110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 971
To establish the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, to
provide funding for the support of fundamental agricultural research of
the highest quality, and for other purposes.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 22, 2007
Mr. BOND (for himself, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. LUGAR, and Mr. NELSON of Nebraska)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
A BILL
To establish the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, to
provide funding for the support of fundamental agricultural research of
the highest quality, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Act of 2007'.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings- Congress finds that--
(1) the task force established under section 7404 of the Farm Security
and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 3101 note; 116 Stat. 457)--
(A) conducted an exhaustive review of agricultural research in the United
States; and
(B) evaluated the merits of establishing 1 or more national institutes
focused on disciplines important to the progress of food and agricultural
science;
(2) according to findings and recommendations provided to Congress by
the task force--
(A) agriculture in the United States faces critical challenges, including
impending crises in the food, agricultural, and natural resource systems
of the United States;
(B) exotic diseases and pests threaten crops and livestock;
(C) the United States faces a public health epidemic due to the increasing
number of overweight and obese Americans;
(D) agriculturally-related environmental degradation is a serious problem
for the United States and other parts of the world;
(E) certain animal diseases threaten human health; and
(F) agricultural producers in the United States of several primary crops
are no longer the world's lowest-cost producers;
(3) to meet those critical challenges, it is essential that the United
States ensure that the agricultural innovation that has been so successful
in the past continues in the future;
(4) agricultural innovation has resulted in hybrid and higher-yielding
varieties of basic crops and enhanced the global food supply by increasing
yields on existing acres;
(5) since 1960, the global population has tripled, but there has been
no net increase in the quantity of land in the United States under cultivation;
(6) as of the date of enactment of this Act, only 1.5 percent of the population
of the United States provides food and fiber to partially supply the needs
of the United States;
(7)(A) agriculture, fundamental agricultural research, and fundamental
sciences play a major role in maintaining the health and welfare of all
people of the United States and maintaining the land and water of the
United States; and
(B) that role must be expanded;
(8) research that leads to understandings of the ways in which cells and
organisms function is critical to continued innovation in agriculture
in the United States;
(9) future innovations developed as a result of those understandings are
dependent on fundamental scientific research and would be enhanced by
ideas and technologies from other fields of science and research;
(10) opportunities to advance fundamental knowledge of benefit to agriculture
in the United States have never been greater;
(11) many of those new opportunities are the result of amazing progress
in the life sciences during recent decades, attributable in large part
to the provision made by the Federal Government through the National Institutes
of Health and the National Science Foundation;
(12) new technologies and new concepts have expedited advances in the
fields of genetics, cell and molecular biology, and proteomics;
(13) much of that scientific knowledge is ready to be used in agriculture
and food sciences through a sustained, disciplined research effort at
an institute dedicated to conducting that research;
(14) publicly-sponsored research is essential to continued agricultural
innovation--
(A) to mitigate or harmonize the long-term effects of agriculture on
the environment;
(B) to enhance the long-term sustainability of agriculture; and
(C) to improve the public health and welfare;
(15) competitive, peer-reviewed fundamental agricultural research is best
suited to promoting the research from which breakthrough innovations that
agriculture and society require will come;
(16) it is in the national interest to dedicate additional funds on a
long-term, ongoing basis to an institute dedicated to funding competitive,
peer-reviewed grant programs that support and promote the highest caliber
of fundamental agricultural research;
(17) the capability of the United States to be internationally competitive
in agriculture is threatened by inadequate investment in research;
(18) to be successful over the long term, grant-receiving institutions
must be adequately reimbursed for costs of conducting agricultural research
if the institutions are to pursue that kind of research; and
(19) to meet those challenges, address those needs, and to provide for
vitally needed agricultural innovation, it is in the national interest
to provide sufficient Federal funds over the long term to fund a significant
program of fundamental agricultural research through an independent national
institute.
