§5907. Regional Centers

(a) Establishment

(1) Required

Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Corporate Board shall establish not less than two nor more than six Regional Centers to carry out the activities specified in this section and such other activities as the Corporate Board shall from time to time specify.

(2) Exception

No Regional Centers may be established in a fiscal year unless at least $5,000,000 has been appropriated for that fiscal year to carry out this subchapter.

(b) Method of establishment

(1) Regional basis

Each Regional Center established under this section shall be located at a host institution. The Regional Centers shall be established in different States to reflect the different regional climatic conditions and rural economic stresses in the United States.

(2) Competition

An organization that desires to be selected as a host institution for a Regional Center shall submit an application to the Corporate Board. The Corporate Board shall determine the location of the Regional Centers based on a competitive review of the contents of such applications and shall consider the ability of the applicant to carry out the activities specified in this section.

(c) Matching of funds

(1) Assurances of applicants

Each institution submitting an application for a Regional Center under this section shall provide assurances-

(A) that adequate funds or in-kind support (including office space, equipment and staff support) shall be provided to match the amount of funds used for administrative costs that are provided by the Federal Government under this subchapter;

(B) that the institution is qualified to carry out the activities required of a Regional Center; and

(C) concerning such other matters as the Corporate Board determines to be appropriate.

(2) Consortium

The matching funds required under paragraph (1) may be provided by a consortia that may include the host institution and other public or private entities existing within various regions of the United States, including State and local governments, entities created by State and local governments, charitable organizations, public and private universities and other institutions of higher education, cooperatives, and economic development organizations.

(d) Director

Each Regional Center shall be headed by a full-time Regional Director who shall-

(1) be selected by the Corporate Board; and

(2) have a scientific or engineering background or have experience in the development of new products or processes in the public or private sector.

(e) Activities

Each Regional Center shall-

(1) encourage interaction among the private and Federal laboratories, National Science Foundation centers, Department of Agriculture research programs, other Federal resources, State and local regional economic development programs, universities, colleges, the private sector, and the financial community, for the purpose of evaluating and commercializing new nonfood, nonfeed uses of agricultural commodities;

(2) identify broad areas where commercialization of new nonfood, nonfeed products and processes can contribute to economic growth in rural areas of the United States, through the development of new nonfood, nonfeed uses for agricultural commodities by private companies and businesses;

(3) provide technical assistance and related business and financial counseling for small domestic businesses to commercialize new nonfood, nonfeed uses of agricultural commodities;

(4) identify new nonfood, nonfeed products and processes that are worthy of financial assistance;

(5) make use of existing programs in scientific, engineering, technical, and management education that will support the accelerated commercialization of new nonfood, nonfeed products and processes using agricultural commodities;

(6) advise the Corporate Board on the viability of specific applications submitted for financial assistance and on the type of assistance, if any, to be provided;

(7) coordinate their activities with the Small Business Development Centers; and

(8) coordinate their activities with the Corporation.

(f) Review of proposals for assistance

(1) Submission to Regional Center

If a Regional Center is established that includes the area in which a person applying for assistance under this subchapter is located, that person shall submit the application to the Regional Center for review.

(2) Review

The Directors of the Regional Centers shall work to obtain peer review and evaluation of applications submitted to the Regional Centers.

(3) Recommendation

The Regional Director, based on the comments of the reviewers, shall make and submit a recommendation to the Board, which shall not be binding on the Board.

( Pub. L. 101–624, title XVI, §1663, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3765 ; Pub. L. 102–237, title IV, §405(b), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1864 ; Pub. L. 104–127, title VII, §727, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1119 .)

Amendments

1996-Subsecs. (a)(1), (b)(2), (c)(1)(C), (d)(1), (e)(6). Pub. L. 104–127, §727(1), substituted "Corporate Board" for "Board" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (e)(8). Pub. L. 104–127, §727(2), substituted "Corporation" for "Center".

Subsec. (f)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 104–127, §727(3), in par. (2), struck out "in consultation with the Advisory Council appointed under section 5905(c) of this title" before "to obtain peer review", added par. (3), and struck out former pars. (3) and (4) which read as follows:

"(3) Role of advisory council.-The Advisory Council shall review applications submitted to the Regional Centers. The Advisory Council shall, by majority vote, make a nonbinding recommendation on each proposal to the appropriate Regional Director.

"(4) Recommendation.-The Regional Director, after consideration of the Advisory Council's recommendation and based on the comments of the reviewers, shall make and submit a recommendation to the Board along with the recommendation of the Advisory Council. A recommendation submitted by a Regional Director or the Advisory Council shall not be binding on the Board."

1991-Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 102–237 substituted "No Regional Centers may be established" for "A Regional Center may not be established or operated".

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 5903 of this title.