7 USC § 5937 - Natural products research program

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t7/s5937"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "7 USC § 5937 - Natural products research program"
title_number: 7
title_name: "AGRICULTURE"
section_number: "5937"
section_name: "Natural products research program"
chapter_number: 88
chapter_name: "RESEARCH"
subchapter_number: "VII"
subchapter_name: "MISCELLANEOUS RESEARCH PROVISIONS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7525, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1273; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7525, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2035; Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, § 7515, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 903; Pub. L. 115–334, title VII, § 7413, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4819.)"
---


# § 5937. Natural products research program

**(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.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 110–234, title VII, § 7525, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1273; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VII, § 7525, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 2035; Pub. L. 113–79, title VII, § 7515, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 903; Pub. L. 115–334, title VII, § 7413, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4819.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

and  enacted identical sections.  was repealed by .

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).  substituted “2023” for “2018”.

2014—Subsec. (e).  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  by  effective , the date of enactment of , see , set out as a note under .

### Definition of “Secretary”

“Secretary” as meaning the Secretary of Agriculture, see .