§ 285t–1 — Centers Of Excellence For Research Education And Training

(a) The Director of the Institute shall make awards of grants or contracts to designated biomedical and behavioral research institutions under paragraph (1) of subsection (c), or to consortia under paragraph (2) of such subsection, for the purpose of assisting the institutions in supporting programs of excellence in biomedical and behavioral research training for individuals who are members of minority health disparity populations or other health disparity populations. (b) An award may be made under subsection (a) only if the applicant involved agrees that the grant will be expended— (1) to train members of minority health disparity populations or other health disparity populations as professionals in the area of biomedical or behavioral research or both; or (2) to expand, remodel, renovate, or alter existing research facilities or construct new research facilities for the purpose of conducting minority health disparities research and other health disparities research. (1) For purposes of this section, a designated biomedical and behavioral research institution is a biomedical and behavioral research institution that— (A) has a significant number of members of minority health disparity populations or other health disparity populations enrolled as students in the institution (including individuals accepted for enrollment in the institution); (B) has been effective in assisting such students of the institution to complete the program of education or training and receive the degree involved; (C) has made significant efforts to recruit minority students to enroll in and graduate from the institution, which may include providing means-tested scholarships and other financial assistance as appropriate; and (D) has made significant recruitment efforts to increase the number of minority or other members of health disparity populations serving in faculty or administrative positions at the institution. (2) Any designated biomedical and behavioral research institution involved may, with other biomedical and behavioral institutions (designated or otherwise), including tribal health programs, form a consortium to receive an award under subsection (a). (3) In the case of any criteria established by the Director of the Institute for purposes of determining whether institutions meet the conditions described in paragraph (1), this section may not, with respect to minority health disparity populations or other health disparity populations, be construed to authorize, require, or prohibit the use of such criteria in any program other than the program established in this section. (d) The period during which payments are made under a grant under subsection (a) may not exceed 5 years. Such payments shall be subject to annual approval by the Director of the Institute and to the availability of appropriations for the fiscal year involved to make the payments. (1) With respect to activities for which an award under subsection (a) is authorized to be expended, the Director of the Institute may not make such an award to a designated research institution or consortium for any fiscal year unless the institution, or institutions in the consortium, as the case may be, agree to maintain expenditures of non-Federal amounts for such activities at a level that is not less than the level of such expenditures maintained by the institutions involved for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which such institutions receive such an award. (2) With respect to any Federal amounts received by a designated research institution or consortium and available for carrying out activities for which an award under subsection (a) is authorized to be expended, the Director of the Institute may make such an award only if the institutions involved agree that the institutions will, before expending the award, expend the Federal amounts obtained from sources other than the award. (f) The Director of the Institute may authorize a designated biomedical and behavioral research institution to expend a portion of an award under subsection (a) for research endowments. (g) For purposes of this section: (1) The term “designated biomedical and behavioral research institution” has the meaning indicated for such term in subsection (c)(1). Such term includes any health professions school receiving an award of a grant or contract under section 293 of this title. (2) The term “program of excellence” means any program carried out by a designated biomedical and behavioral research institution with an award under subsection (a), if the program is for purposes for which the institution involved is authorized in subsection (b) to expend the grant.