§ 278k. Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manufacturing Technology
(a)
Creation and support of Centers; affiliations; merit review in determining awards; objectives
The Secretary, through the Director and, if appropriate, through other officials, shall provide assistance for the creation and support of Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manufacturing Technology [1] (hereafter in this chapter referred to as the “Centers”). Such centers [2] shall be affiliated with any United States-based nonprofit institution or organization, or group thereof, that applies for and is awarded financial assistance under this section in accordance with the description published by the Secretary in the Federal Register under subsection (c)(2) of this section. Individual awards shall be decided on the basis of merit review. The objective of the Centers is to enhance productivity and technological performance in United States manufacturing through—
(1)
the transfer of manufacturing technology and techniques developed at the Institute to Centers and, through them, to manufacturing companies throughout the United States;
(2)
the participation of individuals from industry, universities, State governments, other Federal agencies, and, when appropriate, the Institute in cooperative technology transfer activities;
(3)
efforts to make new manufacturing technology and processes usable by United States-based small- and medium-sized companies;
(b)
Activities of Centers
The activities of the Centers shall include—
(1)
the establishment of automated manufacturing systems and other advanced production technologies, based on research by the Institute, for the purpose of demonstrations and technology transfer;
(c)
Duration and amount of support; program descriptions; applications; merit review; evaluations of assistance; applicability of patent law
(1)
The Secretary may provide financial support to any Center created under subsection (a) of this section for a period not to exceed six years. The Secretary may not provide to a Center more than 50 percent of the capital and annual operating and maintenance funds required to create and maintain such Center.
(2)
The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register, within 90 days after August 23, 1988, a draft description of a program for establishing Centers, including—
(D)
criteria, including those listed under paragraph (4), for choosing recipients of financial assistance under this section from among the qualified applicants; and
(E)
maximum support levels expected to be available to Centers under the program in the fourth through sixth years of assistance under this section.
The Secretary shall publish a final description under this paragraph after the expiration of a 30-day comment period.
(3)
(A)
Any nonprofit institution, or group thereof, or consortia of nonprofit institutions, including entities existing on August 23, 1988, may submit to the Secretary an application for financial support under this subsection, in accordance with the procedures established by the Secretary and published in the Federal Register under paragraph (2).
(B)
In order to receive assistance under this section, an applicant for financial assistance under subparagraph (A) shall provide adequate assurances that non-Federal assets obtained from the applicant and the applicant’s partnering organizations will be used as a funding source to meet not less than 50 percent of the costs incurred for the first 3 years and an increasing share for each of the last 3 years. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the costs incurred means the costs incurred in connection with the activities undertaken to improve the management, productivity, and technological performance of small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies.
(C)
In meeting the 50 percent requirement, it is anticipated that a Center will enter into agreements with other entities such as private industry, universities, and State governments to accomplish programmatic objectives and access new and existing resources that will further the impact of the Federal investment made on behalf of small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies. All non-Federal costs,[3] contributed by such entities and determined by a Center as programmatically reasonable and allocable under MEP program procedures are includable as a portion of the Center’s contribution.
(4)
The Secretary shall subject each such application to merit review. In making a decision whether to approve such application and provide financial support under this subsection, the Secretary shall consider at a minimum
(A)
the merits of the application, particularly those portions of the application regarding technology transfer, training and education, and adaptation of manufacturing technologies to the needs of particular industrial sectors,
(5)
Each Center which receives financial assistance under this section shall be evaluated during its third year of operation by an evaluation panel appointed by the Secretary. Each such evaluation panel shall be composed of private experts, none of whom shall be connected with the involved Center, and Federal officials. An official of the Institute shall chair the panel. Each evaluation panel shall measure the involved Center’s performance against the objectives specified in this section. The Secretary shall not provide funding for the fourth through the sixth years of such Center’s operation unless the evaluation is positive. If the evaluation is positive, the Secretary may provide continued funding through the sixth year at declining levels. A Center that has not received a positive evaluation by the evaluation panel shall be notified by the panel of the deficiencies in its performance and shall be placed on probation for one year, after which time the panel shall reevaluate the Center. If the Center has not addressed the deficiencies identified by the panel, or shown a significant improvement in its performance, the Director shall conduct a new competition to select an operator for the Center or may close the Center. After the sixth year, a Center may receive additional financial support under this section if it has received a positive evaluation through an independent review, under procedures established by the Institute. Such an independent review shall be required at least every two years after the sixth year of operation. Funding received for a fiscal year under this section after the sixth year of operation shall not exceed one third of the capital and annual operating and maintenance costs of the Center under the program.
