33 U.S.C. § 1123 : US Code - Section 1123: National sea grant college program

Search 33 U.S.C. § 1123 : US Code - Section 1123: National sea grant college program

(a) Program maintenance
The Secretary shall maintain within the Administration a program
to be known as the national sea grant college program. The national
sea grant college program shall be administered by a national sea
grant office within the Administration.
(b) Program elements
The national sea grant college program shall consist of the
financial assistance and other activities authorized in this
subchapter, and shall provide support for the following elements -
(1) sea grant programs which comprise a national sea grant
college program network, including international projects
conducted within such programs;
(2) administration of the national sea grant college program
and this subchapter by the national sea grant office, the
Administration, and the panel;
(3) the fellowship program under section 1127 of this title;
and
(4) any national strategic investments in fields relating to
ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources developed with the
approval of the panel, the sea grant colleges, and the sea grant
institutes.
(c) Responsibilities of Secretary
(1) The Secretary, in consultation with the panel, sea grant
colleges, and sea grant institutes, shall develop at least every 4
years a strategic plan that establishes priorities for the national
sea grant college program, provides an appropriately balanced
response to local, regional, and national needs, and is reflective
of integration with the relevant portions of the strategic plans of
the Department of Commerce and of the Administration.
(2) Within 6 months of March 6, 1998, the Secretary, in
consultation with the panel, sea grant colleges, and sea grant
institutes, shall establish guidelines related to the activities
and responsibilities of sea grant colleges and sea grant
institutes. Such guidelines shall include requirements for the
conduct of merit review by the sea grant colleges and sea grant
institutes of proposals for grants and contracts to be awarded
under section 1124 of this title, providing, at a minimum, for
standardized documentation of such proposals and peer review of all
research projects.
(3) The Secretary shall by regulation prescribe the
qualifications required for designation of sea grant colleges and
sea grant institutes under section 1126 of this title.
(4) To carry out the provisions of this subchapter, the Secretary
may -
(A) appoint, assign the duties, transfer, and fix the
compensation of such personnel as may be necessary, in accordance
with civil service laws;
(B) make appointments with respect to temporary and
intermittent services to the extent authorized by section 3109 of
title 5;
(C) publish or arrange for the publication of, and otherwise
disseminate, in cooperation with other offices and programs in
the Administration and without regard to section 501 of title 44,
any information of research, educational, training or other value
in fields related to ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes resources;
(D) enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, and other
transactions without regard to section 5 of title 41;
(E) notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, accept donations
and voluntary and uncompensated services;
(F) accept funds from other Federal departments and agencies,
including agencies within the Administration, to pay for and add
to grants made and contracts entered into by the Secretary; and
(G) promulgate such rules and regulations as may be necessary
and appropriate.
(d) Director of National Sea Grant College Program
(1) The Secretary shall appoint, as the Director of the National
Sea Grant College Program, a qualified individual who has
appropriate administrative experience and knowledge or expertise in
fields related to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. The
Director shall be appointed and compensated, without regard to the
provisions of title 5 governing appointments in the competitive
service, at a rate payable under section 5376 of title 5.
(2) Subject to the supervision of the Secretary, the Director
shall administer the national sea grant college program and oversee
the operation of the national sea grant office. In addition to any
other duty prescribed by law or assigned by the Secretary, the
Director shall -
(A) facilitate and coordinate the development of a long-range
strategic plan under subsection (c)(1) of this section;
(B) advise the Secretary with respect to the expertise and
capabilities which are available within or through the national
sea grant college program and encourage the use of such expertise
and capabilities, on a cooperative or other basis, by other
offices and activities within the Administration, and other
Federal departments and agencies;
(C) advise the Secretary on the designation of sea grant
colleges and sea grant institutes, and, if appropriate, on the
termination or suspension of any such designation; and
(D) encourage the establishment and growth of sea grant
programs, and cooperation and coordination with other Federal
activities in fields related to ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes
resources.
(3) With respect to sea grant colleges and sea grant institutes,
the Director shall -
(A)(i) evaluate the performance of the programs of sea grant
colleges and sea grant institutes, using the priorities,
guidelines, and qualifications established by the Secretary under
subsection (c) of this section, and determine which of the
programs are the best managed and carry out the highest quality
research, education, extension, and training activities; and
(ii) rate the programs according to their relative performance
(as determined under clause (i)) into no less than 5 categories,
with each of the 2 best-performing categories containing no more
than 25 percent of the programs;
(B) subject to the availability of appropriations, allocate
funding among sea grant colleges and sea grant institutes so as
to -
(i) promote healthy competition among sea grant colleges and
institutes;
(ii) encourage successful implementation of sea grant
programs;
(iii) to the maximum extent consistent with other provisions
of this subchapter, provide a stable base of funding for sea
grant colleges and institutes; and
(iv) encourage and promote coordination and cooperation
between the research, education, and outreach programs of the
Administration and those of academic institutions; and
(C) ensure compliance with the guidelines for merit review
under subsection (c)(2) of this section.