nate the activities of the Director under paragraph 
(1) with similar activities conducted by other na-
tional research institutes and agencies of the Na-
tional Institutes of Health to the extent that such 
Institutes and agencies have responsibilities that are 
related to pulmonary hypertension. 
‘‘(b) CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out subsection 
(a), the Director of the Institute shall make grants 
to, or enter into contracts with, public or nonprofit 
private entities for the development and operation of 
centers to conduct research on pulmonary hyper-
tension. 
‘‘(2) RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND INFORMATION 
AND EDUCATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—With respect to pul-
monary hypertension, each center assisted 
under paragraph (1) shall— 
‘‘(i) conduct basic and clinical re-
search into the cause, diagnosis, early de-
tection, prevention, control, and treatment 
of such disease; 
‘‘(ii) conduct training programs for 
scientists and health professionals;
‘‘(iii) conduct programs to provide in-
formation and continuing education to 
health professionals; and 
‘‘(iv) conduct programs for the dis-
semination of information to the public. 
‘‘(B) STIPENDS FOR TRAINING OF HEALTH 
PROFESSIONALS.—A center under paragraph 
(1) may use funds under such paragraph to 
provide stipends for scientists and health pro-
fessionals enrolled in programs described in 
subparagraph (A)(ii). 
‘‘(3) COORDINATION OF CENTERS; REPORTS.— 
The Director shall, as appropriate, provide for the 
coordination of information among centers under 
paragraph (1) and ensure regular communication 
between such centers, and may require the periodic 
preparation of reports on the activities of the centers 
and the submission of the reports to the Director. 
‘‘(4) ORGANIZATION OF CENTERS.—Each cen-
ter under paragraph (1) shall use the facilities of a 
single institution, or be formed from a consortium of 
cooperating institutions, meeting such requirements 
as may be prescribed by the Director. 
‘‘(5) NUMBER OF CENTERS; DURATION OF SUP-
PORT.—The Director shall, subject to the extent of
amounts made available in appropriations Acts, pro-
vide for the establishment of not less than three cen-
ters under paragraph (1). Support of such a center 
may be for a period not exceeding 5 years. Such pe-
riod may be extended for one or more additional pe-
riods not exceeding 5 years if the operations of such 
center have been reviewed by an appropriate tech-
nical and scientific peer review group established by 
the Director and if such group has recommended to 
the Director that such period should be extended. 
‘‘(c) DATA SYSTEM; CLEARINGHOUSE.— 
‘‘(1) DATA SYSTEM.—The Director of the Insti-
tute shall establish a data system for the collection, 
storage, analysis, retrieval, and dissemination of 
data derived from patient populations with pul-
monary hypertension, including where possible, data 
involving general populations for the purpose of 
identifying individuals at risk of developing such 
condition. 
‘‘(2) CLEARINGHOUSE.—The Director of the 
Institute shall establish an information clearinghouse 
to facilitate and enhance, through the effective dis-
semination of information, knowledge and under-
standing of pulmonary hypertension by health pro-
fessionals, patients, industry, and the public.
‘‘(d) PUBLIC INPUT.—In carrying out subsection (a), 
the Director of the Institute shall provide for means 
through which the public can obtain information on the 
existing and planned programs and activities of the Na-
tional Institutes of Health with respect to primary hyper-
tension and through which the Director can receive com-
ments from the public regarding such programs and ac-
tivities. 
‘‘(e) REPORTS.—The Director of the Institute shall 
prepare biennial reports on the activities conducted and 
supported under this section, and shall include such re-
ports in the biennial reports prepared by the Director 
under section 407. 
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 
purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized 
to be appropriated $50,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
2006 through 2010.’’. 
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