wise be undertaken, including the expenses of plan-
ning and coordinating regional petroleum, mining, 
and mineral engineering projects by two or more 
schools; and 
‘‘(2) research into any aspects of petroleum, 
mining, or mineral engineering problems, including 
but not limited to exploration, that are related to the 
mission of the Department of the Interior and that 
are considered by the Committee to be desirable. 
‘‘(b) Each application for funds under subsection (a) 
shall state, among other things, the nature of the project 
to be undertaken; the period during which it will be pur-
sued; the qualifications of the personnel who will direct 
and conduct it; the estimated costs; the importance of the 
project to the Nation, region, or States concerned; its rela-
tion to other known research projects theretofore pursued 
or being pursued; the extent to which the proposed project 
will maximize the opportunity for the training of under-
graduate petroleum, mining, and mineral engineers; and 
the extent of participation by nongovernmental sources in 
the project. 
‘‘(c) No funds shall be made available under this sec-
tion except for a project approved by the Secretary. All 
funds shall be made available upon the basis of merit of 
the project, the need for the knowledge that it is expected
to produce when completed, and the opportunity it pro-
vides for the undergraduate training of individuals as pe-
troleum, mining, and mineral engineers. 
‘‘SEC. 6. SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS WITH ENERGY AND MIN-
ERAL RESOURCE PROGRAMS IN PETROLEUM 
AND MINERAL EXPLORATION GEOLOGY, PE-
TROLEUM GEOPHYSICS, OR MINING GEO-
PHYSICS. 
‘‘(a) Up to 20 percent of the annual outlay of funds 
under this Act may be granted to schools, universities, and 
institutions other than those described in sections 3 and 
4. 
‘‘(b) The Secretary, as advised by the Committee es-
tablished by section 11, shall determine the eligibility of 
a college or university to receive funding under this Act 
using criteria that include— 
‘‘(1) the presence of a substantial program of 
undergraduate and graduate geoscience instruction 
and research in one or more of the following special-
ties: petroleum geology, mineral exploration geology, 
economic geology, industrial minerals geology, min-
ing geology, petroleum geophysics, mining geo-
physics, geological engineering, or geophysical engi-
neering that has a demonstrated history of achieve-
ment;
‘‘(2) evidence of institutional commitment for 
the purposes of this Act that includes a significant 
opportunity for participation by undergraduate stu-
dents in research; 
‘‘(3) evidence that such school, university, or in-
stitution has or can obtain significant industrial co-
operation in activities within the scope of this Act; 
‘‘(4) agreement by the school, university, or in-
stitution to maintain the programs for which the 
funding is sought for the 10-year period beginning 
on the date the school, university, or institution first 
receives such funds; and 
‘‘(5) requiring that such funding shall be for 
the purposes set forth in subsections (e), (f), and (g) 
of section 3 and subject to the conditions set forth 
in section 3(h). 
‘‘SEC. 7. DESIGNATION OF FUNDS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS AND 
FELLOWSHIPS. 
‘‘(a) The Secretary shall utilize not more than 30 per-
cent of the annual outlay of funds under this Act for the 
purpose of providing merit-based scholarships for under-
graduate 
education, 
graduate 
fellowships, 
and 
postdoctoral fellowships. 
‘‘(b) In order to receive a scholarship or a graduate 
fellowship, an individual student must be a lawful perma-
nent resident of the United States or a United States cit-
izen and must agree in writing to complete a course of 
studies and receive a degree in petroleum, mining, or min-
eral engineering, petroleum geology, mining and economic 
geology, petroleum and mining geophysics, or mineral eco-
nomics. 
‘‘(c) The regulations required by section 9 shall re-
quire that an individual, in order to retain a scholarship 
or graduate fellowship, must continue in one of the course 
of studies listed in subsection (b) of this section, must re-
main in good academic standing, as determined by the 
school, institution, or university and must allow for rein-
statement of the scholarship or graduate fellowship by the 
Secretary, upon the recommendation of the school or insti-
tution. Such regulations may also provide for recovery of 
funds from an individual who fails to complete any of the 
courses of study listed in subsection (b) of this section 
after notice that such completion is a requirement of re-
ceipt funding under this Act. 
‘‘SEC. 8. FUNDING CRITERIA FOR INSTITUTIONS. 
‘‘(a) Funds available under this Act shall be paid at 
such times and in such amounts during each fiscal year 
as determined by the Secretary, and upon vouchers ap-
proved by the Secretary. Each school, university, or insti-
tution that receives funds under this Act shall—
‘‘(1) establish its plan to provide for the train-
ing of individuals as petroleum or mineral engineers 
and scientists under a curriculum appropriate to the 
field of mineral resources and mineral engineering 
and related fields; 
‘‘(2) establish policies and procedures that as-
sure that Federal funds made available under this 
Act for any fiscal year will supplement and, to the 
extent practicable, increase the level of funds that 
would, in the absence of such Federal funds, be 
made available for purposes of this Act, and in no 
case supplant such funds; and 
‘‘(3) have an officer appointed by its governing 
authority who shall receive and account for all funds 
paid under this Act and shall make an annual report 
to the Secretary on or before the first day of Sep-
tember of each year, on work accomplished and the 
status of projects underway, together with a detailed 
statement of the amounts received under this Act 
during the preceding fiscal year, and of its disburse-
ments on schedules prescribed by the Secretary. 
‘‘(b) If any of the funds received by the authorized 
receiving officer of a program under this Act are found 
by the Secretary to have been improperly diminished, lost,
100 
or misapplied, such funds shall be recovered by the Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(c) Schools, universities, and institutions receiving 
funds under this Act are authorized and encouraged to 
plan and conduct programs under this Act in cooperation 
with each other and with such other agencies, business en-
terprises and individuals. 
‘‘SEC. 9. DUTIES OF SECRETARY. 
‘‘(a) The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Sec-
retary for Land and Minerals Management, shall admin-
ister this Act and, after consultation with other interested 
Federal agencies, shall prescribe such rules and regula-
tions as may be necessary to carry out its provisions not 
later than 1 year after the enactment of the Domestic En-
ergy Production through Offshore Exploration and Equi-
table Treatment of State Holdings Act of 2006. 
‘‘(b) The Secretary shall furnish such advice and as-
sistance as will best promote the purposes of this Act, 
shall participate in coordinating research, investigations, 
demonstrations, and experiments initiated under this Act, 
shall indicate to schools, universities, and institutions re-
ceiving funds under this Act such lines of inquiry that 
seem most important, and shall encourage and assist in 
the establishment and maintenance of cooperation between 
such schools, universities, and institutions, other research