§5505. University transportation research

(a) Regional Centers.-The Secretary of Transportation shall make grants to nonprofit institutions of higher learning to establish and operate 1 university transportation center in each of the 10 United States Government regions that comprise the Standard Federal Regional Boundary System.

(b) Other Centers.-The Secretary shall make grants to nonprofit institutions of higher learning to establish and operate university transportation centers, in addition to the centers receiving grants under subsection (a), to address transportation management and research and development matters, with special attention to increasing the number of highly skilled individuals entering the field of transportation.

(c) Selection of Grant Recipients.-

(1) Applications.-In order to be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a nonprofit institution of higher learning shall submit to the Secretary an application that is in such form and contains such information as the Secretary may require.

(2) Selection criteria.-Except as otherwise provided by this section, the Secretary shall select each recipient of a grant under this section through a competitive process on the basis of the following:

(A) For regional centers, the location of the center within the Federal region to be served.

(B) The demonstrated research and extension resources available to the recipient to carry out this section.

(C) The capability of the recipient to provide leadership in making national and regional contributions to the solution of immediate and long-range transportation problems.

(D) The recipient's establishment of a surface transportation program encompassing several modes of transportation.

(E) The recipient's demonstrated commitment of at least $200,000 in regularly budgeted institutional amounts each year to support ongoing transportation research and education programs.

(F) The recipient's demonstrated ability to disseminate results of transportation research and education programs through a statewide or regionwide continuing education program.

(G) The strategic plan the recipient proposes to carry out under the grant.

(d) Objectives.-Each university transportation center receiving a grant under this section shall conduct the following programs and activities:

(1) Basic and applied research, the products of which are judged by peers or other experts in the field to advance the body of knowledge in transportation.

(2) An education program that includes multidisciplinary course work and participation in research.

(3) An ongoing program of technology transfer that makes research results available to potential users in a form that can be implemented, utilized, or otherwise applied.

(e) Maintenance of Effort.-In order to be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a recipient shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary to ensure that the recipient will maintain total expenditures from all other sources to establish and operate a university transportation center and related research activities at a level at least equal to the average level of such expenditures in its 2 fiscal years prior to award of a grant under this section.

(f) Federal Share.-The Federal share of the costs of activities carried out using a grant made under this section is 50 percent of costs. The non-Federal share may include funds provided to a recipient under section 503, 504(b), or 505 of title 23, United States Code.

(g) Program Coordination.-

(1) Coordination.-The Secretary shall coordinate the research, education, training, and technology transfer activities that grant recipients carry out under this section, disseminate the results of the research, and establish and operate a clearinghouse.

(2) Annual review and evaluation.-At least annually and consistent with the plan developed under section 508 of title 23, United States Code, the Secretary shall review and evaluate programs the grant recipients carry out.

(3) Funding limitation.-The Secretary may use not more than 1 percent of amounts made available from Government sources to carry out this subsection.

(h) Limitation on Availability of Funds.-Funds made available to carry out this program shall remain available for obligation for a period of 2 years after the last day of the fiscal year for which such funds are authorized.

(i) Number and Amount of Grants.-Subject to section 5338(e):

(1) Fiscal years 1998 and 1999.-For each of fiscal years 1998 and 1999, the Secretary shall make the following grants under this section:

(A) Group a.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $1,000,000 to each of the institutions or groups of institutions in group A.

(B) Group b.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $300,000 to each of the institutions or groups of institutions in group B.

(C) Group c.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $750,000 to each of the institutions or groups of institutions in group C.

(D) Group d.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $2,000,000 to each of the institutions or groups of institutions in group D.

(2) Fiscal years 2000 and 2001.-For each of fiscal years 2000 and 2001, the Secretary shall make the following grants under this section:

(A) Group a.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $1,000,000 to each of the institutions or groups of institutions in group A.

(B) Group b.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $500,000 to 8 of the institutions or groups of institutions in group B.

(C) Group c.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $750,000 to each of the institutions or groups of institutions in group C.

(D) Group d.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $2,000,000 to each of the institutions or groups of institutions in group D.

(3) Fiscal years 2002 and 2003.-For each of fiscal years 2002 and 2003, the Secretary shall make the following grants under this section:

(A) Group a.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $1,000,000 to each of the institutions or groups of institutions in group A.

(B) Groups b and c.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $1,000,000 to 10 of the institutions or groups of institutions in groups B and C that received grants under this section in fiscal years 2000 and 2001.

(C) Group d.-The Secretary shall make a grant in the amount of $2,000,000 to each of the institutions or groups of institutions in group D.

(j) Identification of Groups.-For the purpose of making grants under this section, the following groups are identified:

(1) Group a.-Group A shall consist of the 10 regional centers selected under subsection (a).

(2) Group b.-Group B shall consist of the following:

(A) The University of Denver and Mississippi State University.

(B) The University of Central Florida.

(C) University of Southern California and California State University at Long Beach.

(D) Rutgers University.

(E) University of Missouri at Rolla.

(F) South Carolina State University.

(G) Joseph P. Kennedy Science and Technology Center, Assumption College, Massachusetts.

(H) Purdue University.

(3) Group c.-Group C shall consist of the following:

(A) University of Arkansas.

(B) New Jersey Institute of Technology.

(C) University of Idaho.

(D) The University of Alabama.

(E) Morgan State University.

(F) North Carolina State University.

(G) San Jose State University.

(H) University of South Florida.

(I) North Carolina A. and T. State University.

(4) Group d.-Group D shall consist of the following:

(A) University of Minnesota.

(B) Marshall University, West Virginia, on behalf of a consortium which may also include West Virginia University Institute of Technology, the College of West Virginia, and Bluefield State College.

(C) George Mason University, along with the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech University.

(D) Western Transportation Institute.

(E) Rhode Island Transportation Research Center.

(F) Northwestern University.

(Added and amended Pub. L. 105–178, title V, §5110(a), (d), June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 441 ; Pub. L. 105–206, title IX, §9011(d), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 863 .)

Amendments

1998-Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 105–178, §5110(d)(1), as added by Pub. L. 105–206, substituted "'section 508 of title 23, United States Code," for "section 5506,".

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 105–178, §5110(d)(2), as added by Pub. L. 105–206, inserted "Subject to section 5338(e):" before par. (1) and substituted "institutions or groups of institutions" for "institutions" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (j)(4)(B). Pub. L. 105–178, §5110(d)(3), as added by Pub. L. 105–206, substituted "on behalf of a consortium which may also include West Virginia University Institute of Technology, the College of West Virginia, and Bluefield State College" for "on behalf of a consortium of West Virginia colleges and universities".

Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Title IX of Pub. L. 105–206 effective simultaneously with enactment of Pub. L. 105–178 and to be treated as included in Pub. L. 105–178 at time of enactment, and provisions of Pub. L. 105–178, as in effect on day before July 22, 1998, that are amended by title IX of Pub. L. 105–206 to be treated as not enacted, see section 9016 of Pub. L. 105–206, set out as a note under section 101 of Title 23, Highways.

Section Referred to in Other Sections

This section is referred to in section 5338 of this title; title 46 App. section 1121–2.