
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 49USC5505]

 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
              SUBTITLE III--GENERAL AND INTERMODAL PROGRAMS
 
                  CHAPTER 55--INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION
 
                          SUBCHAPTER I--GENERAL
 
Sec. 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, Sec. 5110(a), (d), June 9, 
1998, 112 Stat. 441; Pub. L. 105-206, title IX, Sec. 9011(d), July 22, 
1998, 112 Stat. 863.)


                               Amendments

    1998--Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 105-178, Sec. 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, Sec. 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, Sec. 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.