(b) Purpose- The purpose of this Act is to establish a national institute--
(1) to ensure that the technological superiority of agriculture in the
United States effectively serves the people of the United States in the
coming decades; and
(2) to support and promote fundamental agricultural research of the highest
caliber to achieve the goals of--
(A) increasing the international competitiveness of agriculture in the
United States;
(B) developing foods and expanding knowledge to improve diet, nutrition,
and health, and to combat obesity;
(C) decreasing the dependence of the United States on foreign sources
of petroleum by--
(i) developing biobased fuels and products;
(ii) enhancing methods of production at biobased fuels refineries;
(iii) reducing energy consumption at biobased fuel refineries; and
(iv) increasing the use of coproducts of biobased fuels production;
(D) creating new and more useful products from plants and animals;
(E) improving food safety to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness
in the United States;
(F) improving food security by protecting plants and animals in the
United States from insects, diseases, and the threat of bioterrorism;
(G) enhancing agricultural sustainability;
(H) improving the environment;
(I) strengthening the economies of rural communities in the United States;
(J) improving farm profitability and the viability and competitiveness
of small and moderate-sized farms;
(K) strengthening national security by improving the agricultural productivity
of subsistence farmers in developing countries to combat hunger and
the political instability that hunger produces;
(L) assisting in modernizing and revitalizing the agricultural research
facilities of the United States at institutions of higher education,
independent, nonprofit research institutions, and consortia of those
institutions, through capital investment; and
(M) achieving such other goals, and meeting such other needs, as the
Secretary or the Institute determines to be appropriate.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
(1) COUNCIL- The term `Council' means the Standing Council of Advisors
established by section 4(d)(1).
(2) DEPARTMENT- The term `Department' means the Department of Agriculture.
(3) DIRECTOR- The term `Director' means the Director of the Institute.
(4) FUNDAMENTAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH; FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE- The terms
`fundamental agricultural research' and `fundamental science' mean research
or science that, as determined by the Secretary--
(A) advances the frontiers of knowledge so as to lead to practical results
or to further scientific discovery; and
(B) has an effect on agriculture, food, human health, or another purpose
of this Act as described in section 2(b).
(5) INSTITUTE- The term `Institute' means the National Institute of Food
and Agriculture established by section 4(a).
(6) MULTIDISCIPLINARY GRANT- The term `multidisciplinary grant' means
a grant provided to 2 or more collaborating investigators to carry out
coordinated, multidisciplinary research programs involving multiple disciplines
that has been approved by the Institute.
(7) PROJECT GRANT- The term `project grant' means a grant provided to
1 or more principal investigators to conduct research that has been approved
by the Institute.
(8) SECRETARY- The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Agriculture.
(9) STATE- The term `State' means--
(A) each of the several States of the United States;
(B) the District of Columbia;
(C) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
(F) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
(G) the Federated States of Micronesia;
(H) the Republic of the Marshall Islands;
(I) the Republic of Palau; and
(J) the United States Virgin Islands.
(10) UNITED STATES- The term `United States', when used in a geographical
sense, means all of the States.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT; COMPOSITION.
(a) Establishment- There is established within the Department an agency
to be known as the `National Institute of Food and Agriculture'.
(b) Location- The location of the Institute shall be determined by the Secretary.
(c) Composition- The Institute shall be composed of the Council (including
committees and offices established under section 5) and the Director.
(d) Standing Council of Advisors-
(1) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established a Standing Council of Advisors.
(2) COMPOSITION- The Council shall be composed of 25 members, including--
(B) 24 members appointed by the Secretary, with the concurrence of the
Director, of whom--
(i) 12 members shall be highly-qualified scientists who, as determined
by the Secretary--
(I) are not employees of the Federal Government;
(II)(aa) have expertise in the fields of agricultural research,
science, food and nutrition, or related appropriate fields; and
(bb) represent a diversity of those fields;
(III) are appropriate for membership on the Council solely on the
basis of established records of distinguished service; and
(IV) collectively represent the views of agricultural research and
scientific leaders in all regions of the United States; and
(ii) 12 stakeholders shall be distinguished members of the public,
as determined by the Secretary, including--
(I) representatives of agricultural organizations and industry;
and
(II) individuals with expertise in the environment, subsistence
agriculture, energy, food and nutrition, and human health and disease.
(3) TERM- The members of the Council shall serve staggered, 4-year terms,
as determined by the Secretary.
(4) MEETINGS- The Council shall meet at the call of the Director and the
Secretary, but not less often than annually.
(5) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON- The Council shall elect a Chairperson
and Vice Chairperson from among the members of the Council.
