(a) Award amountThe minimum amount of an award under the Major Research Instrumentation program shall be $100,000. The maximum amount of an award under the program shall be $4,000,000 except if the total amount appropriated for the program for a fiscal year exceeds $125,000,000, in which case the maximum amount of an award shall be $6,000,000.
(b) Use of fundsIn addition to the acquisition of instrumentation and equipment, funds made available by awards under the Major Research Instrumentation program may be used to support the operations and maintenance of such instrumentation and equipment.
(c) Cost sharing(1) In generalAn institution of higher education receiving an award under the Major Research Instrumentation program shall provide at least 30 percent of the cost from private or non-Federal sources.
(2) ExceptionsInstitutions of higher education that are not Ph.D.-granting institutions are exempt from the cost sharing requirement in paragraph (1), and the Director may reduce or waive the cost sharing requirement for—(A) institutions—(i) that are not ranked among the top 100 institutions receiving Federal research and development funding, as documented by the statistical data published by the Foundation; and
(ii) for which the proposed project will make a substantial improvement in the institution’s capabilities to conduct leading edge research, to provide research experiences for undergraduate students using leading edge facilities, and to broaden the participation in science and engineering research by individuals identified in section 1885a or 1885b of this title; and
(B) consortia of institutions of higher education that include at least one institution that is not a Ph.D.-granting institution.
(Pub. L. 110–69, title VII, § 7036, Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 714.)
Editorial Notes
Codification
Section was enacted as part of the America COMPETES Act, also known as the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act, and not as part of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 which comprises this chapter.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Definitions
For definitions of terms used in this section, see section 7001 of Pub. L. 110–69, set out as a note under section 1862o of this title.