# § 4024. Merit-based award of grants for research and development
**(a)** It is the policy of Congress that an agency named in section 3063 of this title should not be required by legislation to award a new grant for research, development, test, or evaluation to a non-Federal Government entity. It is further the policy of Congress that any program, project, or technology identified in legislation be awarded through merit-based selection procedures.
**(b)** A provision of law may not be construed as requiring a new grant to be awarded to a specified non-Federal Government entity unless that provision of law—
**(1)** specifically refers to this subsection;
**(2)** specifically identifies the particular non-Federal Government entity involved; and
**(3)** specifically states that the award to that entity is required by such provision of law in contravention of the policy set forth in subsection (a).
**(c)** For purposes of this section, a grant is a new grant unless the work provided for in the grant is a continuation of the work performed by the specified entity under a preceding grant.
**(d)** This section shall not apply with respect to any grant that calls upon the National Academy of Sciences to investigate, examine, or experiment upon any subject of science or art of significance to an agency named in section 3063 of this title and to report on such matters to the Congress or any agency of the Federal Government.
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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 103–355, title VII, § 7203(a)(2), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3380, § 2374; renumbered § 4024 and amended Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XVIII, §§ 1841(b)(1), (c), 1883(b)(2), Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4243, 4294; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XVII, § 1701(u)(2)(B), (D), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2151; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVIII, § 1801(a)(31), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 685.)
## Editorial Notes
### Prior Provisions
A prior section 4024 was renumbered .
### Amendments
2023—Subsecs. (a), (d). substituted “” for “”.
2021—, which directed the renumbering of as section 4008 instead of this section, was amended generally by , effective as if included therein, so that such renumbering was no longer directed.
, as amended by , renumbered as this section.
Subsecs. (a), (d). , which directed that each reference in the text of title 10 to a section that was redesignated by title XVIII of , as such section was in effect before the redesignation, be amended by striking such reference and inserting a reference to the appropriate redesignated section, was not executed with respect to “section 2303(a)”, which was redesignated as multiple sections.
## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
### Effective Date of 2021 Amendment
Amendment by applicable as if included in the enactment of title XVIII of as enacted, see , set out in a note preceding and note below.
Amendment by effective , with additional provisions for delayed implementation and applicability of existing law, see , set out as a note preceding .
### Effective Date
For effective date and applicability of section, see , set out as an Effective Date of 1994 Amendment note under .