (e) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Enactment of this section and repeal of Pub. L. 110–234 by Pub. L. 110–246 effective May 22, 2008, the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–234, see section 4 of Pub. L. 110–246, set out as a note under section 8701 of this title. Definition of “Secretary” “Secretary” as meaning the Secretary of Agriculture, see section 8701 of this title.

§5937 Natural Products Research Program