(6)
The provisions of chapter
18 of title
35 shall (to the extent not inconsistent with this section) apply to the promotion of technology from research by Centers under this section except for contracts for such specific technology extension or transfer services as may be specified by statute or by the Director.
(d)
Acceptance of funds
(1)
In general
In addition to such sums as may be appropriated to the Secretary and Director to operate the Centers program, the Secretary and Director also may accept funds from other Federal departments and agencies and under section
272
(c)(7) of this title from the private sector for the purpose of strengthening United States manufacturing.
(2)
Allocation of funds
(e)
MEP Advisory Board
(1)
Establishment
There is established within the Institute a Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board (in this subsection referred to as the “MEP Advisory Board”).
(2)
Membership
(A)
In general
The MEP Advisory Board shall consist of 10 members broadly representative of stakeholders, to be appointed by the Director. At least 2 members shall be employed by or on an advisory board for the Centers, and at least 5 other members shall be from United States small businesses in the manufacturing sector. No member shall be an employee of the Federal Government.
(B)
Term
Except as provided in subparagraph (C) or (D), the term of office of each member of the MEP Advisory Board shall be 3 years.
(C)
Classes
The original members of the MEP Advisory Board shall be appointed to 3 classes. One class of 3 members shall have an initial term of 1 year, one class of 3 members shall have an initial term of 2 years, and one class of 4 members shall have an initial term of 3 years.
(3)
Meetings
The MEP Advisory Board shall meet not less than 2 times annually, and provide to the Director—
(4)
Federal Advisory Committee Act
In discharging its duties under this subsection, the MEP Advisory Board shall function solely in an advisory capacity, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
(5)
Report
The MEP Advisory Board shall transmit an annual report to the Secretary for transmittal to Congress within 30 days after the submission to Congress of the President’s annual budget request in each year. Such report shall address the status of the program established pursuant to this section and comment on the relevant sections of the programmatic planning document and updates thereto transmitted to Congress by the Director under subsections (c) and (d) of section
278i of this title.
(f)
Competitive grant program
(1)
Establishment
The Director shall establish, within the Centers program under this section and section
278l of this title, a program of competitive awards among participants described in paragraph (2) for the purposes described in paragraph (3).
(2)
Participants
Participants receiving awards under this subsection shall be the Centers, or a consortium of such Centers.
(3)
Purpose
The purpose of the program under this subsection is to develop projects to solve new or emerging manufacturing problems as determined by the Director, in consultation with the Director of the Centers program, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board, and small and medium-sized manufacturers. One or more themes for the competition may be identified, which may vary from year to year, depending on the needs of manufacturers and the success of previous competitions. These themes shall be related to projects associated with manufacturing extension activities, including supply chain integration and quality management, and including the transfer of technology based on the technological needs of manufacturers and available technologies from institutions of higher education, laboratories, and other technology producing entities, or extend beyond these traditional areas.
(4)
Applications
Applications for awards under this subsection shall be submitted in such manner, at such time, and containing such information as the Director shall require, in consultation with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board.
(5)
Selection
Awards under this subsection shall be peer reviewed and competitively awarded. The Director shall select proposals to receive awards—
(A)
that utilize innovative or collaborative approaches to solving the problem described in the competition;
[1] See Change of Name note below.
[2] So in original. Probably should be capitalized.
[3] So in original. The comma probably should not appear.