§ 2467b. Requirements
(a)
Competition
Making use of the existing infrastructure established in eligible States by the National Science Foundation, the Administrator shall conduct a merit grant competition among the eligible States in areas of research important to the mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. With respect to a grant application by an eligible State, the Administrator shall consider—
(1)
the application’s merit and relevance to the mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
(2)
the potential for the grant to serve as a catalyst to enhance the ability of researchers in the State to become more competitive for regular National Aeronautics and Space Administration funding;
(b)
Supplemental grants
The Administrator shall endeavor, where appropriate, to supplement grants made under subsection (a) of this section with such grants for fellowships, traineeships, equipment, or instrumentation as are available.
(c)
“Eligible State” defined
In this section, the term “eligible State” means a State designated by the Administrator as eligible to compete in the Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.