(B) a program management plan;
(C) a description of the facilities of the in-
stitution at which the new Center is proposed to
be established;
(D) a description of relevant capabilities of
that institution;
(E) an operational safety plan;
(F) mechanisms for information transfer;
(G) a budget for the proposed Center; and
(H) any other information the Under Sec-
retary considers necessary.
(c) REVIEW OF PROPOSALS.—The Under Secretary
and the Committee shall review each proposal submitted
under subsection (b) on the basis of—
(1) relevance of the proposal to priority re-
search areas; and
(2) the capability of the applicant institution to
administer and direct research in those areas.
(d) CENTER DIRECTOR.—Each institution at which
a Center is established under this section may select, in
consultation with the Office, an individual who shall be
the Center Director of that Center.
(e) 6-YEAR REVIEW OF CENTERS AND REGIONS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Every 6 years the Under
Secretary and the Committee shall jointly review—
(A) the operation of each Center, except
that in the case of a Center in existence on the
day before the date of the enactment of this
Act, the first review of the Center shall be com-
pleted by not later than the date which is 5
years after that date of enactment; and
(B) the configuration of undersea regions
to determine whether those regions meet sci-
entific needs for research in priority research
areas.
(2) CONTENT OF REVIEW.—A review under this
subsection shall consist of—
(A) an evaluation of the quality of the re-
search conducted at the Center under the Pro-
gram and the applicability of the research to
the priority research areas, including consider-
ation of the reviews conducted under section
6(c);
(B) recommendations for changes in the
scientific research program and the operation of
the Center, that are considered beneficial by the
Committee and the Under Secretary;
(C) a determination of whether the contin-
ued operation of the Center will increase knowl-
edge in the priority research areas; and
(D) recommendations for the modification
of the undersea regions of the Center.
(3) ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW CENTER AT DIF-
FERENT INSTITUTION.—If the Under Secretary and
the Committee determine as a result of a review
under this subsection that continued operation of a
Center is not warranted, the Under Secretary—
(A) shall provide notification of that deter-
mination to the Center, including a description
of any changes in the operations of the Center
the Under Secretary considers necessary for
continued operation of the Center;
(B) shall after 18 months after providing
that notice, and not later than 2 years after
providing that notice, review the implementa-
tion of those changes by the Center; and
(C) may establish, at a different institution
of higher education or oceanographic research,
a new Center for the same undersea region in
accordance with this section, if the Under Sec-
retary determines as a result of the review
under subparagraph (B) that those changes are
not implemented.
(f) NEW CENTER.—
(1) GULF OF MEXICO.—
(A) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—Notwithstanding
subsection (a)(2) and (a)(3), the Under Sec-
retary shall establish at a qualified public insti-
tution a Center to conduct the Program for the
Gulf of Mexico undersea region, which shall be
known as the ‘‘Gulf of Mexico National Under-
sea Research Center’’. The Under Secretary
shall establish that Center no later than 180
days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(B) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of
this paragraph, the term ‘‘qualified public insti-
tution’’ means a public institution or consor-
tium of public institutions of higher edu-
cation—
(i) located directly on the coastline of,
or having direct access to, the Gulf of Mex-
ico, and proximate to the Flower Garden
Banks National Marine Sanctuary;
(ii) with strong undergraduate and
graduate programs in engineering, science,
and technology as they may apply to un-
dersea research;
(iii) with nationally recognized pro-
grams in marine science and maritime
studies, including the presence of a degree
granting maritime academy;
(iv) with facilities for maintaining and
operating research and other vessels appro-
priate for deployment of equipment nec-
essary to conduct undersea research;
(v) with faculty and other personnel
with expertise in undersea research;
(vi) which maintains cooperative insti-
tutional relationships with Federal agen-
cies responsible for research work in the
Gulf of Mexico and along the Gulf of Mex-
ico coast;
(vii) which participates in cooperative
undersea research programs with Mexico;
and
(viii) which has received funding for
undersea research from the Under Sec-
retary in the past.
(2) LIMITATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Under Secretary shall not reduce
amounts available for carrying out the Memorandum
of Agreement Concerning Support of a National
Academic Deep Submergence Facility for Scientific
Use.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL UNDERSEA RESEARCH CENTER RE-
SEARCH PROGRAMS.
