42 USC § 16535 - Discovery science and engineering innovation institutes

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s16535"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 16535 - Discovery science and engineering innovation institutes"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "16535"
section_name: "Discovery science and engineering innovation institutes"
chapter_number: 149
chapter_name: "NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS"
subchapter_number: "XVII"
subchapter_name: "PROTECTING AMERICA’S COMPETITIVE EDGE THROUGH ENERGY"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 110–69, title V, § 5008, Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 618.)"
---


# § 16535. Discovery science and engineering innovation institutes

**(a)** **In general** The Secretary shall establish distributed, multidisciplinary institutes (referred to in this section as “Institutes”) centered at National Laboratories to apply fundamental science and engineering discoveries to technological innovations relating to—

**(1)** the missions of the Department; and

**(2)** the global competitiveness of the United States.

**(b)** **Topical areas** The Institutes shall support scientific and engineering research and education activities on critical emerging technologies determined by the Secretary to be essential to global competitiveness, including activities relating to—

**(1)** sustainable energy technologies;

**(2)** multiscale materials and processes;

**(3)** micro- and nano-engineering;

**(4)** computational and information engineering; and

**(5)** genomics and proteomics.

**(c)** **Partnerships** In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall establish partnerships between the Institutes and—

**(1)** institutions of higher education—

**(A)** to train undergraduate and graduate science and engineering students;

**(B)** to develop innovative undergraduate and graduate educational curricula; and

**(C)** to conduct research within the topical areas described in subsection (b); and

**(2)** private industry to develop innovative technologies within the topical areas described in subsection (b).

**(d)** **Grants**

**(1)** **In general** For each fiscal year, the Secretary may select not more than 3 Institutes to receive a grant under this section.

**(2)** **Merit-based selection** The selection of Institutes under paragraph (1) shall be—

**(A)** merit-based; and

**(B)** made through an open, competitive selection process.

**(3)** **Term** An Institute shall receive a grant under this section for not more than 3 fiscal years.

**(e)** **Review** The Secretary shall offer to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under which the Academy shall, by not later than 3 years after August 9, 2007—

**(1)** review the performance of the Institutes under this section; and

**(2)** submit to Congress and the Secretary a report describing the results of the review.

**(f)** **Authorization of appropriations** There is authorized to be appropriated to provide grants to each Institute selected under this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2010.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 110–69, title V, § 5008, Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 618.)