(6) DUTIES- The Council shall--
(A) assist the Director in--
(i) establishing research priorities of the Institute; and
(ii) reviewing, judging, and maintaining the relevance of the programs
of the Institute;
(B) review all proposals approved by the scientific committees established
under section 5(a)(1) to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable,
that the purposes of this Act are being met; and
(C) through the meetings described in paragraph (4), provide an interface
between scientists and stakeholders to ensure, to the maximum extent
practicable, that the Institute is coordinating national goals with
realistic scientific opportunities.
(1) IN GENERAL- The Institute shall be headed by a Director, who shall
be an individual who is--
(A) a distinguished scientist; and
(B) appointed by the President (after taking into consideration recommendations
provided by the Council), by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate.
(2) TERM- The Director shall serve for a single, 6-year term.
(3) COMPENSATION- The Director shall receive basic pay at the rate provided
for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5513 of title 5,
United States Code.
(4) SUPERVISION- The Director shall report directly to the Secretary.
(5) AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF DIRECTOR-
(A) IN GENERAL- Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Act,
the Director shall--
(i) exercise all of the authority provided to the Institute by this
Act (including any powers and functions delegated to the Director
by the Council);
(ii) in consultation with the Council, formulate programs in accordance
with policies adopted by the Institute;
(iii) establish committees and offices within the Institute in accordance
with section 5;
(iv) establish procedures for the peer review of research funded by
the Institute;
(v) establish procedures for the provision and administration of grants
by the Institute in accordance with this Act;
(vi) assess the personnel needs of agricultural research in the areas
supported by the Institute, and, if determined to be appropriate by
the Director or the Secretary, for other areas of food and agricultural
research; and
(vii) cooperate with the Council to plan programs that will help meet
agricultural personnel needs in the future, including portable fellowship
and training programs in fundamental agricultural research and fundamental
science.
(B) FINALITY OF ACTIONS- An action taken by the Director in accordance
with this Act (or in accordance with the terms of a delegation of authority
from the Council) shall be final and binding upon the Institute.
(C) DELEGATION AND REDELEGATION OF FUNCTIONS-
(i) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in clauses (ii) and (iii), the
Director may, from time to time and as the Director considers to be
appropriate, authorize the performance by any other officer, agency,
or employee of the Institute of any of the functions of the Director
under this Act, including functions delegated to the Director by the
Council.
(ii) POLICYMAKING FUNCTIONS- The Director may not redelegate policymaking
functions delegated to the Director by the Council.
(iii) CONTRACTS, GRANTS, AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS- The Director may
enter into contracts and other arrangements, and provide grants, in
accordance with this Act--
(I) only with the prior approval of the Council or under authority
delegated by the Council; and
(II) subject to such conditions as the Council may specify.
(iv) REPORTING- The Director shall promptly report each contract or
other arrangement entered into, each grant awarded, and each other
action of the Director taken, under clause (iii) to the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Committee
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives.
(A) IN GENERAL- The Director shall be an ex officio member of the Council.
(B) COMPENSATION AND TENURE- Except with respect to compensation and
tenure, the service of the Director on the Council shall be coordinated
with the service of other members of the Council.
(C) VOTING; ELECTION- The Director shall be--
(i) a voting member of the Council; and
(ii) eligible for election by the Council as Chairperson or Vice Chairperson
of the Council.
(A) IN GENERAL- Subject to this paragraph, the Director shall recruit
and hire such senior staff and other personnel as are necessary to assist
the Director in carrying out this Act.
(B) SENIOR STAFF- Each individual hired as senior staff of the Director
shall--
(i) be a highly accomplished scientist, as determined by the Director;
(ii) be recruited from the active scientific community; and
(iii) be appointed and serve on the basis of 4-year, rotating appointments.
(C) TEMPORARY STAFF- Staff hired by the Director under this paragraph
may include scientists and other technical and professional personnel
hired for limited terms, or on temporary bases, including individuals
on leave of absence from academic, industrial, or research institutions
to work for the Institute.
(i) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in clause (ii), subject to such
policies as the Council shall periodically prescribe, the Director
may fix the compensation of staff hired under this paragraph without
regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter
53 of title 5, United States Code, relating to classification of positions
and General Schedule pay rates.
(ii) MAXIMUM RATE OF PAY- The rate of pay for an individual hired
under this paragraph shall not exceed the rate payable for level V
of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of title 5, United States
Code.