(a) INDIVIDUAL RESEARCH PROPOSALS.—
(1) SOLICITATION.—Each Center Director shall
annually solicit individual proposals from the sci-
entific community for research to advance the prior-
ity research areas of the Program. Research under
each proposal shall be primarily conducted within
the undersea region of the Center, but may be con-
ducted in another undersea region in cooperation
with the Center for that region, or other geographic
areas with the approval of the Program Director. In-
dividual proposals shall adhere to guidelines estab-
lished by the Program Director pursuant to section
3(e)(2). Proposals under this paragraph may be for
multiyear research.
(2) INDIVIDUAL PROPOSAL REVIEW PROCESS.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Each individual pro-
posal shall be reviewed by an independent re-
view panel and by not less than 3 anonymous
mail reviewers. Each independent review panel
shall be composed of not less than 4 individuals
with experience in undersea research appointed
by the Program Director, at least one of whom
shall be a member of the Committee.
(B) PANEL REVIEW.—Each review by an
independent review panel shall—
(i) assess the scientific merit of the
individual research proposal;
(ii) assess the ability of the Center to
carry out the proposed research; and
(iii) the applicability of the proposal
to the priority research areas.
(C) MAIL
REVIEWS.—Each mail review
shall consider—
(i) the scientific merit of the proposal;
and
(ii) the capability of the principal in-
vestigator to carry out the proposed re-
search.
(3) ALLOWANCE FOR RESPONSE.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to any regula-
tion that is issued by the Program Director, a
Center Director shall—
(i) provide to each person who sub-
mits to the Center a proposal under this
section blinded copies of all mail reviews of
the proposal conducted under paragraph
(2), and
(ii) give the person not more than 14
days to respond to those reviews before
rendering any final decision regarding
funding for the proposal.
(B) REVIEW
OF
PROCESS
BY
COMMIT-
TEE.—Not later than 3 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Committee
shall—
(i) determine whether all Centers are
implementing subparagraph (A);
(ii) determine whether the opportunity
of persons who submit proposals to re-
spond to reviews pursuant to subparagraph
(A) has been utilized by those persons;
(iii) determine whether those re-
sponses have been effective in ensuring full
and fair consideration of those proposals;
and
(iv) recommend to the Program Direc-
tor that the procedures established by sub-
paragraph (A) be continued, terminated, or
modified (including the specific modifica-
tions which should be made).
(C) REGULATIONS
IMPLEMENTING
REC-
OMMENDATIONS.—The Program Director may
issue 
regulations 
implementing 
any 
rec-
ommendation made by the Committee under
subparagraph (B)(iv).
(b) PROPOSED CENTER PROGRAM.—Each fiscal year
each Center Director shall submit to the Program Direc-
tor—
(1) a proposed program for the Center for the
upcoming fiscal year, which shall adhere to guide-
lines established by the Program Director pursuant
to section 3(e)(2) and shall include—
(A) a description of the activities per-
formed and research funded by the Center in
the previous fiscal year;
(B) those individual research proposals
submitted under subsection (a) that the Center
Director determines to be meritorious based on
reviews conducted under that subsection;
(C) a proposed budget for the operation of
the Center for the current fiscal year;
(D) any other materials requested by the
Program Director to clarify the proposed pro-
gram; and
(E) an annually revised long-range re-
search and operations plan; and
(2) reviews, and responses thereto, of all indi-
vidual research proposals submitted to the Center
Director for the upcoming fiscal year.
(c) REVIEW OF PROPOSED CENTER PROGRAMS.—
The Program Director shall review the proposed programs
submitted by each Center Director under subsection (b).
(d) GIFTS, DEVISES, AND BEQUESTS.—Each Center
may accept, solicit, and use the services of volunteers, and
may accept, receive, hold, administer, and use gifts, de-
vises, and bequests, to carry out the research program of
the Center.
SEC. 7. PROCEDURES FOR JOINT REVIEW OF RESEARCH
PROPOSALS.
