
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC5907]

 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
                          CHAPTER 88--RESEARCH
 
 SUBCHAPTER VI--ALTERNATIVE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND COMMERCIALIZATION
 
Sec. 5907. Regional Centers


(a) Establishment

                            (1) Required

        Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Corporate Board shall 
    establish not less than two nor more than six Regional Centers to 
    carry out the activities specified in this section and such other 
    activities as the Corporate Board shall from time to time specify.

                            (2) Exception

        No Regional Centers may be established in a fiscal year unless 
    at least $5,000,000 has been appropriated for that fiscal year to 
    carry out this subchapter.

(b) Method of establishment

                         (1) Regional basis

        Each Regional Center established under this section shall be 
    located at a host institution. The Regional Centers shall be 
    established in different States to reflect the different regional 
    climatic conditions and rural economic stresses in the United 
    States.

                           (2) Competition

        An organization that desires to be selected as a host 
    institution for a Regional Center shall submit an application to the 
    Corporate Board. The Corporate Board shall determine the location of 
    the Regional Centers based on a competitive review of the contents 
    of such applications and shall consider the ability of the applicant 
    to carry out the activities specified in this section.

(c) Matching of funds

                    (1) Assurances of applicants

        Each institution submitting an application for a Regional Center 
    under this section shall provide assurances--
            (A) that adequate funds or in-kind support (including office 
        space, equipment and staff support) shall be provided to match 
        the amount of funds used for administrative costs that are 
        provided by the Federal Government under this subchapter;
            (B) that the institution is qualified to carry out the 
        activities required of a Regional Center; and
            (C) concerning such other matters as the Corporate Board 
        determines to be appropriate.

                           (2) Consortium

        The matching funds required under paragraph (1) may be provided 
    by a consortia that may include the host institution and other 
    public or private entities existing within various regions of the 
    United States, including State and local governments, entities 
    created by State and local governments, charitable organizations, 
    public and private universities and other institutions of higher 
    education, cooperatives, and economic development organizations.

(d) Director

    Each Regional Center shall be headed by a full-time Regional 
Director who shall--
        (1) be selected by the Corporate Board; and
        (2) have a scientific or engineering background or have 
    experience in the development of new products or processes in the 
    public or private sector.

(e) Activities

    Each Regional Center shall--
        (1) encourage interaction among the private and Federal 
    laboratories, National Science Foundation centers, Department of 
    Agriculture research programs, other Federal resources, State and 
    local regional economic development programs, universities, 
    colleges, the private sector, and the financial community, for the 
    purpose of evaluating and commercializing new nonfood, nonfeed uses 
    of agricultural commodities;
        (2) identify broad areas where commercialization of new nonfood, 
    nonfeed products and processes can contribute to economic growth in 
    rural areas of the United States, through the development of new 
    nonfood, nonfeed uses for agricultural commodities by private 
    companies and businesses;
        (3) provide technical assistance and related business and 
    financial counseling for small domestic businesses to commercialize 
    new nonfood, nonfeed uses of agricultural commodities;
        (4) identify new nonfood, nonfeed products and processes that 
    are worthy of financial assistance;
        (5) make use of existing programs in scientific, engineering, 
    technical, and management education that will support the 
    accelerated commercialization of new nonfood, nonfeed products and 
    processes using agricultural commodities;
        (6) advise the Corporate Board on the viability of specific 
    applications submitted for financial assistance and on the type of 
    assistance, if any, to be provided;
        (7) coordinate their activities with the Small Business 
    Development Centers; and
        (8) coordinate their activities with the Corporation.

(f) Review of proposals for assistance

                  (1) Submission to Regional Center

        If a Regional Center is established that includes the area in 
    which a person applying for assistance under this subchapter is 
    located, that person shall submit the application to the Regional 
    Center for review.

                             (2) Review

        The Directors of the Regional Centers shall work to obtain peer 
    review and evaluation of applications submitted to the Regional 
    Centers.

                         (3) Recommendation

        The Regional Director, based on the comments of the reviewers, 
    shall make and submit a recommendation to the Board, which shall not 
    be binding on the Board.

(Pub. L. 101-624, title XVI, Sec. 1663, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3765; 
Pub. L. 102-237, title IV, Sec. 405(b), Dec. 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 1864; 
Pub. L. 104-127, title VII, Sec. 727, Apr. 4, 1996, 110 Stat. 1119.)


                               Amendments

    1996--Subsecs. (a)(1), (b)(2), (c)(1)(C), (d)(1), (e)(6). Pub. L. 
104-127, Sec. 727(1), substituted ``Corporate Board'' for ``Board'' 
wherever appearing.
    Subsec. (e)(8). Pub. L. 104-127, Sec. 727(2), substituted 
``Corporation'' for ``Center''.
    Subsec. (f)(2) to (4). Pub. L. 104-127, Sec. 727(3), in par. (2), 
struck out ``in consultation with the Advisory Council appointed under 
section 5905(c) of this title'' before ``to obtain peer review'', added 
par. (3), and struck out former pars. (3) and (4) which read as follows:
    ``(3) Role of advisory council.--The Advisory Council shall review 
applications submitted to the Regional Centers. The Advisory Council 
shall, by majority vote, make a nonbinding recommendation on each 
proposal to the appropriate Regional Director.
    ``(4) Recommendation.--The Regional Director, after consideration of 
the Advisory Council's recommendation and based on the comments of the 
reviewers, shall make and submit a recommendation to the Board along 
with the recommendation of the Advisory Council. A recommendation 
submitted by a Regional Director or the Advisory Council shall not be 
binding on the Board.''
    1991--Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 102-237 substituted ``No Regional 
Centers may be established'' for ``A Regional Center may not be 
established or operated''.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 5903 of this title.