(8) REPORTING AND CONSULTATION- The Director shall--
(A) periodically report to the Secretary with respect to activities
carried out by the Institute; and
(B) consult regularly with the Secretary to ensure, to the maximum extent
practicable, that--
(i) research of the Institute is relevant to agriculture in the United
States and otherwise serves the national interest; and
(ii) the research of the Institute supplements and enhances, and does
not replace, research conducted or funded by--
(I) other agencies of the Department;
(II) the National Science Foundation; or
(III) the National Institutes of Health.
SEC. 5. COMMITTEES AND OFFICES OF INSTITUTE.
(a) Standing Scientific Committees-
(1) IN GENERAL- The Director may establish such number of standing scientific
committees within the Institute as the Director determines to be appropriate.
(2) COMPOSITION- A standing scientific committee established under paragraph
(1) shall consist of such members of the Council appointed under section
4(d)(2)(B)(i) as the Director may select.
(3) TERM- Members of a standing scientific committee established under
paragraph (1) shall serve for staggered, 4-year terms, as determined by
the Director.
(A) IN GENERAL- A standing scientific committee shall apply rigorous
merit review to research proposals received by the Institute to ensure,
to the maximum extent practicable, that research funded by the Institute
is scientifically of high quality.
(B) DETERMINATION OF SCIENTIFIC MERIT- A research proposal received
by the Institute and reviewed by a standing scientific committee under
subparagraph (A) shall be--
(i) assigned a score based on the scientific merit of the proposal,
as determined by the standing scientific committee; and
(ii) if approved by the standing scientific committee, forwarded,
along with the score, to the Council for final review.
(C) DECLINATION OF PROPOSALS- If the Council determines that a research
proposal forwarded under this paragraph does not meet standards of scientific
review established by a standing scientific committee or any similar
standard established by the Director, the Council shall decline to recommend
the research proposal for funding by the Institute.
(5) AD HOC REVIEW MEMBERS- The Director may supplement a standing scientific
committee under this subsection with 1 or more ad hoc reviewers in a case
in which a research proposal received by the Institute requires specialized
knowledge not represented on that or any other standing scientific committee.
(1) OFFICE OF ADVANCED SCIENCE AND APPLICATION-
(A) ESTABLISHMENT- The Director shall establish within the Institute
an Office of Advanced Science and Application (referred to in this paragraph
as the `Office').
(B) DUTIES- The Office shall--
(i) closely monitor national needs and advances in research with the
goal of identifying pressing problems for which solutions are realistically
achievable through research;
(ii) coordinate creative talent from diverse disciplines to bridge
potential gaps between fundamental agricultural research and high-priority,
practical needs; and
(iii) recommend to the Director ways in which existing fundamental
agricultural research may be applied to the most urgent problems addressed
by the Institute.
(i) IN GENERAL- The Office shall employ a small, focused staff of
rotating experts in science and agriculture.
(ii) TALENT POOL; TERM- Primary staff of the Office--
(I) shall be appointed from the ranks of active scientists; and
(II) shall serve terms of not to exceed 3 years.
(D) INTENSIVE STUDY GROUPS- The Office shall--
(i) focus primarily on the most urgent problems addressed by the Institute;
and
(ii) assemble such intensive study groups as are necessary to address
those problems.
(E) REPORTS- The Office shall submit to the Director and the Council
periodic reports that--
(i) describe the activities being carried out by the Office; and
(ii) recommended new research priorities for the Office, as appropriate.
(2) OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT AND LIAISON-
(A) ESTABLISHMENT- The Director shall establish within the Institute
an Office of Scientific Assessment and Liaison (referred to in this
paragraph as the `Office').
(B) DUTIES- The Office shall--
(i) monitor the effectiveness of the scientific expenditures by the
Institute;
(ii) oversee the coordination of research efforts of the Institute
with those of other programs;
(iii) assess the effectiveness of programs of the Institute by evaluating--
(I) the quality of the science funded by the Institute, using such
tools as are readily available; and
(II) the contributions of the Institute to the national research
effort, including ways in which the Institute collaborates and cooperates
with the Department and with other Federal agencies; and
(iv) encourage cooperative approaches among various research agencies
within the Federal Government.
(3) OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL-
(A) ESTABLISHMENT- The Director shall establish within the Institute
an Office of Scientific Personnel (referred to in this paragraph as
the `Office').