The Under Secretary, in consultation with the Pro-
gram Director and the Committee and jointly with the Di-
rector of the National Science Foundation and the Sec-
retary of the Navy, shall—
(1) develop procedures for the submittal and
joint review of proposals for research in priority re-
search areas to be carried out with assistance from
2 or more agencies within the Department of Com-
merce, the National Science Foundation, or the De-
partment of Defense; and
(2) issue final rules establishing those proce-
dures by not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 8. GRANTS AND CONTRACTS FOR NATIONAL UNDER-
SEA RESEARCH CENTERS.
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Under Secretary may
make grants and enter into contracts and cooperative
agreements under this section to fund any Center program
if the Under Secretary finds that the program will advance
knowledge in the priority research areas.
(b) ALLOCATION OF FUNDING.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Based on the reviews under
section 6(c) of proposed Center programs, the Under
Secretary shall—
(A) allocate among the Centers, in such
manner as will best advance knowledge in the
priority research areas, all amounts available
for the current fiscal year for research to be
conducted by the Centers and administration of
the Centers, consistent with each Center’s long-
term responsibilities to conduct priority re-
search; and
(B) notify each Center Director of the
amount allocated to that Center under subpara-
graph (A).
(c) TERMS AND CONDITIONS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Any grant made or contract
entered into under this section shall be subject to
paragraphs (2) and (3) and to any other terms, con-
ditions, and requirements the Under Secretary con-
siders necessary.
(2) LIMITATIONS
ON
USE
FOR
LAND
AND
BUILDINGS.—Amounts provided under any grant or
contract under this section may not be used for—
(A) the purchase of any land; or
(B) the purchase or construction of any
building.
(3) MAINTENANCE OF RECORDS.—Any person
who receives or utilizes any proceeds of any grant of
contract under this section shall keep any records
the Under Secretary prescribes as necessary to fa-
cilitate effective audit and evaluation, including re-
ports which full disclose the amount and disposition
of funds received under this Act, the total cost of ac-
tivities for which those funds were used, and the
amount, if any, of costs which were provided
through other sources. The records shall be main-
tained for 6 years after the completion of the activ-
ity. The Under Secretary and the Comptroller Gen-
eral of the United States, or any of their duly au-
thorized representatives, shall have access, for the
purpose of audit and evaluation, to any books, docu-
ments, papers, and records of receipts, which in the
opinion of the Under Secretary or of the Comptroller
General may be related or pertinent to the grants
and contracts.
SEC. 9. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE REVIEW BOARD.
After the date of the enactment of this Act, grants
and contracts under the Program shall not be subject to
review by the board in the Department of Commerce
known as the Financial Assistance Review Board.
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) CENTER PROGRAM FUNDING.—There is author-
ized to be appropriated to the Under Secretary for use
for grants and contracts under section 8, to remain avail-
able until expended, $20,000,000 for fiscal year 1995,
$22,000,000 for fiscal year 1996, $24,000,000 for fiscal
year 1997, $26,000,000 for fiscal year 1998, and
$28,000,000 for fiscal year 1999.
(b) OFFICE OF UNDERSEA RESEARCH.—There is au-
thorized to be appropriated to the Under Secretary for the
administration of the Office of Undersea Research and
support of the Memorandum of Agreement Concerning
Support of a National Academic Deep Submergence Facil-
ity for Scientific Use, to remain available until expended,
$2,100,000 for fiscal year 1995, $2,200,000 for fiscal year
1996, $2,300,000 for fiscal year 1997, $2,400,000 for fis-
cal year 1998, and $2,500,000 for fiscal year 1999.
(c) REVERSION OF UNOBLIGATED AMOUNTS.—The
amount of any grant, contract, or portion of a grant or
contract, made under section 3 or 8 that is not obligated
before the end of the third fiscal year in which it is author-
ized to be obligated—
(1) shall revert to the Under Secretary; and
(2) shall remain available for grants or con-
tracts under that section.
(d) LIMITATIONS ON USE.—Amounts appropriated
under the authority of subsection (a) shall not be available
for administration of this Act by the Office, or for pro-
gram or administrative expenses of the Administration or
the Department of Commerce.
Æ
HR 4236 IH——2