(B) DUTIES- The Office shall--
(i) cooperate with scientific and agricultural experts to assess--
(I) the number of scientists in agriculture and related fields in
the United States; and
(II) how many additional scientists in agriculture and related fields
are needed to meet the purposes of this Act; and
(ii) generate and maintain data that may assist the Director and the
Council in planning appropriate Institute fellowship and training
programs.
(4) ADDITIONAL OFFICES- The Director may establish such additional offices
within the Institute as the Director or the Council determines to be necessary
to carry out the duties of the Institute under this Act.
SEC. 6. DUTIES.
(a) In General- The Institute shall provide competitive, peer-reviewed grants
in accordance with section 8(b) to support and promote the highest quality
of fundamental agricultural research, including grants to fund research
proposals submitted by--
(1) individual scientists;
(2) research centers composed of a single institution or multiple institutions;
and
(3) other individuals and entities from the private and public sectors,
including researchers of the Department and other Federal agencies.
(b) Report to Congress- Not later than December 31, 2008, and biennially
thereafter, the Institute shall submit to the Secretary, the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate, and the Committee on
Agriculture of the House of Representatives a comprehensive report that
describes the research funded and other activities carried out by the Institute
during the period covered by the report.
SEC. 7. POWERS.
(a) In General- The Institute shall have such authority as is necessary
to carry out this Act, including the authority--
(1) to promulgate such regulations as the Institute considers to be necessary
for governance of operations, organization, and personnel;
(2) to make such expenditures as are necessary to carry out this Act;
(3) to enter into contracts or other arrangements, or modifications of
contracts or other arrangements--
(A) to provide for the conduct, by organizations or individuals in the
United States (including other agencies of the Department, Federal agencies,
and agencies of foreign countries), of such fundamental agricultural
research, research relating to fundamental science, or related activities
as the Institute considers to be necessary to carry out this Act; and
(B) at the request of the Secretary, for the conduct of such specific
fundamental agricultural research as is in the national interest or
is otherwise of critical importance, as determined by the Secretary,
with the concurrence of the Institute;
(4) to make advance, progress, and other payments relating to research
and scientific activities without regard to subsections (a) and (b) of
section 3324 of title 31, United States Code;
(5) to acquire by purchase, lease, loan, gift, or condemnation, and to
hold and dispose of by grant, sale, lease, or loan, real and personal
property of all kinds necessary for, or resulting from, the exercise of
authority under this Act;
(6) to receive and use donated funds, if the funds are donated without
restriction other than that the funds be used in furtherance of 1 or more
of the purposes of the Institute;
(7) to publish or arrange for the publication of research and scientific
information to further the full dissemination of information of scientific
value consistent with the national interest, without regard to section
501 of title 44, United States Code;
(8)(A) to accept and use the services of voluntary and uncompensated personnel;
and
(B) to provide such transportation and subsistence as are authorized by
section 5703 of title 5, United States Code, for individuals serving without
compensation;
(9) to prescribe, with the approval of the Comptroller General of the
United States, the extent to which vouchers for funds expended under contracts
for scientific or engineering research shall be subject to itemization
or substantiation prior to payment, without regard to the limitations
of other laws relating to the expenditure and accounting of public funds;
(10) to arrange with and reimburse the Secretary, and the heads of other
Federal agencies, for the performance of any activity that the Institute
is authorized to conduct; and
(11) to enter into contracts, at the request of the Secretary, for the
carrying out of such specific agricultural research as is in the national
interest or otherwise of critical importance, as determined by the Secretary,
with the consent of the Institute.
(b) Transfer of Research Funds of Other Departments or Agencies- Funds available
to the Secretary, or any other department or agency of the Federal Government,
for agricultural or scientific research shall be--
(1) available for transfer, with the approval of the Secretary or the
head of the other appropriate department or agency involved, in whole
or in part, to the Institute for use in providing grants in accordance
with the purposes for which the funds were made available; and
(2) if so transferred, expendable by the Institute for those purposes.
(c) Restriction on Activities- The Institute--
(1) shall be a grant-making entity only; and
(A) conduct fundamental agricultural research or research relating to
fundamental science; or
(B) operate any laboratory or pilot facility.
SEC. 8. BUDGET CONSIDERATIONS.
(a) Budgetary Management Goals- The Director, in coordination with the Secretary,
shall manage the budget of the Institute to achieve the goals of--
(1) providing sufficient funds over a period of time to achieve the purposes
of this Act;
(2) fostering outstanding scientific talent, and directing that talent
toward work on issues relating to agriculture; and
(3) adequately reimbursing grant-receiving institutions for costs to encourage
the pursuit of agriculturally-related research.
(b) Budgetary Guidelines for Grants-
(1) IN GENERAL- To achieve the goals described in subsection (a), the
Institute shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure that grants
awarded for each fiscal year comply with the guidelines described in paragraphs
(2) and (3).
(2) PROJECT GRANTS- With respect to project grants, to the maximum extent
practicable--
(A) the Institute shall award approximately 1,000 new project grants
annually;
(B) the average project grant amount, including overhead, shall be approximately
$225,000 for each fiscal year, as adjusted in accordance with the Consumer
Price Index for all-urban consumers, United States city average, as
published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics;
(C) a project grant shall be provided for a maximum period of 5 years,
with an average award duration of 3.5 years;
(D) the Institute shall require the recipients of a project grant to
submit appropriate reports on research carried out using funds from
the project grant; and
(E) the Institute shall provide such number of training project grants
as the Director or the Institute determines to be appropriate.
(3) MULTIDISCIPLINARY GRANTS- With respect to multidisciplinary grants,
to the maximum extent practicable--
(A) for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2011, the Institute shall
provide 10 multidisciplinary grants;
(B) for fiscal year 2012 and subsequent fiscal years, the Institute
shall provide multidisciplinary grants to fund not fewer than 40 research
centers, on the conditions that--
(i) sufficient funds are available; and
(ii) a sufficient number of qualified research proposals are received;
(C) the research centers provided multidisciplinary grants may be composed
of a single institution or multiple institutions;
(D) the average multidisciplinary grant amount, including overhead,
shall be approximately $3,000,000 for each fiscal year, as adjusted
in accordance with the Consumer Price Index for all-urban consumers,
United States city average, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics;
(E) a multidisciplinary grant shall be provided for a maximum period
of 5 years;
(F) in the aggregate, multidisciplinary grants provided under this paragraph
for a fiscal year shall represent approximately 15 percent of the total
grants provided by the Institute for the fiscal year, on the condition
that a sufficient number of qualified research proposals are received
for the fiscal year; and
(G) merit review of the research proposal relating to the multidisciplinary
grant is conducted to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that
only quality research proposals are funded.
(c) Indirect Costs- As part of a project grant or multidisciplinary grant
provided under this Act, the Institute shall pay indirect costs of conducting
research, including the costs of overhead, to the recipient of the grant
at a rate that is not less than any standard negotiated rate applicable
to similar grants made by the National Institutes of Health or the National
Science Foundation, as of the date of enactment of this Act, as determined
by the Secretary.
SEC. 9. FUNDING.
(a) In General- Of the funds of the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Secretary
shall use to carry out this Act--
(1) for fiscal year 2008, $245,000,000 for project grants, of which not
more than $20,000,000 shall be made available for administrative expenses
incurred by the Institute;
(2) for fiscal year 2009, $515,000,000, of which--
(A) not less than $450,000,000 shall be made available for project grants;
(B) not less than $30,000,000 shall be made available for multidisciplinary
grants; and
(C) not more than $35,000,000 shall be available for administrative
expenses incurred by the Institute;
(3) for fiscal year 2010, $780,000,000, of which--
(A) not less than $675,000,000 shall be made available for project grants;
(B) not less than $60,000,000 shall be made available for multidisciplinary
grants; and
(C) not more than $45,000,000 shall be made available for administrative
expenses incurred by the Institute;
(4) for fiscal year 2011, $935,000,000, of which--
(A) not less than $800,000,000 shall be made available for project grants;
(B) not less than $90,000,000 shall be made available for multidisciplinary
grants; and
(C) not more than $45,000,000 shall be made available for administrative
expenses incurred by the Institute; and
(5) for fiscal year 2012 and each fiscal year thereafter, $966,000,000,
of which--
(A) not less than $800,000,000 shall be made available for project grants;
(B) not less than $120,000,000 shall be made available for multidisciplinary
grants; and
(C) not more than $46,000,000 shall be made available for administrative
expenses incurred by the Institute.
(b) Limitation- For fiscal year 2012 and each subsequent fiscal year, administrative
expenses paid by the Institute shall not exceed 5 percent of the total expenditures
of the Institute for the fiscal year.
END